Forge Builders Reduces Budget Overruns by 30%
How a 25-employee custom home builder replaced disconnected project and accounting tools with one platform — and cut budget overruns by 30% across all active builds.
The Challenge
Forge Builders ran 8–12 custom home projects at a time, ranging from $400K to $2M. Buildertrend tracked schedules and selections, while FreshBooks handled invoicing and payments — but the financial picture was always two weeks behind reality.
Homeowner selections changes drove budget creep that didn't surface until month-end reconciliation. Subcontractor invoices piled up in FreshBooks disconnected from the project they belonged to, and project managers spent hours assembling client update reports manually.
- Budget impact of selection changes not visible until month-end
- Subcontractor invoices disconnected from project budgets
- Client update reports assembled manually from two systems
- Draw schedule tracking done in spreadsheets
The Solution
Forge rolled out Dewx across all active builds in four weeks, connecting project schedules, selections, and financials so budget impact is visible in real time.
CX Hub — Build Tracking
Every phase, milestone, and selection tracked with automated homeowner updates and progress photos.
OPS Hub — Budget Control
Real-time budget-to-actual with selection change impact calculated instantly and draw schedules automated.
Portal — Client Updates
Homeowner portal with live project timeline, photo gallery, selection approvals, and direct messaging.
Dew AI — Cost Estimates
AI-generated cost impact analysis for selection changes and scope modifications in seconds.
The Results
30%
Fewer budget overruns
6 hrs
Saved weekly on reporting
95%
Client satisfaction score
2 → 1
Tools consolidated into Dewx
Timeline
Migrated project data and configured CX Hub with build-phase templates, milestones, and selection tracking.
Set up OPS Hub financials with budget-to-actual dashboards and automated draw schedules.
Launched Portal homeowner access and Dew AI cost estimation tools; trained all PMs and field staff.
Budget overruns down 30%; client satisfaction hit 95% driven by transparent project updates.
“Custom homes are all about selections, and every selection change has a cost. Before Dewx, we didn't know the budget impact until it was too late. Now homeowners see the cost in real time before they approve, and our overruns dropped 30%.”
Features That Made the Difference
Build Phase Tracking
Milestones, inspections, and progress in one timeline.
Selection Cost Impact
Instant budget recalculation when selections change.
Homeowner Portal
Live project view with approvals and messaging.
AI Cost Estimates
Instant cost analysis for scope and selection changes.
Draw Scheduling
Automated draw requests tied to milestone completion.
Team Coordination
Sub schedules and crew assignments across all builds.
Ready to Build on Budget?
Join custom home builders who have unified their project and financial operations and cut overruns with Dewx.
Start Your Free Trial