2025 pushed the trades harder than anyone expected. Demand spiked in places most people never think about — data centers, battery plants, mission-critical facilities. The labor gap didn’t ease. The work only got tougher.
And still, the people who keep the modern world running showed up.
The 3 a.m. service calls. The equipment failures that can’t wait. The pressure of keeping a hospital or airport steady when the stakes are high.
Most people never see that part of the job. But you do. And that’s who we build for.
Everything we delivered this year came from experience — yours and ours. We build with people who’ve lived the work, and that’s been our edge since day one.
What We Built Together
This year, we pushed AI forward in a way that actually helps crews in the field — not theory, not hype, but tools that make a Tuesday easier.
We shipped:
- AI Smart Recap
- HVAC Assist
- AI-powered scheduling suggestions
- PO and attachment scanning
And beyond AI, we strengthened the core work contractors run every day — service calls, project operations, quoting, scheduling, financials, and the hundreds of small moments where bad information slows a team down. Every improvement came from watching where the real pressure shows up — in the field, at the counter, on the dispatch board, and inside a job’s numbers.
A Year of Steady, Real Momentum
This year we grew in the ways that matter.
BuildOps was named one of Forbes America’s Best Startup Employers, earned a spot on Built In’s Best Places to Work, landed at #93 on the Inc. 5000, and was recognized on Construction Executive’s 2025 CE Top Tech™ list.
We opened new offices in Raleigh and San Francisco and expanded our Los Angeles headquarters. And we strengthened the company where it counts — product, support, implementation, and every team working directly with contractors.
Everything we expanded this year had one purpose: give the trades more firepower when they need it most.
Forge: A Look at What’s Possible
Forge doubled in size this year. Contractors, operators, partners, and industry leaders came together to talk about the future of work in the trades.
We welcomed Mike Rowe. We honored wounded veterans. And as always, some of the best conversations happened in the hallways between sessions.
That’s the trades at their best — people sharing what works, learning from each other, and trying to make tomorrow a little better than today.
Where the Trades Are Headed
The labor shortage isn’t going away. The complexity of the work isn’t easing up. And mission-critical demand — data centers, healthcare, airports — keeps climbing.
But here’s what the outside world misses: commercial contractors have never been stronger.
The companies leaning into visibility, clarity, and skill development are pulling ahead. Younger techs are entering the field fast — and they expect tools that match the way they work, whether they’re in a substation, a rooftop unit, or a server room running hot.
This is where technology fits.
Not as the hero.
Not as a replacement.
But as a steady hand that helps great teams move faster and make better calls.
AI won’t replace people; it’ll amplify them.
And in an industry defined by skill and judgment, that matters.
Looking Ahead
In 2026, our focus stays simple and steady:
- Field teams who show up with the context, history, and plans they need to do the job right, whether it’s a service call or a multi-week install
- Coordinators and dispatchers who can match people, schedules, and priorities without second-guessing
- Project and service leaders who see risk early in labor, materials, and cost exposure, before it hits margins
- AI that works like a steady hand: surfacing what matters, cutting down busywork, and helping great teams move faster
We’ll keep building for the real work — the work you feel in the field, in the trailer, in the shop, and inside the numbers. And we’ll keep aiming to match the pride, skill, and commitment of the people we serve.
Thanks for the trust — and for the work you do every day to keep the world running.
— Alok
