Case Study: How a Contractor Portal Grew Builder Partnerships by 35%
A countertop fabrication shop launched SlabWise's contractor portal and grew its builder partnerships from 12 to 19 active accounts within 6 months. The portal's multi-project dashboards, real-time status updates, and document management turned the shop into builders' preferred fabrication partner -- increasing builder-sourced revenue by 35% and reducing project coordination overhead by 60%.
TL;DR
- Shop profile: 18 employees, 130 jobs/month; 45% of revenue from builder partnerships
- Builder accounts: Grew from 12 to 19 active accounts (58% increase)
- Builder revenue: Increased 35% within 6 months of portal launch
- Coordination calls: Dropped from 8/day to 3/day for builder-related communication
- Document management: Eliminated 15+ hours/month of email-based document sharing
- Contractor satisfaction: 100% of builder partners rated the portal "very useful" in survey
- Competitive advantage: Won 5 new builder accounts specifically because of the portal
The Shop
ProStone Fabricators (name changed) is an 18-person operation in a fast-growing Sun Belt metro processing about 130 countertop jobs per month. The owner, Derek, built his business on two channels: direct homeowner sales (55% of revenue) and builder/contractor partnerships (45% of revenue).
Builder Relationship Structure
| Builder Tier | Accounts | Monthly Jobs | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-volume (10+ jobs/mo) | 3 | 35 | National builders, spec homes |
| Mid-volume (4-9 jobs/mo) | 4 | 24 | Regional custom builders |
| Low-volume (1-3 jobs/mo) | 5 | 9 | Custom home builders, remodelers |
| Total | 12 | 68 |
Builder work is the backbone of ProStone's consistent monthly volume. While homeowner jobs fluctuate seasonally, builder partnerships provide steady, predictable work year-round.
The Communication Bottleneck
Managing 12 builder accounts with 68 active jobs per month created a communication workload that strained ProStone's office team.
The Daily Builder Communication Load
| Communication Type | Daily Frequency | Time Per Instance | Daily Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status calls from builder PMs | 5 | 6 min | 30 min |
| Status calls from site supers | 3 | 5 min | 15 min |
| Email chains with scheduling updates | 8 | 10 min | 80 min |
| Document requests (quotes, COs, certs) | 4 | 8 min | 32 min |
| Scheduling conflict resolution | 2 | 15 min | 30 min |
| Total | 22 | -- | 187 min (3.1 hrs/day) |
Derek's office manager and one admin person spent over 3 hours every day just managing builder communications. That's 68 hours per month -- the equivalent of 40% of one full-time employee dedicated entirely to answering builder questions.
Why Builders Were Frustrated Too
Builders had their own complaints:
- "I manage 15 subcontractors. ProStone is the only one that requires me to call for updates."
- "I need completion certificates for closings, and it takes 24-48 hours to get them by email."
- "When I have 8 active countertop jobs, I can't keep track of which ones are in what stage."
The Competitive Threat
Derek noticed that two builder accounts had started sending overflow work to a competitor who offered an online project dashboard. The competitor's fabrication quality was lower, but their communication system was better. Derek was at risk of losing accounts -- not because of his craftsmanship, but because of his communication tools.
SlabWise Contractor Portal Implementation
ProStone implemented SlabWise Enterprise ($349/month) with the contractor portal as the strategic priority.
Portal Features Configured for Builders
| Feature | Builder-Specific Configuration |
|---|---|
| Multi-project dashboard | All active jobs on one screen with status indicators |
| Real-time status updates | 8 stages from "Measure Scheduled" to "Install Complete" |
| Automated notifications | SMS + email at each stage change (configurable per builder) |
| Document library | Quotes, change orders, completion certs, warranty docs |
| Scheduling calendar | Template and installation dates with confirmed time windows |
| Slab selection | Photos of assigned slabs for spec home approvals |
| In-portal messaging | Non-urgent questions without phone calls |
| Reporting | Monthly summary of all jobs by status, timeline, and spend |
Rollout Strategy
| Phase | Timing | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Days 10-15 | Onboarded 3 high-volume builders with personal walkthroughs |
| Phase 2 | Days 16-25 | Added 4 mid-volume builders |
| Phase 3 | Days 25-35 | Added 5 low-volume builders |
| Phase 4 | Days 35-60 | Used portal as selling point for prospecting new builders |
Derek personally demonstrated the portal to each high-volume builder's project management team. The 20-minute walkthrough showed them the dashboard, notification settings, and document access. Every builder's immediate reaction: "Why doesn't every sub offer this?"
6-Month Results
Builder Account Growth: 12 to 19
| Metric | Before | After (6 months) |
|---|---|---|
| Active builder accounts | 12 | 19 |
| Monthly builder jobs | 68 | 92 |
| Builder revenue share | 45% | 51% |
| Builder monthly revenue | ~$163,800 | ~$221,000 |
| Revenue increase | 35% ($57,200/month) |
Five of the seven new builder accounts specifically cited the contractor portal as a factor in choosing ProStone. Three of those five had existing relationships with competitors but switched because ProStone offered better project visibility.
Communication Efficiency: 60% Reduction
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Daily builder status calls | 8 | 3 |
| Daily builder emails | 8 | 3 |
| Daily document requests | 4 | 0.5 (most self-serve from portal) |
| Daily scheduling discussions | 2 | 1 |
| Daily builder communication time | 3.1 hours | 1.2 hours |
| Monthly time saved | 42 hours |
Document Management: Paper-Free
Before the portal, every completion certificate, change order, and quote went through email. Finding a specific document from 3 months ago meant searching through hundreds of email threads.
| Document Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Document delivery method | Email attachments | Self-serve from portal |
| Time to fulfill document request | 15-60 minutes | Instant (self-serve) |
| Monthly time on document requests | 15+ hours | < 1 hour |
| Lost/missing document incidents | 2-3/month | 0 |
Builder Satisfaction Survey
ProStone surveyed all 19 builder accounts after the 6-month mark:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| "Is the portal useful for managing projects?" | 100% "Very useful" |
| "Has communication with ProStone improved?" | 95% "Significantly improved" |
| "Would the portal influence your sub selection?" | 89% "Yes, strongly" |
| "Do you prefer the portal over phone/email?" | 84% "Yes, for most updates" |
Specific Builder Feedback
High-volume national builder PM: "I log in Monday morning, see all 12 active jobs in one view, and know exactly where everything stands. That used to take 3 phone calls and 20 minutes."
Regional custom builder: "The slab photos before fabrication start have eliminated the 'that's not what I picked' conversations at installation. Approvals happen in the portal now."
Remodeling contractor: "I send my clients the completion certificate the same day as installation because I download it myself from the portal. Used to take 2 days to get it from ProStone by email."
How the Portal Won New Builder Accounts
Derek developed a prospecting approach that used the portal as a differentiator:
The Pitch
"We deliver the same quality fabrication as anyone in this market. What we do differently is give you a real-time dashboard for every active project, automated notifications at every milestone, and instant access to every document you need -- quotes, change orders, completion certs -- without a single phone call."
Why It Worked
Builders manage 10-20 subcontractors per project. The ones who make their lives easier get more work. In a competitive market where fabrication quality is similar across shops, the contractor portal became ProStone's most powerful sales tool.
Win Examples
- Builder A: Moved 8 jobs/month from a competitor because their previous fabricator required phone calls for every status update
- Builder B: Started with 2 test jobs, grew to 6/month after seeing the portal in action
- Builder C: Recommended ProStone to their sister division in a neighboring market
Financial Summary
| Category | Monthly Impact |
|---|---|
| Additional builder revenue (profit margin) | +$5,700 (on $57,200 new revenue) |
| Office time savings (42 hrs at $25/hr) | +$1,050 |
| Document management savings | +$375 |
| SlabWise Enterprise subscription | -$349 |
| Net monthly value | ~$6,776 |
Lessons for Shops Building Contractor Relationships
1. The Portal Is a Sales Tool, Not Just an Operations Tool
Derek's biggest insight: the contractor portal isn't just about managing existing relationships more efficiently. It's a competitive differentiator that wins new business.
2. Onboard Builders Personally
A 20-minute walkthrough with each builder's PM made adoption nearly instant. Don't just send login credentials -- show them the dashboard and let them see their active jobs.
3. Completion Certificates Close Deals
For builders, the most valuable portal feature was instant access to completion certificates. These documents are required for home closings, and delays cause real financial problems for builders.
4. Let Builders Configure Their Own Notifications
Some PMs want SMS at every stage. Others only want emails for installation scheduling. Giving builders control over their notification preferences increased satisfaction and reduced "notification fatigue."
FAQ
Does the portal work for small builders with just 1-2 jobs/month?
Yes. Even single-job builders benefit from status visibility and document access. The value scales with volume, but the portal improves the relationship at any level.
Can builders see pricing information?
You control this. ProStone hides per-unit pricing from builder portal views but shows total project costs on quotes and change orders. Permissions are customizable per account.
How do builders' site superintendents use the portal?
Site supers primarily check installation schedules and job status. ProStone set up "limited access" accounts for supers that show scheduling and status without financial details.
What if a builder doesn't want to use the portal?
Some builders prefer phone calls. ProStone still accommodates them. But as other builders in the network talk about the portal, most holdouts eventually request access.
Can the portal handle builder-specific pricing agreements?
Yes. Each builder account can have custom pricing tiers in Quick Quote. When a job is created under a builder account, the builder's negotiated rates apply automatically.
How does the portal handle change orders?
Change orders are created in SlabWise, and the builder receives a notification with the revised scope and pricing. Builders can approve changes directly in the portal, creating a documented approval trail.
Is the contractor portal only available on Enterprise?
The customer portal is included with both Standard ($199/month) and Enterprise ($349/month). Enterprise adds advanced features like API access and priority support that larger operations may need.
Can I use the portal to prospect for new builder accounts?
Absolutely. ProStone created a demo portal view for prospecting meetings. Showing builders what their experience would look like -- before they send a single job -- closes deals.
Win More Builder Business
Start a 14-day free trial and set up your contractor portal. Show your builder prospects what working with you looks like -- and watch the job volume grow. No credit card required.
Sources
- SlabWise customer data -- ProStone Fabricators (anonymized), 6-month review
- National Association of Home Builders -- subcontractor selection criteria survey, 2025
- Natural Stone Institute -- fabrication shop builder relationship data
- Stone World Magazine -- builder partnership best practices in fabrication, 2025
- Freedonia Group -- residential construction countertop specification trends
- ISFA -- fabrication shop revenue channel distribution report