"Our profitability is 15 times what it used to be."

The Challenge

Earth Bound Homes was using five separate systems to manage projects. Not only did this create data silos, but with tools that were frequently breaking or only worked with a WiFi connection, it was turning out to be exceptionally time-consuming. Plus, the business was growing and they needed a solution that would help them scale.

The Results

One Centralized Platform

No more digging through email or files to find missing documents. With Procore, all project information is consolidated in one location.

Scalable Solution

With its robust platform, Procore offers tools that support the team’s rapid growth— without slowing them down.

Offline Access

WiFi-free zones are no longer document-free zones. Procore’s offline access enables remote teams to manage documents from anywhere.

Increased Profitability

With the help of Procore’s streamlined processes, Earth Bound Homes increased profitability by 15x.

Scaled Growth

Since joining Procore, Earth Bound Homes has grown 5x, supported by a solution that allows them to scale.

Reduced Software

Earth Bound Homes eliminated 60% of its software solutions, reducing five solutions to two.

The Story

From Five Solutions to Two

Prior to using Procore, Earth Bound Homes was using five separate solutions to manage projects. Not only did this mean that information was scattered in various locations, but some of the solutions didn’t offer the functionality they needed––turning simple tasks into time-consuming ones.

President and CEO David Edwards, PhD, explains, "One solution didn’t save information unless you had a WiFi connection. You’d fill out a checklist halfway, and then you’d lose internet access and it would disappear. You couldn’t submit half a checklist and go back to it later."

Another solution, Edwards recalls, had tools that were constantly breaking. "I was spending a huge amount of time fixing tools that my people couldn’t use, and it was too complex for them to understand. We wanted one system that could do everything that we wanted done—or at least as much as we could get one system to do."

Edwards previously built his own software and had used other solutions including CoConstruct, BuilderTrend, and UDA ConstructionSuite. But, he says, "They had such huge holes in their systems that they became untenable and unusable for us. The amount of work it took to do anything was ridiculous. BuilderTrend required so many clicks to do one thing. With UDA, you had 10 apps on your phone. By the end, those were the big things for us: ease of use and having one application."

Edwards heard about Procore from another builder, and after a brief meeting, he set up a demo. Soon after, Earth Bound Homes decided to partner with Procore, and the team reduced their five solutions down to two. "It just dramatically simplified everything—things didn’t keep breaking," he recalls.

With its comprehensive platform, Procore consolidated all project information in one place. Plus, with offline access, teams could view and update documents anytime, anywhere—regardless of a WiFi connection.

"Procore is easy to use on the phone and the iPad. When you do a checklist for QC, you can save it. The bidding tool has also become incredibly important to us, and just having everything automated and not doing things manually—that’s huge for us," he smiles. "And truthfully, we’re rolling out different tools gradually, so it’s kind of like a new present every once in a while because Procore will solve a new problem that we didn’t even know we had until they show us the solution. Then we realize, ‘This is so much easier.’"

There’s also one other aspect of the platform that’s made a big impression on Edwards. "Simplicity is key," he continues. "It’s hard to make things simple. The simpler you can make it, the more functional it becomes. Procore has done a really good job of simplifying systems that are fairly complex and automating processes so you don’t have to spend a bunch of time doing things manually."

He adds, "I really like the fact that I don’t have to maintain Procore. It’s been a flawless system for us and has given us capabilities we didn’t even know we needed—and now we do. In that respect, it’s been great for us; now I spend my time improving my company instead of maintaining my company."

Edwards says that he hasn’t been shy about sharing his experience either. "We’ve gotten four other companies to join Procore since we joined it—and a couple others are looking at it. We speak highly of the platform because it checks a lot of boxes for us."

Successfully Scaling with the Business

Since partnering with Procore, Earth Bound Homes has seen exceptional growth. "We’ve quintupled in size income-wise. We’ve tripled in size manpower-wise. And our profitability is 15 times what it used to be. Procore has absolutely played a role in allowing us to scale," explains Edwards.

With simplified and streamlined processes, Edwards says he is able to focus on more important tasks. "I can spend my time doing value-added activities for the organization that don’t involve maintaining software."

He adds, "We certainly would not have been able to grow this much with any of the other solutions— whether it was the software that I designed myself or that we got from UDA ConstructionSuite, CoConstruct, or BuilderTrend. They’re not designed for this kind of scaling of business. I can honestly say that we would not have been able to do what we’ve done as profitably or as efficiently—and without any headaches—if we didn’t have Procore."

Edwards says that Procore has helped reduce the amount of administrative work for employees, estimating that each team member saves on average a couple of hours per week, noting that if they were to use the full functionality, "it would be many times more."

In fact, for the bidding tool alone, he notes they have saved hours a week and hundreds of dollars. "That’s maybe 50% return on investment just from that bidding tool—and maybe more."

The Culture of "Building a Better Way"

For Edwards, growing the company has also been a direct result of bringing the right people on board—and that comes down to building the right culture. Hiring and retaining the best talent in the industry, Edwards says, is about equipping them with the right tools that will help the team succeed.

He explains, "I’m a big proponent of hiring the best people, paying them really well, treating them fantastically, and giving them the tools they need to succeed—that is, Procore and other business analytics—and then let them do their jobs," he pauses. "My job is about maintaining the culture."

For Edwards, this "people-first" culture not only supports enhancing the lives of his own employees, but also clients, subcontractors, and architects. The company’s motto, "Building a Better Way" is about optimizing systems and processes and providing full transparency to clients in order to boost value and create an enjoyable working environment for employees. This, in turn, helps increase the company’s profitability.

But, he says, "This profitability is not to fill my pocket as the sole owner of the organization—it’s about being able to fund our charitable organization, giving money away to other charitable organizations, and giving us the financial capacity to hire the best people and pay them really well. It allows us to give them amazing benefits like 100% health care coverage, 50% for their family, dental, vision, 401(k)s, paid holidays, maternity and paternity leave." He pauses to let this sink in. "Being highly profitable gives you the ability to do things that are right—how you should treat people and run an organization. It’s about your impact on the world."

He adds, "Building a Better Way is a whole culture around that ideal, and Procore is a building block of that. It helps give us the flexibility and latitude to do things that we may not be able to do otherwise because we’re dealing with things like software headaches. Procore plays a role in making our lives better and allowing us to make other people’s lives better."