BuildOps Was Built From the Ground up to Serve Commercial Contractors: Steve Chew, COO

BuildOps is a California-based company building software for commercial contractors in the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades. Founded with a sharp understanding of how field service and project workflows intersect, the company focuses on a sector often overlooked by traditional software developers. The company’s core product—a unified operational system—brings dispatch, scheduling, quoting, inventory, service, and project management under one roof. By solving the disjointed systems problem, BuildOps is turning analog workflows into digital operations without forcing contractors to change how they do business.

Unlike generic field service tools that aim to serve a wide range of industries, BuildOps is specifically designed for the trades. The company started by visiting job sites, speaking directly with project managers, technicians, and owners to understand their real challenges—such as delayed billing, disconnected systems, manual paperwork, and inefficient scheduling. For BuildOps, the goal isn’t to create fancy software, but to make daily operations easier for the people who keep buildings functioning. 

Serving the Backbone of American Infrastructure

Commercial contractors don’t get much press. Yet they handle the HVAC systems in hospitals, the wiring in skyscrapers, the plumbing in airports. These aren’t side jobs—they’re the infrastructure backbone of modern cities. But for years, contractors have had to stitch together solutions: one tool for accounting, another for service calls, a third for project oversight. BuildOps brings these workflows into a single environment that mirrors how teams actually operate.

That means tighter coordination between office and field. Technicians can see work orders, update job statuses, capture signatures, and sync data in real time. Project managers can build schedules and track progress with fewer calls and less guesswork. And leadership teams can review reports that reflect the full scope of operations—without needing a spreadsheet army. It’s not about digitizing for the sake of it. It’s about building a system that fits how commercial contracting really works.

Product Design Grounded in Trade Logic

BuildOps didn’t start with a list of features. It started with use cases. How does a dispatcher reroute a tech when an emergency call comes in? How does a foreman update a change order without stopping the job? How does a service manager make sure nothing falls through the cracks when juggling dozens of work orders?

The company approached product design with humility, knowing that contractors have seen plenty of software that promised the world and delivered complexity. The result is software that works out of the box but can also be customized to match different company structures, workflows, and priorities. And it’s built to scale—from regional operators to national firms with hundreds of trucks.

The company also prioritizes onboarding and support. Field workers aren't tech support, and BuildOps doesn’t expect them to be. That’s why its onboarding teams spend time training both field and office staff, adapting workflows, and configuring integrations with existing tools. It’s not just about selling software. It’s about making sure it’s used—and used well.

Leadership Rooted in Field Experience

BuildOps is led by people who understand what’s broken in contractor software because they have lived it. CEO and co-founder Alok Chanani brings a mix of construction background and tech startup experience. He’s vocal about the company’s mission: not to be flashy, but to be useful. Chanani and his team have raised capital from institutional investors who see the untapped opportunity in the commercial trades—a space that’s essential but under-digitized.

That perspective has earned the company support from industry veterans as well as Silicon Valley. But BuildOps isn’t trying to grow just for growth’s sake. Every product release is weighed against the question: does this help our customers do better work? That’s why the company continues to involve trade professionals in its roadmap development. It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about building tools that hold up under pressure.

The company is expanding its analytics capabilities, giving contractors better visibility into service margins, technician performance, and project profitability. It’s also investing in automation to cut down on administrative tasks—from smart scheduling to predictive maintenance planning. Yet even as it adds more features, BuildOps remains focused on a simple goal: making life easier for the people who keep buildings running.

A Digital Tool Built for Real-World Work

BuildOps has gained traction by listening closely, delivering consistently, and refining its software with user feedback. The company doesn’t oversell, and it doesn’t overpromise. It builds technology that tradespeople are willing to adopt—because it fits how they already work.

BuildOps doesn’t see commercial contractors as a tech-adoption problem. It sees them as professionals who deserve better tools. And that simple respect—paired with strong execution—is why the company continues to grow, one crew at a time.

Steve Chew, Co-Founder & COO, BuildOps

Unlike generic field service tools that aim to serve a wide range of industries, BuildOps is specifically designed for the trades. The company started by visiting job sites, speaking directly with project managers, technicians, and owners to understand their real challenges—such as delayed billing, disconnected systems, manual paperwork, and inefficient scheduling.