BaseBuilders vs Factor AE

Architects and Engineers… stop forcing your firm into software that wasn’t built for how you actually bill.

Both BaseBuilders and Factor AE are designed for architecture and engineering firms—but they take very different approaches.

• One is built from billing outward
• The other is built more like a traditional PSA/accounting hybrid
  

If you’re a 5–25 person firm trying to get control of billing, scope, and profitability… the difference matters.

Quick Comparison

The Core Difference

BaseBuilders: Built for Billing Reality

Factor AE: Built Like a Traditional System

BaseBuilders starts with the assumption that:

Billing is the operational heartbeat of an A/E firm.

Everything flows from that:

• Time → WIP → Invoice → Profit → Cash

Factor AE takes a more traditional PSA approach:

• Project management + accounting + reporting
• Billing is one component of a broader system

That difference shows up everywhere.

Where BaseBuilders Wins

1. Speed of Billing (This Is Not Close)

BaseBuilders is designed to eliminate billing drag entirely.

• Batch create invoices across dozens of projects
• Automatic handling of:
  • Percent complete
  • Hourly/NTE caps
  • Consultant markups
• Draft everything in minutes

Factor AE:

• More manual review steps
• More traditional invoice-by-invoice workflows
• Slower cycle time

If billing currently takes days, this is a defining difference.

2. True A/E Contract Flexibility

BaseBuilders handles real-world contracts the way firms actually structure them:

• Fixed Fee
• Hourly
• Hourly NTE (auto-cap + discount)
• T&M
• T&M NTE
• Cost Plus
• Cost Plus NTE
• Mixed contracts by phase

Factor AE supports similar structures—but:

• Typically requires more setup
• Less fluid at the phase level
• Not as automated in enforcement (like NTE protection)

3. Real-Time Profitability (Not After-the-Fact)

BaseBuilders calculates profitability continuously:

• Direct labor + overhead (applied instantly)
• Consultant liabilities tracked automatically
• Net profit visible at:
  • Project
  • Phase
  • Segment level

Factor AE:

• Strong reporting
• But more dependent on:
  • Report generation
  • Period-end review

Translation:

BaseBuilders tells you while the job is happening.

Factor AE tells you after.

4. Simplicity for Small Firms

BaseBuilders is intentionally constrained:

• No unnecessary modules
• No accounting system to manage
• Minimal setup friction

Factor AE:

• Broader feature set
• More configuration
• Heavier onboarding

For a 10-person firm, that difference is material.

Where Factor AE Wins

1. Built-In Accounting

Factor AE includes accounting functionality.

That means:

• No need for QuickBooks/Xero
• Single system for financials

BaseBuilders:

• Pushes to accounting systems (QBO/Xero)
• Does not replace your GL

If you want everything in one system, Factor AE has the edge.

2. Broader Operational Coverage

Factor AE leans more toward a traditional “all-in-one” PSA:

• Deeper accounting workflows
• More enterprise-style reporting
• Broader system coverage

BaseBuilders is intentionally narrower:

• Focused on billing, projects, and profitability
• Leaves accounting to accounting software

3. Better Fit for Larger Firms

As firm size increases:

• Multi-department complexity grows
• Internal accounting needs increase
• Process formalization matters more

Factor AE can scale more naturally into that environment.

BaseBuilders is optimized for lean, fast-moving teams.

Feature Camparison (Expand these tables)

The Real Question: What Kind of Firm Are You?

This decision is less about features and more about operating philosophy.

Choose BaseBuilders if:

• You’re a 5–25 person firm
• Billing is currently painful or slow
• You rely on QuickBooks or Xero
• You want clarity on profitability without running reports
• You value speed over system complexity

Choose Factor AE if:

• You want accounting inside the same system
• Your firm is growing beyond 25–30 people
• You’re comfortable with heavier setup and structure
• You prefer a traditional PSA/ERP-style platform

The Bottom Line

Both platforms are built for A/E firms—but they solve different problems.

• Factor AE is trying to be a complete system
• BaseBuilders is trying to fix the single biggest operational bottleneck: billing

If your firm is still:

• Chasing time sheets
• Fighting spreadsheets
• Taking days to invoice

Then the fastest path to improvement isn’t more software. It’s better billing.

Closing Statement

The problem isn’t that A/E firms don’t have software.
It’s that most systems don’t understand how A/E firms actually make money.

BaseBuilders was built around that reality—from the first invoice to the final profit.