Missed voicemails, scattered text threads and outdated email chains delay decisions and inflate project costs. For residential builders juggling multiple lots, subcontractors and suppliers, slow answers can halt framing, postpone inspections and push back hand-over dates. CountBricks was built to eliminate that friction.
The message portal is the secure, real-time conversation hub inside the CountBricks estimating and invoicing platform. While you dictate quantities on-site or upload blueprint takeoffs, every stakeholder—site supervisor, electrician, cabinetmaker, even the accounting office—sees the same running dialogue. Voice notes are instantly transcribed, tagged to tasks and stored with time stamps, providing a living record that backs up every line item on your estimate or invoice.
• Real-time voice-to-text so trades can talk instead of type while their hands are full of tools
• Threaded conversations linked to individual tasks, takeoffs and purchase orders
• Role-based permissions that let you control who sees pricing versus scope details
• Automated change-order generation when a message includes a cost or scope adjustment
• One-click conversion of approved chats into updated invoices or schedules
Client asks for lineal metres of boundary fencing to be costed? Record a 10-second voice note, tag “site prep”, and your estimator sees it instantly when building the quote.
Once the CountBricks AI produces a full proposal, the portal notifies the owner to review. Approvals, questions or red-line comments stay tied to the original estimate for undeniable clarity.
Plumber finds rock while trenching. Instead of calling six numbers, he drops a photo and a voice memo in the portal. The project manager receives a push notification, prices the variation with CountBricks’ live material pricing feed and replies within minutes.
Because every approved variation is already documented in the conversation thread, the finance team can generate stage invoices without chasing paper trails.
• Fewer site visits: Decisions happen in the thread, not the driveway
• Dispute protection: Time-stamped transcripts prove who said what and when
• Faster cash flow: Immediate approval of change orders means you bill sooner
• Central knowledge base: New crew members get instant project context
• Seamless data flow: Messages feed directly into CountBricks.com/services for estimating, scheduling and purchasing
• Start every day by tagging today’s critical path tasks so crews know priorities
• Use @mentions to alert specific subcontractors rather than blast everyone
• Attach site photos with markup to reduce vague directions and rework
• Turn on automatic summaries; the AI will recap long threads into action items
• Archive completed tasks weekly to keep the portal lean and searchable
All messages are encrypted at rest and in transit. CountBricks retains full logs compliant with residential building regulations and local contract law. Export complete message histories in a single PDF for council submissions or warranty documentation.
1. Create a free CountBricks account at CountBricks.com/start
2. Invite your site team and preferred subcontractors
3. Upload a set of plans or begin a voice-driven quantity takeoff
4. Open the message portal and start the conversation—our AI keeps everything organised while you build
Ready to cut delays and protect your margins? Explore advanced features like automated materials ordering at CountBricks.com/services or book a live demo with our residential specialists.
CountBricks partnered with BrightLine Carpentry on a tight, twelve-week duplex schedule in Riverstone. Traditional phone-tag had delayed previous projects, so the team leaned heavily on the message portal.
• Twenty separate trades across two mirrored units meant endless scope clarifications
• Council requested last-minute stormwater revisions
• Variations historically took three days to price and approve
1. The site foreman snapped drainage photos, tagged “engineering” and recorded a 15-second brief. Within ten minutes, the civil consultant responded in-thread with updated requirements.
2. CountBricks AI parsed the new drawings and suggested a $2,450 materials adjustment, auto-creating a draft variation. The owner viewed and approved it in the same conversation before lunch.
3. Because every decision lived inside the portal, invoicing at the end of the framing stage took 30 minutes instead of half a day.
• Variation approval cycle shrank from three days to one hour
• Project delivered seven days early, freeing BrightLine’s crew for the next site
• Documented conversation log eliminated disputes and supported warranty handover
If you’re tired of juggling texts, emails and phone calls, the CountBricks message portal offers a single source of truth built for the pace of residential construction. Visit CountBricks.com/consultation to see how quickly your team can deploy the system and start recovering lost hours.
• Upload your logo and company details for branded client messages
• Set notification preferences so critical alerts never slip by
• Create message templates for common queries like access codes or colour selections
• Schedule a ten-minute onboarding session with a CountBricks specialist
Clear lines of communication are the foundation of profitable builds. Let CountBricks reinforce yours.
