Enquiry pipeline
Website, phone and social enquiries in one list with the address, job type and next step. Site visits booked online.
Building designer software: jobs, revisions & approvals
Building designers: every revision tracked, every approval logged. Draft more, chase less.
Revisions get emailed back and forth, client markups come in by text, council submissions live in a spreadsheet and stage fees go out a month late. We build drafting job systems for building design studios that keep every job, revision, approval and invoice in order. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for building design job management software that actually fits how a drafting studio works?
Drafting jobs live and die on revisions. Clients change their minds, engineers send markups, the energy assessor wants different windows and council asks for more information right when you thought it was done. Most studios hold it together with a CAD file naming system, a shared inbox, a whiteboard and one person who knows where everything is.
Wollopit builds custom software for building designers around how your studio actually runs. Every job has a stage, every sheet has a current revision and every client sign-off is logged with a date and a name. Consultants see the latest set, council and certifier steps have deadlines and fees get invoiced the day a stage is approved. You keep drafting in your CAD software. We build everything around it, then host it and look after it.
01The problems
What we hear from building designers
Does your building design studio have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most design studios we talk to draw beautiful plans and run the business on email threads and file names ending in FINAL. It works until the builder prices off the wrong set.
- The problemNobody's sure which plan is currentRev C_final_v2 is in the inbox, Rev D is on the desktop and the builder has priced off the wrong one.How we fix itEvery set issued with a revision letter, an issue register and a transmittal. Superseded sheets are watermarked and the current set is always one link.
- The problemClient markups everywhereFeedback arrives by email, text, a Saturday phone call and a photo of a printout covered in biro.How we fix itClients mark up the plans in a portal, pin comments to the sheet and sign off each stage with one click.
- The problem"We never approved that"The concept was signed off in March. In June they want the kitchen moved and swear they never agreed to the layout.How we fix itEvery sign-off logged with the date, the person and the exact revision they approved. No arguments, just the record.
- The problemFree revisions foreverThe fourth round of 'just a small change' gets done for nothing because nobody counted the first three.How we fix itRevision allowances per stage, with variations priced and approved by the client before you touch the drawing.
- The problemConsultants on old plansThe engineer designs the slab off Rev B. The energy assessor rates a house with different windows.How we fix itConsultants get their own login to the latest set, a notice when it changes and a tracked request for their report.
- The problemChasing reports for weeksContour survey, soil test, BAL assessment, NatHERS rating and engineering. Five people chased by email and nothing arrives together.How we fix itA report checklist on every job showing who's engaged, what's due and what's landed, with nudges that send themselves.
- The problemCouncil RFIs slip throughAn information request lands in someone's inbox and the response deadline quietly passes.How we fix itSubmission tracking for planning, siting variations, build-over applications and building approval, with RFI due dates and reminders.
- The problemStage fees invoiced lateWorking drawings went out a month ago. The invoice still hasn't.How we fix itStage approval raises the invoice in Xero or MYOB straight away, with deposits and overdue reminders handled.
- The problemFee proposals eat your eveningsEvery quote written from scratch in Word, sent off and forgotten in the sent folder.How we fix itFee proposal templates by job type that clients accept online, with your terms and the deposit taken on the spot.
- The problemNo idea where the studio's atNobody can say who's drafting what or which jobs are stalled waiting on the client.How we fix itA studio board with every job by stage, who's on it, what it's waiting on and hours used against the fee.
- The problemEnquiries go coldEnquiries come in from the website, the phone and Facebook. Half never get a call back.How we fix itOne enquiry pipeline with the property details pulled up, a site visit booked and follow-ups that go out on time.
- The problemSite info hunted every jobLot and plan, zoning, overlays, easements and sewer lines looked up from scratch for every new job.How we fix itA site sheet per job holding lot and plan, overlays, setbacks, sewer location, survey and site photos in one place.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for building designers. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Fee proposals
Templates for new homes, renos, granny flats and duplexes. Accepted online with terms and a deposit.
Job & stage tracker
Every job from site visit to concept, preliminary, working drawings, approvals and construction issue.
Studio workload board
Who's drafting what, what's waiting on whom and what's due this week, on any screen.
Revision control & issue register
Revision letters, issue dates and transmittals per sheet, with superseded sets clearly marked.
Client portal & markups
Clients view plans on their phone, pin comments to the sheet and approve stages online.
Sign-off log
Who approved which revision and when, kept on the job for good.
Variation approvals
Extra revisions and scope changes priced, approved by the client and added to the next invoice.
Consultant hub
Engineers, energy assessors, surveyors and certifiers see the latest set and upload their reports.
Report checklists
Survey, soil test, BAL, NatHERS, engineering and Form 15s tracked per job with automatic nudges.
Council & certifier tracking
Planning, siting variations, build-over and building approval steps with RFI deadlines.
Stage invoicing
Fees tied to stages and pushed to Xero or MYOB the moment a stage is approved.
Site info sheets
Lot and plan, zoning, overlays, setbacks, easements, sewer and site photos for every job.
Timesheets against fees
Hours logged per job and stage so you can see which jobs pay and which ones bleed.
A website that wins work
Hand-built, fast on mobile, with your portfolio and an enquiry form that drops straight into the pipeline.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole studio, on one system.
These are the systems building designers ask us about most. Each one works on its own. Join them up and the job pretty much runs itself from enquiry to final invoice.
Job tracking
Every job, every stage, at a glance.
One board for the whole studio. Every job shows its stage, who's drafting it, what it's waiting on and how many hours have gone in against the fee. Stalled jobs stand out before they become a problem.
- Jobs by stage from enquiry to construction issue
- Drafter assigned per job and stage
- Waiting on client, consultant or council flags
- Due dates and weekly workload view
- Hours logged against the fee
- Site info sheet on every job
- Notes and phone calls kept on the job
- Templates for new homes, renos and duplexes
Revision control
One current set. No more FINAL_v3.
Every sheet carries its revision letter, issue date and who it went to. Superseded sets are watermarked so nobody builds off the old one. Send the current set to anyone with one link.
- Revision letters and descriptions per sheet
- Issue register built automatically
- Transmittals to builders and consultants
- Superseded sheets watermarked
- Compare what changed between revisions
- One link to the current set
- Works with exports from Archicad, Revit or AutoCAD
- Stored on Dropbox or SharePoint if you like
Client portal
Clients mark it up. You get it in writing.
Clients open their plans on a phone or laptop, drop comments right on the sheet and approve each stage with a click. Revision allowances and variations sit in the same place, so extra work gets agreed before it gets drawn.
- Plans viewable on any device
- Comments pinned to the sheet
- Stage sign-off with date and name
- Revisions used vs included
- Variation requests priced and approved
- Progress view so clients stop ringing
- Upload their inspo photos and lists
- Email and SMS when something needs them
Approvals & consultants
Council, certifier and consultants on the same page.
Every report and approval a job needs, laid out as a checklist. Consultants work off the latest set and upload straight to the job. Council and certifier steps carry their deadlines, so an RFI never sits unanswered.
- Report checklist per job
- Consultant logins to the current set
- Automatic nudges for overdue reports
- Planning and siting variation tracking
- Build-over and referral agency steps
- Building approval with your certifier
- RFI due dates and reminders
- Every lodgement and response on file
Stage invoicing
Paid when the stage is done, not a month later.
Fees are set per stage in the fee proposal. When the client signs off a stage the invoice goes out through Xero or MYOB the same day. Variations land on the next invoice automatically and overdue accounts get a polite reminder.
- Fee proposals accepted online
- Deposits taken up front
- Invoice raised on stage approval
- Variations added automatically
- Synced to Xero or MYOB
- Card payments through Stripe
- Overdue reminders by email and SMS
- Fee vs hours per job
04How it changes
Before and after
A council RFI, wolloped.
Here's how a council information request could play out. Every studio is different, so we map yours first.
Before
- RFI email sits in a shared inbox for a week
- Dig through folders to find which revision was lodged
- Ring the engineer to see if they've got the new set
- Email the client a PDF and wait for a reply
- Response goes in two days before the deadline
- The extra work never makes it onto an invoice
After
- RFI logged on the job with its due date
- The lodged revision is right there on the issue register
- Engineer gets the current set and a tracked request
- Client approves the change in the portal
- Reminders keep it moving well before the deadline
- The variation flows onto the next invoice
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for building designers.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for building designers
Built around how your building design studio actually runs: enquiry pipeline, fee proposals and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for building designers
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Building design studio system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for building designers
Job & stage tracker and studio workload board: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Archicad, Revit and SketchUp so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your building design studio, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
You keep drafting in the CAD software you know. We connect to the tools your studio relies on and build the job, revision and client side around them.
- Archicad
- Revit
- SketchUp
- AutoCAD
- Vectorworks
- Bluebeam
- Xero
- MYOB
- Ignition
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Dropbox
- SharePoint
- Stripe
- Twilio SMS
- Google Maps
- Nearmap
- Calendly
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your building design studio: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We sit with your drafters and whoever handles the admin, follow a job from enquiry to construction issue and find where the time and fees leak.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your stages, revisions, client approvals, consultants, council steps, invoicing, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually revision control or stage invoicing first, so you get a win on the jobs already on the board.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things building designers ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Does it replace our CAD software?
No. You keep drafting in Archicad, Revit, SketchUp or whatever you use. We build the job, revision, client and invoicing side around it.
Can clients mark up plans without installing anything?
Yes. They open a link on their phone or laptop, tap to drop a comment on the sheet and approve the stage when they're happy.
Can engineers and energy assessors see the latest set?
Yes. Consultants get their own login to the current revision on the jobs they're on. They're told when it changes and can upload their reports straight to the job.
Can it stop us doing free revisions?
It can make them visible. You set how many revisions each stage includes and anything beyond that becomes a variation the client approves before you start.
We already use WorkflowMax, Ignition or a spreadsheet. Do we have to switch?
No. If something is doing its job we build around it. If it's holding you back or being retired, we'll show you what replacing it would involve before anything changes.
Will it work with our files in Dropbox or SharePoint?
Yes. Your plans can stay where they are. We connect to your storage so the portal and issue register always point at the right files.
How much does a system like this cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller pieces like a client portal or stage invoicing can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early instead of waiting for everything at once.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most building designers we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a building design studio problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.