BuildOps doesn't publish how to export your data. We searched its public website for export, CSV and reporting instructions on October 15, 2026, and found none, and we found no public API documentation either. What BuildOps does publish is its Terms of Service, and they contain the one rule every BuildOps customer should know before leaving: a 30-day written-notice window to get your data after termination.1
So this guide doesn't draw invented menu paths. It lays out the request process as a sequence you can follow, what the terms say, exactly what to ask BuildOps in writing, and the records a commercial contractor needs to keep.
What you'll end up with
For a residential-first shop heading to TradesWork, only customers and a price list import, through its Another system or a spreadsheet option. For a commercial contractor, most of this kit is a records-retention job, whatever system comes next.
- Customers and properties (requested)PartlyCustomers and service locationsEach row's address becomes a service location. How a customer with many properties groups depends on your file; check every site in a sandbox import.
- Price book or rate sheet (requested)ImportsPrice bookName and price required. Code, description, category and cost carry over if present.
- Assets by propertyKeep as archiveYour archiveRe-enter equipment for agreement sites.
- Maintenance agreementsKeep as archiveYour archiveThe list you rebuild agreements from.
- Jobs, quotes, invoicesKeep as archiveYour archiveThe spreadsheet importer takes customers and price lists only.
- Inspection reports, deficiencies, project documentsKeep as archiveYour archiveCompliance and contract records. Keep them for years.
How the request process runs
There's no click path to show, so here's the process instead. Start it while you still have full access.
- 1
Read your Order
Term end date and renewal language. The terms leave the term to your Order (§10(a)).
- 2
Send the written request
To your BuildOps account contact and support, with the checklist below, before the term ends.
- 3
Get the answer in writing
For each record: export it yourself from which screen, in what format, or BuildOps produces it, when, at what cost.
- 4
Export and open every file
Row counts against BuildOps screens. Totals against your accounting system.
- 5
Follow up on gaps
Missing records go back in writing the same week.
- 6
Written notice inside 30 days
Only if you still need BuildOps to produce data after termination (§5(d)).
What BuildOps' terms say about your data
Three clauses matter:1
| Clause | What it says |
|---|---|
| §14(a) Ownership | The customer retains all intellectual property and other rights in Customer Data |
| §10(a) Term | Each subscription term is set out in your Order |
| §5(d) Export after termination | BuildOps may deactivate your account right away; it makes Customer Data available for export if it receives written notice within 30 days, then has no obligation to retain it |
One more reason to start early: commercial customers often expect you to hand over service and inspection history on request, sometimes years later. Once BuildOps' 30-day window closes, the only copy of those records is the one you saved.
What to ask BuildOps, in writing
Email your BuildOps account contact and support. Ask, for each record type below: can we export it ourselves, from which screen, in what format (CSV or Excel), and if not, will BuildOps produce it, when, and at what cost?
Records to request from BuildOps
- Customers and billing accounts, with IDs
- Properties and sites, linked to customer IDs
- Assets by property: type, make, model, serial, install date
- Maintenance agreements: sites, covered assets, PM schedule, price, term
- Open and completed jobs and work orders, with dates, techs, hours and totals
- Quotes, with status
- Invoices and payments
- Projects: budgets, change orders, RFIs, submittals, daily reports
- Inspection reports and deficiencies (fire and life safety)
- Purchase orders and inventory
- Attachments, photos and signed documents, in bulk if possible
- Price book or rate sheets
- Which roles can run each export
- How long our access stays open after the term ends
Records commercial shops forget
Residential shops mostly need customers, a price book and history. Commercial shops need more, and some of it is a compliance or contract record:
| Record | Why you need it after leaving |
|---|---|
| Inspection reports | Proof of NFPA inspections you performed, for customers and authorities having jurisdiction |
| Deficiencies | Open deficiencies are quoted work and a liability record |
| Maintenance agreements | Which sites and assets you're obligated to service, and when |
| Asset histories | Warranty and service history per unit |
| Project documents | Submittals, RFIs, change orders and daily reports for warranty and disputes |
| Signed work orders | Proof of work for billing disputes |
BuildOps lists fire and life safety work (NFPA 25, NFPA 72, inspection, testing and maintenance, and deficiency tracking) and project management (submittals, RFIs, change orders, daily reports, job costing) among its features.23 If you used them, you have records to keep.
Reconcile with your accounting system
BuildOps lists accounting integrations with Viewpoint Vista, Viewpoint Spectrum, Sage Intacct, NetSuite and QuickBooks.3 If you use one, your invoices and A/R are also there. Before you leave:
- Compare open A/R in BuildOps with your accounting system, customer by customer.
- Note unbilled work: completed jobs and project progress not yet invoiced.
- Decide where old invoices are collected after cut-over.
Your accounting system is your independent second copy of the financials. It isn't a copy of your assets, agreements or inspections.
What you can't export yourself
| Item | Why not | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Saved cards and bank details | BuildOps lists a Payments+ add-on;3 payment data stays with the processor | Customers set up payment again |
| Automations, templates, dashboards | Settings don't move between systems | Screenshot the ones you rely on |
| Phone numbers | Numbers move by porting through carriers | Port with your new provider |
Permissions: who should run the exports
We couldn't verify which BuildOps roles can export which records, so ask that in the same email. Have an administrator run the exports, and have the person who owns each area check its file: your service manager checks agreements and assets, your project manager checks project records, and your controller checks invoices and A/R. A file nobody has opened isn't an export. It's a hope.
A timeline for leaving BuildOps
90 days before term end
Read the order, send the request
Confirm the term end date and renewal language in your Order. Send the written export request above.
60 days before
First full export
Every record type exported and opened. Gaps listed and sent back to BuildOps in writing.
30 days before
Documents and reconciliation
Inspection reports, deficiencies and project documents saved. A/R reconciled with your accounting system.
Last week of the term
Final export
Re-run customers, open jobs, agreements and A/R. Store two copies.
Within 30 days after
Written notice, if needed
If you still need BuildOps to produce data, written notice must reach it inside the §5(d) window.
These lead times are our suggestion, not BuildOps'. Fit them to your own order.
If BuildOps gives you a database or bulk file
Ask what format it's in and whether it includes IDs linking customers, properties, assets and jobs. Those IDs are what let a new system rebuild the links. If it's a format you can't open, ask for CSV or Excel versions of the core lists as well.
Your BuildOps export kit
- Order read; term end in the calendar
- Written request sent and answered
- Customers and properties with IDs
- Assets by property
- Maintenance agreements
- Jobs, quotes, invoices and payments
- Inspection reports and deficiencies, with photos
- Project documents
- A/R reconciled with your accounting system
- Two copies stored outside BuildOps, one offline
How TradesWork handles these files
Honestly, most commercial-first BuildOps customers are better served by another commercial platform. TradesWork has no inspection, deficiency or project workflows. For a residential-first shop, customers with addresses and a price list come in through Another system or a spreadsheet, with column matching, a preview and a sandbox option. The BuildOps to TradesWork migration guide shows each screen, and TradesWork vs BuildOps covers who should switch at all.
Footnotes
-
BuildOps, Terms of Service, last updated May 28, 2026, §5(d), §10(a), §14(a). https://buildops.com/terms-of-service ↩ ↩2
-
BuildOps, home page. https://buildops.com/ ↩
-
BuildOps, Pricing. https://buildops.com/pricing/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3
