Business Pilot

Overview

Business Pilot is an ERP and CRM built around installation work, linking sales, office administration and site activity. It suits firms that want jobs managed from enquiry through aftercare, rather than a standalone scheduler or quoting tool. Its joined-up workflow is appealing, but the £240 monthly minimum and 24-month initial term make it a significant commitment.

Key features

End-to-end job records. The system covers leads, sales, surveys, contracts, supplier orders, scheduling, job costing, invoicing, installation and aftercare. Keeping these stages together can help installation teams avoid hand-offs between separate records; businesses that need only one part of that process may find the scope excessive.

Lead capture and qualification. Website enquiries can enter through a WordPress plugin or a manual integration for other websites, and lead grading helps sales teams prioritise opportunities. Business Pilot can store quotes and related documents, but it is not pricing software, so firms needing quote calculations must connect a separate pricing tool.

Scheduling and field work. The schedule board lets teams move installation dates, updates contract records and notifies fitters. The BP Site App sends installers job details, photos and technical specifications, supports digital sign-off forms and passes updates back to the office. That connection is useful for companies coordinating mobile crews; it is less relevant to businesses without installation work.

Integrations and trial. Connections include Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FENSA, Certass, Tommy Trinder, Windowlink and Microsoft 365, with Zapier connectivity as another route. The 14-day trial requires no setup fee or credit card and includes demo data that users can edit, report on and export from desktop, tablet or phone. How-to videos and help from the team are available during the trial, including a call to help users get started.

Pricing

Business Pilot is paid, with a 14-day free trial and no free plan. The FAQ sets a minimum contract value of £240 per month, equivalent to three full users. The minimum subscription term is 24 months; afterwards, the contract rolls monthly and requires at least 30 days’ notice to cancel. That floor and commitment are important constraints for smaller firms, even before considering the full cost for a larger team.

The Site License costs $10 a month, with invoicing quarterly in advance. It is for service engineers and installers and provides Site App access only, so it is not a low-cost way to use the full system. The Full Licence is custom pricing, billed as a monthly license with quarterly invoicing in advance; it is required to access Contracts and includes the app. The Sales License is also custom pricing on the same billing basis, for sales representatives and surveyors, and includes the app. The listed license prices and the £240 monthly contract floor describe different costs; buyers should confirm how the licenses fit their required setup before committing.

Platforms

Business Pilot supports web, Android, iOS and API access. The BPsite app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Customer data is maintained in the UK on Microsoft Azure servers. The company says the system allows customers to be fully GDPR compliant, subject to their own processes.

Who it's for

The strongest fit is an installation business coordinating sales and field teams around shared job records. Business Pilot names window and door, alarm, construction, building, solar panel and roofing companies as examples, and says it is specifically recommended for installation-type organisations, though non-installation companies can use it. Inspection forms, estimate building, job scheduling, invoicing and payments are supported; there is no customer portal.

Pros and cons

Pros

Broad installation workflow: leads, contracts, scheduling, costing, invoicing and aftercare sit within one system, which can reduce hand-offs between office stages.

Field-to-office link: installers can receive technical information and submit digital sign-offs and updates on their phones.

Useful integrations: accounting, compliance and industry tools include Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FENSA and Certass.

Low-friction trial: the 14-day trial has no setup fees or card requirement and permits edits, reports and exports using demo data.

Cons

High entry commitment: a £240 monthly minimum and 24-month initial term are a poor fit for firms wanting a short-term or low-cost tool.

Not a pricing engine: quotes can be stored, but pricing calculations require connected software.

Limited Site License: the $10 a month option provides app access only, not the Contracts access that requires a Full Licence.

No customer portal: companies seeking a customer-facing self-service channel will need another solution.

Alternatives

For a broader roofing-software shortlist, see Roofing Software. Choose Instant Roofer if free basic measurements and a freemium plan matter more than an installation-wide workflow. HiveSuite is a better fit for a small crew seeking an all-features plan for one admin and two crew at £34.99 a month, with VAT included. Roofr is worth considering for a free starter option focused on measurement reports and a basic job board. Roof Manager may suit a buyer who wants to begin with a free trial including two full reports and CRM, invoicing and proposals. Leap offers a $79 a month Essential plan for one user on a one-year contract, making its entry point clearer for a solo operator. StormProof is a more focused choice for report work, with a $29.99 a month Starter plan capped at 20 reports and one user. JobNimbus is an alternative for teams comparing project-board and automation limits, with Essentials for up to three users and three boards. RidgeSync may suit buyers who prioritize unlimited users, leads, jobs, quotes and measurements for $149 a month.

Verdict

Choose Business Pilot if your installation company needs one connected workflow for sales, office administration and mobile installation teams, and can justify the minimum spend over a two-year term. Its combination of scheduling, job records and field sign-off is the central reason to choose it. Look elsewhere if you need pricing calculations, a customer portal, or a lower-commitment way to cover only one part of the job process.