SDH Building Services Customer Story: Faster Payment Applications with BuildQS

Headquartered in Bolton, Lancashire, SDH Building Services delivers HVAC and mechanical services across the UK. The company implemented BuildQS in January 2026 to streamline its applications for payment process and improve financial control across projects.

"We've wanted something like this for a good few years," says Yvonne Hunt, Director at SDH Building Services. "We chose BuildQS to improve accuracy and to make it easier to keep an eye on retentions."

Streamlining the applications for payment process

Before BuildQS, SDH's accounts and project management teams relied on multiple spreadsheets to track project valuations, deposits, retentions, and staged payments.

Existing processes required repeated rekeying of data. On larger jobs, spreadsheet administration became messy and occasional data-entry errors crept in.

With BuildQS, SDH saw an opportunity to reduce process steps and improve consistency. Yvonne explains, "We wanted a solution that our project managers could update easily. It needed to be easy to use, easy to control and easy to process. BuildQS does everything we need."

Making project managers' work easier

SDH first gave BuildQS to its senior project manager, who quickly adopted it, especially for larger jobs. Based on that success, SDH now plans a wider rollout to all project managers.

An SDH project can range from GBP 10k to GBP 1.5m, typically with six or seven project stages. Project managers often run 10 or more projects concurrently, so reducing repetitive admin has a direct operational impact.

The biggest time savings come from valuations. Instead of manually rekeying bill-of-quantities data, project managers import a CSV and BuildQS creates project steps automatically. SDH estimates this saves around 30 minutes per application.

With approximately 25 applications each month, SDH estimates project managers save 12.5 hours per month. Rhys Sharrock, Senior Project Manager at SDH, says, "BuildQS is fantastic, simple, timesaving and presents well to clients."

A better client experience

When projects reach payment stages, project managers now generate polished applications for payment directly from BuildQS. Instead of copying and pasting between spreadsheets, they click generate report and export a branded PDF.

Clients benefit from clearer layouts and easier-to-understand valuation details. BuildQS also gives SDH flexibility to include additional valuation details, including discounts and bulk discounts where relevant.

Yvonne says, "When we come to send the application for payment to the client, it looks very professional and it's all set out in a way that our clients like."

Keeping track of retentions and deposits more easily

Previously, retention values were tracked in separate spreadsheets and cross-referenced manually against valuation files. BuildQS brings that data into one place with clear visibility across stages.

SDH now carries retention amounts forward accurately from one stage to the next and can see exactly what has already been applied. This reduces the risk of missing value or invoicing incorrect amounts.

As projects move toward completion, BuildQS alerts help SDH track when retention amounts become due for release, supporting tighter cash control.

Time saved for the accounts team

BuildQS also improves handoff from valuation to invoice. Instead of retyping approved application data, SDH now uses the one-click invoice flow to send valuation data to Xero.

Project name, purchase order, valuation totals, and retention details are carried across automatically. The accounts team reviews the draft and sends, reducing repetitive manual entry and avoidable errors.

Yvonne estimates this saves 5 to 10 minutes per invoice. With more than 25 applications each month, that adds up to around 4 hours saved per month for the accounts team.

Improved visibility across all projects

BuildQS reporting and dashboard views give SDH leadership a clearer operational picture. Teams can quickly see which project managers are responsible for specific jobs, project progress status, and when payments are due.

SDH also highlights BuildQS onboarding support and responsiveness to product feedback, which has helped adoption across teams.

Yvonne concludes, "We're really pleased with BuildQS. It's ideal for construction firms like us. Construction firms all do the same things. We all need to manage phased valuations and to track deposits and retentions. BuildQS is something that makes sense for everyone."

About SDH Building Services

SDH Building Services combines more than 50 years of experience in air conditioning, HVAC, and mechanical services with a focus on reliability, compliance, and long-term cost savings.

Trusted by commercial and industrial clients across multiple sectors, SDH is an accredited partner with leading HVAC brands and provides UK-wide coverage from design and installation through to ongoing maintenance.

See more: https://sdhbuildingservices.co.uk