Why Crystal Creek Homes Chose Higharc

For years, Crystal Creek Homes operated like many mid-sized Canadian builders:

Design was fragmented

Teams used a mix of AutoCAD, Revit, and other design software, with little consistency between them.

Customers struggled to visualize

Drafting remained in 2D, which confused buyers and led to misunderstandings about layouts, stairs, rooflines, and other spatial elements.

Estimating lagged behind

Costs were calculated after the design, resulting in errors and change orders that eroded margins.

Departments worked in silos

Sales, design, and estimating all used different tools, and communication often broke down.

Melissa Friesen, Managing Director of Pre-Construction, described the frustration of managing across departments:

“We once built a multimillion-dollar home where the roofline cut into the shower. It was framed before we caught it. Fixing it cost tens of thousands of dollars and months of delay.”

Crystal Creek’s leadership believed that if they could implement a modern, integrated platform, they could:

• Eliminate design and field errors before they reach construction
• Consolidate multiple legacy tools into one streamlined solution
• Reduce the time between the first sales meeting and the signed contract
• Improve cost accuracy with real-time estimating
• Give customers confidence by showing them their home, not just telling them

Trevor Scott, Edmonton Branch President & CTO, echoed the bigger-picture problem:

“Homebuilding has been slow to change. Most builders still cling to software they picked a decade ago. But our industry can’t ignore technology anymore. We needed a tool that could scale with us.”

Crystal Creek selected Higharc after a year of due diligence and evaluation. For them, Higharc stood out as the only platform that could connect design, estimating, and sales while also offering accurate visualization. 

In-House Design with 3D Models

Higharc quickly became the backbone of Crystal Creek’s design department. Instead of relying on flat 2D drawings, designers now create intelligent 3D models that can be explored in detail. Structural issues that previously went unnoticed are now identified before a single piece of lumber is cut. Sales teams also benefit, as they can now walk customers through realistic renderings instead of asking them to imagine layouts from line drawings.

“Our previous design software couldn’t keep up. We were running into too many issues with 2D drawings and with trying to make Revit work for our process. What we really needed was a modern 3D tool that could handle semi-custom homes and also talk to the other tools in our ecosystem. That combination just didn’t exist for us until Higharc.” — Trevor Scott

Real-Time Estimating and Cost Control

The efficiencies extended into estimating and cost control as well. Higharc’s integration with Crystal Creek’s ERP, BuildBase, enabled automatic cost updates as designs changed. Estimators no longer had to rely on manual processes or trade partners to fill in gaps, and sales teams gain confidence that the options they are offering are both buildable and accurately priced. 

“We didn’t even realize how valuable it would be to integrate costing. Now we can track real-time pricing and eliminate missing items in our quotes.” — Trevor Scott

Customer-Facing Visualization in Sales

For customers, the difference was dramatic. Higharc allows buyers to see a realistic version of their personalized home before signing a contract. This transparency builds trust and shortens the sales cycle. It also helps set realistic expectations: window sizes, door options, and finishes are tied directly to what is available, eliminating the disappointment of promising something the builder can’t deliver.

“Instead of asking clients to imagine, we can say, ‘Look at this.’ That changes everything.” — Melissa Friesen

Knowledge Capture and Consistency

Higharc also helped Crystal Creek future-proof its business by capturing institutional knowledge and standardizing processes. For years, the company had relied heavily on a single senior designer whose deep experience guided countless projects. Higharc made it possible to embed that expertise into models, ensuring consistency even as staff and roles changed. 

“We had one incredible designer carrying so much knowledge. Higharc gave us a way to capture that knowledge so it benefits the whole team.” —  Trevor Scott

Collaborative Implementation

Just as important as the technology was the way Higharc partnered with Crystal Creek during implementation. Unlike past software rollouts, where the builder was left to do the heavy lifting, Higharc’s team shouldered a significant portion of the workload. Crystal Creek sent plans to Higharc and received back finished models ready for review. For a lean company where everyone wears multiple hats, that support made all the difference.

“Higharc is the only partner who’s done exactly what they said they would. They did the heavy lifting, so our team could focus on reviewing instead of reformatting data.” — Trevor Scott

Design & Drafting

Crystal Creek has already seen significant improvements in its design workflow. Drawing timelines have been cut from weeks to days, and costly errors such as missing windows, misaligned stairs, or unusable rooflines are now caught before a project reaches the field. By consolidating legacy tools like AutoCAD and Revit into Higharc, the design team eliminated redundancy and gained a single, more reliable process.

“For the first time, we can catch errors like beams through showers before we ever get to the field. That alone offsets a third of the cost of Higharc.” — Trevor Scott

Estimating & Costing

Integration with BuildBase is bringing new efficiencies to the estimating process. With real-time cost data connected directly to design models, quotes are more accurate and fewer items slip through the cracks. As Trevor put it,

“Now we can track real-time pricing and eliminate missing items in our quotes.”

This tighter link between design and estimating ensures stronger alignment between what sales promises and what construction delivers.

Sales & Customer Experience

On the customer side, Higharc has already transformed the buying journey by allowing clients to see a realistic version of their home from the very first meeting. Buyers no longer have to imagine how stairs, windows, or rooflines will look; they can see them for themselves, which fosters trust and accelerates the decision-making process.

“By giving clients transparency from the start, we expect to shorten the path from potential buyer to signed contract and ultimately increase sales.”  — Melissa Friesen

Leadership & ROI

From a leadership perspective, Higharc has already proven itself a sound investment. By replacing multiple legacy tools, Crystal Creek reduced complexity and improved efficiency across departments. By preventing costly field mistakes, they’ve offset a large share of the software’s cost. By embedding design knowledge into Higharc, they’ve future-proofed their process against staffing changes. And by integrating with BuildBase, they positioned themselves for future scalability.

“One of the biggest factors in our decision was realizing Higharc could integrate directly with our ERP. That means real-time costing, with information flowing automatically back and forth. The API already exists, and we’re ready to leverage it." - Trevor Scott