Comparison
Level vs Pilot
Pilot is excellent financial infrastructure for tech startups. Level is built specifically for trades contractors. These are different products solving different problems.
| Capability | Level | Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Industry specialization | ✓HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, general contractors | Tech startups, SaaS, e-commerce |
| Job costing | ✓Job-level profitability by customer, crew, and service type | Not offered, not relevant to software companies |
| Cash flow forecasting | ✓Rolling 6-8 week forecast built for seasonal and project-based cycles | Basic bookkeeping cash view |
| Benchmark data | ✓The Level Index, 2,200+ contractors (margins, billing speed, collection rates, crew utilization) | None specific to trades |
| Service agreement analysis | ✓Agreement-level profitability, renewal rates, mispricing detection | Not applicable |
| Field software integration | ✓ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, FieldEdge, Sera, 20+ more | Stripe, QuickBooks, Gusto, standard SaaS stack |
| Team composition | Construction CPA + financial analyst + data engineering | Bookkeepers + accountants + dedicated accountant |
| Pricing model | $1,500-$5,000/month. Scales with complexity. | Starts ~$499/month for bookkeeping; CFO services add-on |
| Tax strategy | Construction-specific: depreciation, equipment, subcontractor compliance | Startup-specific: R&D credits, stock options, 409A |
| Exit readiness | Buyer-diligence reporting, EBITDA normalization, management packages organized for QoE providers | Cap table, equity, investor reporting |
Use Level if you are
- ✓An HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or general contractor
- ✓Running a trades business of any size
- ✓Struggling with job costing, cash flow, or margin visibility
- ✓Integrating ServiceTitan, Jobber, or similar field platforms
- ✓Preparing for PE acquisition or agency sale
- ✓Tired of a bookkeeper who doesn't understand job cost accounting
Use Pilot if you are
- ✓A tech startup or SaaS company
- ✓VC-backed and managing investor reporting
- ✓Handling cap table, equity, and 409A valuations
- ✓Focused on R&D tax credits and startup-specific incentives
- ✓Running on a standard SaaS software stack (Stripe, Gusto)
- ✓Not in the trades or construction industry
What Level brings that Pilot doesn’t
The Level Index, 2,200+ contractors
We benchmark your margins, collection rates, billing speed, and crew utilization against 2,200+ real contractors. You know exactly where you stand, not against a generic industry average.
Trades-fluent team
Our CPAs have 10+ years in construction accounting. Our analysts came from PE firms that evaluated service businesses. Everyone on the team has worked inside a trades operation.
Field software integration
We connect directly to ServiceTitan, Jobber, and 20+ other field service platforms. Your job data, labor data, and financial data are reconciled automatically, not manually.
Simple pricing
Three tiers, one ladder.
$500+/mo
Bookkeeping
The clean data layer: monthly books, reconciliations, and organized financials AI can work with.
$1,500-$5,000/mo
Scale
The full AI operating layer: custom agents, weekly actions, and benchmarks to grow margin per hour.
Custom
Platform / Multi-Office
Multi-branch benchmarking and scorecards for PE-backed and multi-location groups.
Built for contractors. Not for startups.
We connect to your books and show you what a profitability audit would uncover.
No commitment. Real numbers, not generic advice.