TradePlane Inc.

TradePlane is a construction technology company that captures a verified record of what actually gets installed on a job site, before it disappears behind drywall, ceiling tile, or insulation. Founded in 2026 as a Delaware C-corporation with operations based in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, TradePlane works with general contractors (GCs) and construction managers (CMs), and with mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEPF) subcontractors, on commercial construction projects.

The problem TradePlane solves is simple to describe and expensive to live with. Once a wall closes or a ceiling goes up, nobody can prove exactly what serial number, model, or manufacturer went into that spot, unless someone wrote it down first. That missing record is where rework disputes start, where closeout packages stall, and where owners end up with as-built drawings that do not match what was actually built. Most crews still handle this with a mix of memory, phone calls, printed drawings, and pencil marks, or not at all.

TradePlane's approach starts in the field, not in the office. Each project, piece of equipment or work area gets a physical QR code sticker. When a foreman or technician scans it, the app opens the exact spot on the drawing where that device lives, not just the sheet it is on. From there, the worker records the manufacturer, model, and serial number and attaches a photo, capturing proof of what was installed at the one moment it is actually available: before the wall closes. That data flows into that day's field activity log, so the daily report reflects real scan and install activity instead of being retyped from memory at the end of the shift.

For MEP subcontractors, submittals and specs can be tied directly to the physical equipment they cover, starting with HVAC, so the paperwork trail follows the actual device instead of living in a separate binder.

TradePlane does not require a BIM model to work. It runs on the PDF drawings a contractor already has, which is part of why it can go live on a project without a lengthy setup process.

TradePlane's business model reflects that field-first design. Every new subcontractor or GC starts with a full, no-cost pilot, 30 days for subs and 90 days for GCs, on a real project rather than a demo. After the pilot, pricing is a flat monthly rate per company, scaled by the number of active projects, with unlimited field users included at every tier. There is no per-seat charge, because the goal is for every worker on site to actually use the tool, not for usage to be rationed.

The company is currently in its design-partner phase, working directly with early general contractor and MEP subcontractor partners to prove out the model on live projects before scaling further. Automated closeout and as-built assembly, and broader cross-trade tooling for general contractors, are active areas of development and are not yet part of the shipped product.

TradePlane is not a competitor to the construction management platforms already on most jobs, and it is not trying to be. Procore and Autodesk sit on top of a project; TradePlane captures what happens underneath it, at the point a device goes into the wall, which those platforms were never built to see. The closest comparison most people reach for is a task-tracking app like Fieldwire, but a QR scan there opens a task, not a specific point on a drawing, and it does not capture an installed-asset record at all. TradePlane's bet is that the field-capture layer is missing entirely, not just under-served, and that whoever owns the verified record of what got installed becomes the source every downstream report, dispute, and handoff has to check against.