Build Safe Escrow

What Build Safe Escrow does

Build Safe Escrow is a privately held, North Miami Beach-based financial services company founded in 2014 that operates as a neutral third-party escrow agent dedicated exclusively to the construction industry. It holds client project funds in FDIC-insured escrow accounts and releases them to contractors only when pre-agreed project milestones are completed and verified by the relevant parties. The company was started after the founders experienced a financially and emotionally devastating home renovation, and it positions itself as the nation's first escrow firm purpose-built for construction rather than a general-purpose escrow service. Its customer base spans six defined personas — contractors, developers and builders, architects and designers, lenders, property owners, and HOA/condo managers — each served through a dedicated service vertical.

The operational platform combines milestone-based disbursement workflows, draw-scheduling logic, and a client-facing portal (HB Portal) for quote requests, milestone verification documentation, and account management. Supporting services include direct payments to subcontractors and vendors (to mitigate mechanic's lien risk), lien waiver coordination, and optional background screening of parties. Funds are held in FDIC-insured custody and released the same day a milestone is verified, including weekends — a deliberate speed differentiator against the typical construction-payment cycle.

Revenue is generated primarily through a flat per-project escrow fee that does not vary with project size, with the fee split-able between property owner and contractor, plus ancillary fees for extra disbursements, wire transfers, lien waivers, and change orders. A $99 introductory tier is offered for a contractor's first project. Distribution is consultative-direct (phone, email, quote requests) supplemented by a self-serve portal and a Trusted Contractor Network referral channel. The company is bootstrapped, founder-owned (Ana Barajas is identified as co-founder), operates with 11–50 employees, serves customers nationwide across the United States, and has no disclosed external institutional funding, acquisitions, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Build Safe Escrow

Legal name

Build Safe Escrow

Website

https://buildsafeescrow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Build Safe Escrow is a Florida-based, privately held escrow agent that holds construction project funds in FDIC-insured accounts and releases them to contractors only when pre-agreed milestones are verified, serving homeowners, contractors, developers, lenders, architects, and HOA boards nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Escrow Services

NAICS

Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Escrow Services (BPAJAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Escrow, Trust & Legal Settlement Disbursements (FSAMAKAO), Escrow, Trustee & Agency Services (Custody-Adjacent) (FSAFAHAG)

Keywords

• Construction escrow services
• Milestone-based payments
• Construction draw management
• Contractor payment protection
• Renovation fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Construction Escrow Transaction Fees: Build Safe Escrow charges a flat fee for escrow services, with fees outlined in the Escrow Agreement. The flat fee applies regardless of project size, making it accessible for small remodels to large-scale builds. Fees can be shared between parties (e.g., split between property owner and contractor). Additional fees may apply for extra disbursements, wire transfers, and additional services such as lien waivers and change orders. Fees are non-refundable once services begin.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Build Safe Escrow operates as a neutral third-party escrow agent for the construction industry. The company holds project funds in FDIC-insured escrow accounts and releases payments to contractors only when pre-agreed project milestones are completed and verified. It serves construction and renovation projects ranging from small residential remodels to large-scale new builds, charging a flat fee per project regardless of size.

Product overview

Build Safe Escrow operates as a construction-focused financial platform centered on milestone-based escrow services. The core product is construction escrow—acting as a neutral third party that holds project funds in FDIC-insured accounts and releases payments only when verified milestones are completed. The platform serves multiple stakeholder segments: contractors, developers/builders, lenders, architects/designers, property owners, and HOA/condo managers. Supporting services include direct subcontractor/vendor payment management, background screening, and lien waiver coordination. The company positions itself as 'the nation's first escrow company dedicated to the construction industry' and charges flat-rate fees regardless of project size.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Escrow Services Neutral third-party escrow service that holds construction funds in FDIC-insured accounts and releases payments only when agreed-upon project milestones are completed and verified. Targeted at contractors, property owners, developers, lenders, architects, and HOA managers undertaking construction or renovation projects.
• Background Screening Services Optional add-on service that runs background checks on contractors and property owners involved in a project, including screening for civil lawsuits and past disputes, to vet parties before work begins.
• Direct Subcontractor and Vendor Payments Service allowing property owners to have escrow funds paid directly to subcontractors and vendors, helping avoid surprise mechanic's liens and ensuring all parties are paid fairly and on time.
• Lien Waiver Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Slow payments cost the U.S. construction industry $280 billion in 2024; 82% of contractors face payment waits over 30 days (industry data cited by Build Safe Escrow, originally from Rabbet's 2024 Construction Payments Report)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• First American Title: Major title and escrow services provider with national reach and significant financial backing; adjacent in escrow infrastructure and capable of entering the construction-escrow niche.
• Procore: Dominant construction management platform with embedded payments, lien-waiver, and financial workflows; could absorb construction-escrow functionality as a feature versus a standalone product.
• Fidelity National Title (FNF): Largest U.S. title insurance underwriter with broad escrow capabilities; a deep-pocketed potential competitor if it chose to expand its escrow product set into construction draw management.
• BILL (formerly Bill.com): Large SMB payments and AP automation platform that addresses construction contractor payments and cash flow; broad incumbent that could move deeper into construction-vertical disbursement workflows.
• Old Republic Title: Large national title insurance and escrow company with established escrow infrastructure that could be extended into construction draw disbursement, representing a well-capitalized potential entrant in the niche Build Safe Escrow occupies.

Direct peers

• Rabbet: Construction-finance platform that automates construction loan administration, draw management, and lender disbursement workflows — directly comparable to Build Safe Escrow's lender- and developer-facing milestones and disbursement services.
• Escrow.com: General-purpose online escrow service (a subsidiary of Freelancer Holdings) that handles transaction escrow across many categories; overlapping escrow-domain expertise and online onboarding UX, though not construction-specialized.
• Payapps: Progress-payment and draw-management platform purpose-built for construction; competes head-to-head with Build Safe Escrow's milestone-based payment verification and disbursement workflow.

Emerging players

• Buildertrend: Residential remodeling and construction management platform with built-in payment features; emerging competitor addressing the same SMB residential-remodel contractor and homeowner segments as Build Safe Escrow.
• Levelset (Procore): Lien- and payment-management platform for construction (acquired by Procore); directly comparable in managing construction documentation, lien waivers, and contractor payment protection — a feature set Build Safe Escrow also offers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BuildSafeEscrow
• Facebookfacebook.com/buildsafeescrow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/build-safe-escrow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Build Safe Escrow