#Law Firm Support #Client Experience #Data Entry
Wing Case Study: CARTY
Carty Custom Builders Uses Wing to Save 20+ Hours/Week
Austin is a top U.S. city for new home construction, issuing nearly 3,900 permits in early 2025, ranking 9th nationwide. While home prices have dipped slightly—by about 2–6% year over year—buyer demand for new, customized homes remains high, driven by population growth and automated improvements in permitting processes.
Carty Custom Builders is In the heart of Austin’s strong residential market. Their clients expect not only thoughtful design but timely, financially disciplined execution.
Specializing in custom builds, infill development, and historic renovations, the firm operates in one of the most competitive and fast-paced construction environments in the country. With rising demand, limited space, and high client expectations, staying organized behind the scenes is just as critical as delivering quality on-site.
- Industry: Residential Construction
- Wing Plan: Part-Time Assistant
Carty Custom Builders is an Austin, Texas-based residential construction firm specializing in high-end custom homes.
With affiliations to the National Association of Home Builders, Texas Association of Builders, and Home Builders Association of Greater Austin, Carty Custom Builders holds itself to rigorous quality standards.
Their mission is simple: build well, build responsibly, and make the process as smooth as possible for clients and neighbors alike.
Losing Time to Administrative Work
As with most custom builders, the team behind Carty wears many hats. They balance jobsite logistics, subcontractor coordination, budgeting, and client updates, to name a few. But as their workload expanded, so did their responsibilities.
Manual tasks like logging invoices, preparing payable reports, and building a contact database of local real estate agents were eating into valuable time that could otherwise be spent managing active projects.
These office tasks, though essential, were beginning to encroach on the firm’s ability to focus on delivering high-quality builds.
Support Built Around a Construction Team's Workflow
After researching options online, Carty Custom Builders chose Wing Assistant for its strong client ratings, budget-friendly pricing, and flexibility. A single virtual assistant was assigned to the team in January 2023 to take over recurring administrative tasks, including:
- QuickBooks Invoice Entry: Logging invoices as they came in from subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers
Financial Reporting: Pulling payables, work-in-progress figures, and balance summaries to support budget tracking
Real Estate Agent List Building: Compiling contact info from online platforms, inbound emails, and ad sources to support outreach and lead generation
“We needed to take repetitive tasks off our plate to free up time, especially things like invoice entry and marketing prep.” – Carty exec
The team didn’t want to hire a full-time administrative staff member. Instead, they were looking for a support solution that could plug in quickly, operate with minimal oversight, and reliably handle back-office workflows—without disrupting jobsite progress or requiring lengthy onboarding.
Wing delivered just that. According to Carty, their Wing VA worked independently and required minimal training. All communication was handled via email and messaging platforms, which fit the firm’s jobsite-first workflow.
How Wing Fit Into Carty's Day-to-Day
In residential construction, schedules are tight and mornings start early. For Carty Custom Builders, the Wing assistant was looped into communication threads via email and messaging apps, receiving invoices and updates in real time.
As new bills arrived (whether from framing contractors, cabinet suppliers, or permitting offices), the VA would log them in QuickBooks, categorize appropriately, and generate weekly summary reports to keep leadership aligned on payables.
The assistant also worked in parallel on sourcing local real estate contacts. Using open listings, inbound emails, and regional directories, the VA compiled a growing list of agents that the firm could use for outreach, referrals, or future collaborations.
This hands-off process made it possible for the firm to pursue marketing efforts without slowing down active builds.
“Working with our Wing Assistant has allowed us to focus on building and less on office work.”
Why Admin Support Is a Strategic Edge in Custom Homebuilding
Unlike production builders working from fixed plans, custom home builders like Carty juggle multiple moving parts across several job sites. Permits vary by neighborhood, change orders evolve mid-build, and every vendor invoice must be tied back to specific client budgets.
In a market like Austin—where demand is high, space is limited, and timelines are tight—any lag in administrative support can delay construction or damage client trust.
For Carty Custom Builders, outsourcing back-office functions gave the team the time and clarity they needed to maintain momentum on site—without losing control behind the scenes.
The Bottom Line: Cleaner Books, Faster Turnaround, More Time to Build
With Wing Assistant handling admin tasks reliably and on time, the team at Carty Custom Builders was able to shift their attention back to jobsite supervision, contractor coordination, and client-facing project management.
The firm particularly valued the ease of onboarding and the assistant’s ability to hit the ground running. While they had initially hoped for more automation, the assistant’s consistent performance—especially with QuickBooks updates and reporting—meant they no longer had to choose between staying organized and staying on schedule.
Results at a Glance
- Reduced admin burden: Time-consuming tasks delegated offsite
- Cleaner financials: QuickBooks updated regularly, with timely reports
- Minimal oversight needed: Assistant required little ramp-up
- More time in the field: Leadership remained focused on construction
- Simple onboarding: Fast hiring process with no hiring overhead
