Tech-Forward Land Development: A Q&A with Cole Brooks on Ashton Woods’ Success with TraceAir

Builder Magazine’s 2023 Builder of the Year, Ashton Woods, has demonstrated remarkable growth, scaling from just under 1,200 closings in 2010 to 8,947 in 2024. Since its first sale in 1989, Ashton Woods has been committed to building design-forward homes in thoughtfully selected communities across the country. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company sells new homes in major markets, including Atlanta, Austin, Charleston, Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh, Tampa, Nashville, and San Antonio.

In 2017, Ashton Woods launched Starlight Homes to make homeownership more accessible to those who once thought it was out of reach. Today, over 50,000 families proudly call an Ashton Woods or Starlight Homes home their own. 

As a product built specifically for homebuilders, TraceAir is a market leader, partnering with top 20 homebuilders nationwide. In this Q&A, we speak with Cole Brooks, Land Development Manager at Ashton Woods and Starlight Homes in the Atlanta market, who plays a crucial role in driving the success of the division’s land development efforts. Cole shares insights on how TraceAir has contributed to their achievements.

Q: How did you get started with TraceAir?

A: I first encountered TraceAir through a marketing email. It looked like an excellent platform, so I explored it further. At the time, we weren’t using any software to help manage land development. We were relying on surveyors. I wasn't aware of how accessible and affordable a platform like TraceAir was. After some research, I learned that it could be used on tablets, computers, or mobile devices on-site, which was a real game-changer. It offers GPS-like functionality without the hefty price tag, which really caught our VP of Development's attention. Greg, our VP of Land Development, decided to implement it, and we've been leveraging its benefits ever since.

Q: What problems were you looking to solve with TraceAir?

A: We weren't actively looking for a solution—TraceAir sort of found us. We faced several long-standing challenges common to homebuilders and land developers, such as managing multiple projects at different stages while dealing with a limited workforce. With 20 active sites and another 20 about to start, our team was spending countless hours traveling between job sites, making it difficult to keep up with regular visits. There are only so many hours in a day, and juggling so many moving parts was a constant struggle.

Before TraceAir, we didn’t use any software; it was really old school. We relied heavily on surveyors for elevation checks and managed projects by physically walking the sites, talking directly with contractors, and having weekly meetings. It was effective, but extremely time-consuming and inefficient. We often spent thousands on surveying fees and reworking tasks like elevation checks and grassing lots. TraceAir has filled that gap by allowing us to stay updated on all our projects without being physically present.

Q: What does TraceAir do for you?

A: TraceAir provides us with weekly scans of each of our projects, giving us up-to-date data and visuals we can access anytime, anywhere. This allows us to remotely manage all our projects, track progress, take measurements, overlay plans, and calculate dirt volumes. With these updates, we can monitor everything from pad checks to dirt movement, offering a complete overview of our operations.

Being able to oversee our projects from anywhere helps us anticipate issues, stay on schedule, and manage earthworks more effectively. We mark up scans with drawings and notes, and share them with our contractors so we’re all on the same page. It gives us a comprehensive understanding of our projects, rather than just bits and pieces, or what we could see on foot.

Our VP of Development, who can't always be in the field, uses the scans from TraceAir to stay updated and make informed decisions. We're continually finding new ways to integrate TraceAir into our operations to boost efficiency. 

Q: How has TraceAir improved your earthworks operations?

A: TraceAir has drastically improved our ability to manage earthworks and dirt movement. It enables us to accurately monitor dirt volumes and mass grading on a weekly basis, helping us avoid unexpected dirt imports or exports at the end of a project, and keeping our contractors accountable. This has saved us thousands of dollars on as-built and pad elevation checks, and allows us to better forecast our schedules and maintain tighter control over our projects.

We can quickly and accurately calculate stockpile volumes, track mass grading, determine cut/fill quantities, and analyze heat maps. We have a site right now with a huge export. With TraceAir, we were able to calculate that it would be 50,000 cubic yards, determine the number of trucks needed, and estimate the timeline and use for that dirt.

Before using TraceAir, we relied heavily on surveyors, which made these tasks more challenging and time-consuming. Now, we get precise data every week, allowing us to efficiently calculate weekly cuts and fills, oversee dirt movement, and manage stockpiles, resulting in a more streamlined and cost-effective process.

Q: What are the biggest benefits you’ve seen from using TraceAir?

A: The biggest benefits of using TraceAir are its proactive approach to land development and the increased efficiency it brings. By identifying and addressing issues before they escalate, we've saved thousands of dollars and countless hours that would have been spent on rework. TraceAir has allowed us to eliminate several outdated and costly processes, including one we used to pad check in final development, which cost us between $40,000 and $50,000 per project.

Accountability is another significant benefit. TraceAir provides a level of transparency that ensures everyone involved is held responsible for their work. Not only can we see what's been done, but we can also quantify it. This also helps us ensure that bills match the work completed, as we can cross-check invoices with the most recent scans and data, preventing overcharges and ensuring we're only paying for the work that has actually been done.

Q: What are some of the ways TraceAir has made your team more efficient?

A: TraceAir has made us more efficient in so many ways. We spend a lot less time driving to job sites because we can monitor progress and gather information directly from the platform. We also save time by uploading final plats and plans into TraceAir, avoiding the hassle of tracking them down. Instead of spending meetings explaining progress, we simply share TraceAir links, allowing everyone to see the data for themselves. When we do have meetings or conversations or we’re out on site, we can make much better use of our time. 

​​Q: Now that you’ve been using it for awhile, how do you and your team feel about TraceAir?

A: Everyone loves it. Every Monday morning when our new scans come in, we’re like kids in candy shops. We’re diving into the scans and seeing what’s going on. It’s exciting to see the improvements and changes, and it keeps the entire team engaged and aligned. TraceAir has become an essential part of our workflow, making our job easier and more enjoyable. A platform that allows us to stay ahead of schedule, prevent issues, and improve communication, all while saving thousands of dollars, is a win-win for everybody.

Q: Would you recommend TraceAir to others?

A: Absolutely. I’d recommend TraceAir to anyone in land development—civil contractors, developers, builders. It’s a powerful, yet straightforward tool that helps you stay present on-site, save time, hold everyone accountable, and make informed decisions. TraceAir is a must-have for anyone in the industry. TraceAir really is a ground breaking, innovative way to develop.

Learn More About TraceAir

Ashton Woods and Starlight Homes have harnessed the power of TraceAir to streamline their land development processes, achieving greater efficiency and accountability. By adopting TraceAir, you too can gain a competitive edge and improve project outcomes. Don’t miss the opportunity to transform your operations—schedule a demo today.

‍