Construction Workflow Guide

1

Estimates Requested (Intake)

Collect and queue new job requests before estimating.

Go to Construction → Estimates Requested

Click + New Estimate Request

Fill in property address, request type, and description

Upload any photos or documents

Click Add to Queue

Next: Click Create Estimate to open it in the Estimating Engine.

2

Estimating Engine (Build the Bid)

Create a detailed cost estimate with trade breakdowns.

Click Create Estimate from the queue

Fill out job title, client info, and quality tier

Add trade line items with + Add Line Item

Review the bid summary (labor, materials, profit margin)

Upload photos for the client-facing bid doc

Click Create & Analyze

Pro tip: The system auto-calculates profit. Review your margin before sending to the client.

3

Send Bid to Client

Get client approval on the estimate.

Click Send Bid

Choose view: Client (clean), Team (shows margins), or Contractor (no prices)

Select draw schedule: 25%×4, 1/3s, 50/50, or custom

Choose to show line-item prices or total only

Enter client email and click Send

What happens: Client receives email with bid link to review, sign, and pay deposit online.

4

Client Approval → Create Job

Convert approved estimate to an active job.

Go to Construction → Estimates Pipeline

Find the estimate (status: "Approved" or "Deposit Paid")

Click Create Job

Set the Agreed (Contract) Price if different from bid

Important: The contract price is what the client signed for — this goes in the Total Investment box on PDFs.

5

Job Execution (Manage the Work)

Track progress, manage trades, log costs, handle draws.

A. Set Up the Job

Open job from Construction → Job Execution
Click ✏️ Edit Job to set dates and contract amount
Click Lock Plan to finalize trade order

B. Manage Trade Schedule

View Gantt timeline at the top
Drag trades to reschedule
Mark line items: Planned → In Progress → Done

C. Log Costs & Change Orders

+ Log Cost — Record actual spend with vendor/receipt
+ Add Change Order — Document scope changes

D. Handle Draws & Inspections

Mark Funded — When draw payment received
+ Schedule Inspection — Track rough/final inspections

E. Generate Job PDFs

📄 Generate PDF — Client, Team, or Contractor view
Select "Contract $X" for the correct Total Investment amount

6

Job Completion

Finalize and archive the job.

Mark all trade line items as "Done"

Pass final inspection

Collect final draw payment

Update status to "Complete"

Job moves to Archived

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Quick Reference: Key Buttons

Button	What It Does
Create Estimate	Opens Estimating Engine from a request
Send Bid	Emails PDF to client for approval
Create Job	Converts approved estimate to active job
Lock Plan	Finalizes trade order, enables week tracking
+ Log Cost	Records actual spend against the job
+ Add Change Order	Documents scope changes and extra costs
Generate PDF	Creates client/team/contractor documents
Mark Funded	Records draw payment received

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FAQ / Troubleshooting

Q: The "Total Investment" on the PDF is wrong.

In the Generate PDF modal, select "Contract $X" instead of "Bid total" — this uses the agreed contract price.

Q: How do I change the trade order after locking?

Click "Unlock Plan" → rearrange → "Lock Plan" again. Hand-edited weeks are preserved.

Q: Client wants to change something after approval.

Create a Change Order — don't edit the original estimate. This tracks the change properly.

Q: How do I see if we're over budget?

In Job Execution, look at the KPI tiles. "Actual cost so far" vs "Agreed (contract)" shows your margin.

Construction Board Workflow