⚠︎ This is the most fundamental decision before any project work begins. It determines how costs, revenue, and billing are tracked throughout the project lifecycle.
a. Go to Settings > Operations > Project Settings. Review the project management setup options.
b. Core Projects track budgeted and actual costs by cost type (Labor, Materials, Equipment). Revenue is recognized when jobs are completed. Best for short-cycle work.
c. Phased Projects track costs by project phase (e.g., Rough-In, Trim-Out, Start-Up). Revenue is recognized through Progress Billing / AIA. Best for long-cycle commercial construction.
⚠︎ Do not mix Core and Phased project modes on the same project. Using Core logic on a Phased project results in double-booking revenue — once on job completion and again on the pay application.
a. Go to Settings > Operations > Project Settings. Click Add Label to create project labels that represent phases (e.g., Rough-In, Trim-Out, Start-Up) or cost categories (e.g., Labor, Materials, Subcontractor).
b. Set project label defaults for materials, equipment, labor services, discounts, and fees. This prevents items from appearing as "Uncategorized" on the Budget vs. Actual table.
⚠︎ Items without a project label show as "Uncategorized" on the Budget vs. Actual table. Set label defaults now to avoid this throughout the project.
⚠︎ Always build the budget from the sold estimate. Starting from scratch risks missing line items and creates discrepancies between the estimate and the project.
a. Open the project record and create a project estimate. Add line items for labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractor costs. Assign the correct project label to each item.
b. Choose your estimate approach: a line item estimate (specific pricebook items) or a rough estimate (summary placeholders). Line item is more precise; rough is faster for early-stage budgeting.
c. Once the bid is won, sell the estimate to populate the project's financial information. The sold estimate becomes the baseline budget on the Budget vs. Actual (BvA) table.
d. Review each budget line item to confirm labor hours, material quantities, and subcontractor costs match the actual scope of work.
a. Open the project record. In the Project Details panel under Contacts, assign the Project Manager. This person receives notifications and is the default contact for project updates.
b. Go to the Project Plan. Create groups to represent the major phases of work (e.g., Mobilization, Rough-In, Trim-Out, Start-Up). Add jobs, milestones, and tasks under each group.
c. Set planned start and end dates for each phase. These dates help track progress and identify schedule slippage early.
⚠︎ Catch scope gaps before mobilization — not after. Reviewing the estimate now prevents costly change orders and rework once the crew is on-site.
a. Open the project record and review the sold estimate. Confirm the full scope of work, including all line items, quantities, and pricing.
b. Compare the estimate against the Budget vs. Actual table. Verify that labor hours, material quantities, and subcontractor costs align.
c. If the estimate includes optional items or alternates the customer approved, confirm they are reflected in the budget and project scope.
d. Note any discrepancies and resolve them with the sales team or project manager before scheduling work.
a. Issue Purchase Orders for all mobilization expenses (rentals, temporary facilities, initial materials). This immediately records the costs as Committed Costs in the Budget vs. Actual table, giving the PM a forward-looking view of the budget.
b. Begin Daily Logs from Day 1. Superintendents should log weather, crew counts, safety incidents, and delays in real time. The daily log establishes a legal baseline against liability from the start of the project.
c. Create a Mobilization Readiness form and assign it as required for the Mobilization job type. This ensures the foreman cannot close the mobilization job until the form is submitted.
a. From the project record, go to Actions > Book New Job. Create a job for the kickoff meeting and set the job type to an internal or administrative type.
b. Set the appointment date and time. Assign all key team members — the project manager, foreman, and any relevant office staff.
c. Add notes to the job with the meeting agenda: scope review, budget walkthrough, phase timeline, safety requirements, and customer expectations.
d. Dispatch the job so all assigned team members receive the appointment on their schedule and can prepare in advance.
a. Open the project record and compare the Budget vs. Actual table totals against the sold estimate. Look for line items that differ in quantity, rate, or project label.
b. Check whether the budget was populated by selling the estimate or built manually. Budgets created manually are more likely to have missing or mismatched items.
c. Verify that approved change orders or estimate revisions have been reflected in the budget. If the estimate was updated after the budget was created, the budget may need adjustment.
d. Check for "Uncategorized" items on the BvA table — these are items without project labels and need to be labeled for accurate tracking.