Navigating BuilderMate — Dashboard & Sidebar
Once your account is set up, it helps to know your way around. This guide covers the main navigation elements so you can move through BuilderMate with confidence.
Who Can Access This
All roles can access the sidebar and navigation, but certain pages are restricted based on your role.
The Sidebar
The left sidebar is your main navigation hub in BuilderMate. Every major section of the platform is accessible from here.
Desktop Behavior
On desktop, the sidebar is always visible on the left side of the screen. You can collapse it to icons only if you want more screen space for your content. Click the collapse button at the top of the sidebar to toggle between expanded and icon-only views.
Mobile Behavior
On mobile devices, the sidebar is hidden by default and opens as an overlay menu when you tap the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.
What's in the Sidebar
Visible to All Users
Every role can see and access these sidebar items:
- Leads — Your sales pipeline
- Projects — Active and completed projects
- Quotes — Estimates and proposals
- Contracts — Client agreements
- Schedule — Calendar and appointments
- Tasks — To-dos and assignments
- Commissions — Commission tracking
- Settings — Profile and Notifications (personal settings)
Hidden from Field Users
The following items are only visible to Admin and Team Member roles:
- Dashboard
- Invoices
- Expenses
- Purchase Orders
- Subcontractors
- Vendors
- Reports
- Team
Good to Know: Field Users who try to navigate to the Dashboard are automatically redirected to the Projects page instead.
The Dashboard
The Dashboard is your home page (the "/" route) and gives you a high-level snapshot of your business. It displays KPIs for:
- Leads — New leads, conversion rates, pipeline value
- Projects — Active project counts and status
- Invoices — Outstanding amounts and payment status
- Commissions — Earnings overview
The Dashboard is available to Admin and Team Member roles only.
Search
Use the search feature to quickly find leads, projects, and other records without navigating through lists manually. It's a fast way to jump directly to what you need.
Notifications
Look for the bell icon in the top-right corner of the screen. It shows an unread count badge when you have new notifications. Click the bell to see your recent notifications — each one includes a direct link to the relevant record so you can take action immediately.
Organization Switcher
If you belong to multiple organizations (for example, you manage two separate construction businesses), you can switch between them directly from the sidebar. Select the organization you want to work in, and BuilderMate will load that workspace.
Settings
Click the gear icon in the sidebar to access a variety of configuration options:
- Company — Company name, logo, contact info
- Configuration — Lead statuses, sources, project types, and more
- Templates — Quote, contract, and invoice templates
- Integrations — Connect external services
- Automations — Set up automatic status changes and workflows
- Profile — Your personal account details
- Notifications — Control what notifications you receive
- Subscription — View and manage your plan
The settings available to you depend on your role. Admins see all options, while other roles see only personal settings like Profile and Notifications.