Creating and Sending Contracts

A signed contract protects both you and your client. BuilderMate streamlines the entire process — from creating the contract to collecting signatures — so you can get agreements locked in quickly and move on to the work.

Who Can Access This

Admin, Team Member, and Field User roles can create, view, and send contracts.

Two Ways to Create a Contract

Option 1: From an Approved Quote

This is the fastest path when you've already gone through the quoting process.

1. Open the approved quote.
2. Click "Create Contract from Quote".
3. BuilderMate pre-fills the contract with data from the quote — client info, project details, and scope.
4. Select a contract template and continue with the setup.

Option 2: Standalone Contract

For situations where you need a contract without a prior quote.

1. Navigate to Contracts from the sidebar.
2. Click "New Contract".
3. Fill in the contract details from scratch.

Filling Out the Contract Form

Whether you started from a quote or from scratch, you'll work through these fields:

• Template — Select a contract template. Templates come in two types: Text (editable rich text content) or PDF (pre-formatted PDF documents).
• Client — Auto-filled if created from a quote, or search and select a client.
• Project — Link the contract to a project. This is optional but recommended so the contract appears on the project's Contracts tab.
• Contract Number — Auto-generated, or enter a custom number.

Template Variables

Your contract template may include variables that get auto-replaced with real data. For example:

• {{client_name}} becomes the client's full name.
• {{project_address}} becomes the worksite address.

These are filled in automatically based on the client and project you selected, saving you from manually typing details that are already in the system.

Fill Company Fields Step

After selecting a template, you may be prompted to fill in company-specific fields that are defined in the template. Common fields include:

• License number
• Insurance information
• Payment terms
• Warranty details

Fill these in and they'll be inserted into the appropriate places in the contract.

Pro Tip: Keep your license number, insurance details, and standard terms handy. If you use the same values on every contract, consider including them directly in your templates to skip this step.

Sending a Contract

1. Open the contract you want to send.
2. Click "Send".
3. Choose your delivery method:
   • Email — The client receives an email with a link to review and sign in the Client Hub.
   • SMS — The client receives a text message with a link.
4. You can send via both methods simultaneously.
5. Click Send.

The client receives a link to the Client Hub where they can review the full contract and provide their signature.

Contract Statuses

Every contract progresses through a clear set of statuses:

1. Draft — Created but not yet sent to the client.
2. Sent — Delivered to the client, waiting for their review.
3. Partially Signed — Some required signatures have been collected (relevant for contracts requiring multiple signers).
4. Completed — All signatures collected. The contract is fully executed.

Downloading a PDF

You can generate and download a PDF of any contract at any time. Use this for printing, sharing outside of BuilderMate, or keeping in your offline records.

Client Contracts vs. Subcontractor Contracts

The Contracts page has two tabs:

• Client Contracts — Agreements between your company and your clients.
• Subcontractor Contracts — Agreements between your company and your subcontractors.

Both follow the same creation and signing workflow, but they're separated for easy organization.

Good to Know: Linking contracts to projects is highly recommended. It keeps everything connected — when you open a project's Contracts tab, you'll see all related agreements in one place. This is especially valuable when a project has multiple contracts (original scope plus change orders or subcontractor agreements).

A Typical Contract Workflow

Here's how the pieces fit together in practice:

1. You send a quote and the client approves it.
2. You click "Create Contract from Quote" — the contract is pre-filled.
3. You select a template, fill in any company fields, and review.
4. You send the contract via email and SMS.
5. The client reviews and signs in the Client Hub.
6. The contract status moves to Completed.
7. You create the project and get to work.

Related Articles

• Sending Quotes and Tracking Client Responses
• Understanding the Project Detail Page