Creating and Managing Purchase Orders

When you need to formally order materials, equipment, or services from a vendor or subcontractor, a purchase order (PO) puts everything in writing. BuilderMate lets you create POs, send them to vendors for confirmation, and track their status from draft through completion.

Who Can Access This

• Admin and Team Member — Full access to create, edit, send, and manage purchase orders.
• Field Users — Cannot see purchase orders.

Accessing Purchase Orders

Navigate to Purchase Orders from the sidebar to see all POs across your projects.

Creating a New Purchase Order

1. Click "New PO".

2. Fill in the PO details:

   • Vendor/Subcontractor — Search and select who you're ordering from.
   • Project — Link the PO to a project.
   • PO Number — Auto-generated by BuilderMate.
   • Scheduled Start Date — When work or delivery should begin.
   • End Date — Expected completion or delivery date.
   • Description — Overall scope or purpose of the order.
   • Notes — Any additional information for the vendor.

3. Add Line Items:

   • Product/Service — What you're ordering
   • Description — Specifications or details
   • Quantity — How many units
   • Unit Price — Price per unit
   • Amount — Auto-calculated (Quantity x Unit Price)
   • Image (optional) — Attach a reference image for the item

4. Set Tax — Enter the percentage and the amount is auto-calculated.

5. Review the Total — Auto-calculated from all line items plus tax.

6. Click Save.

Pro Tip: Adding images to line items is especially useful when ordering specific materials — a photo of the exact tile, fixture, or hardware eliminates confusion and reduces the chance of wrong deliveries.

Purchase Order Statuses

POs move through these stages:

Draft → Sent → Confirmed → In Progress → Completed

A PO can also be Cancelled at any point if plans change.

Sending a Purchase Order

1. Open the PO.
2. Click "Send".
3. The vendor or subcontractor receives an email with a link to view the PO in the Subcontractor Portal.
4. The status updates from Draft to Sent.

Viewing Your PO List

The Purchase Orders page shows all POs with these columns:

• PO Number, Vendor, Project, Amount, Status, and Dates

Filtering

Narrow down your list using:

• Status — Draft, Sent, Confirmed, In Progress, Completed, Cancelled
• Vendor — Filter by a specific vendor or subcontractor
• Date Range — Find POs within a time period

Editing a Purchase Order

You can view and edit PO details before sending. Once a PO has been sent, review whether changes are appropriate before modifying — your vendor may have already begun acting on the original terms.

QuickBooks Sync

If you've connected QuickBooks, purchase orders can be synced to keep your accounting system up to date with your procurement activity.

Good to Know: Purchase orders create a paper trail that protects both you and your vendors. If there's ever a dispute about what was ordered, the quantities, or the agreed pricing, the signed PO is your documentation. Treat them as formal agreements, not just internal notes.

Related Articles

• The PO Signing Workflow
• Managing Subcontractors and Vendors
• Tracking Expenses (Supplier Invoices)