Templates — Quotes, Contracts, and Payment Stages
Templates are one of the biggest time-savers in BuilderMate. Instead of building quotes, contracts, and billing milestones from scratch every time, you can create reusable templates and apply them in seconds. This article covers all three template types and how to get the most out of them.
Who Can Access This
Admin users only.
Where to Find It
Navigate to Settings > Templates from the sidebar. You'll see three tabs.
Quote Templates
Quote templates let you save reusable sets of line items so you don't have to re-enter the same products and services every time you create an estimate.
Creating a Quote Template
- Go to the Quote Templates tab.
- Click Create.
- Enter a template name (e.g., "Standard Kitchen Remodel" or "Basic Roofing Package").
- Optionally, link a Project Type — this tells BuilderMate to suggest this template first when you create a quote for a matching project type.
- Set a Default Tax % for the template.
- Add your line items, each with:
- Product or service name
- Description
- Quantity
- Unit price
- Optional flag
- Category
- Image (optional)
- Save the template.
Using a Quote Template
When creating a new quote, click "Load Template" on the Create Quote page. Select a template and its line items will populate your quote instantly. You can then adjust quantities, prices, or add additional items as needed.
Pro Tip: Create a template for each project type you commonly do, and link it to the matching project type. When you start a quote for that type of project, BuilderMate will suggest the right template first — saving you an extra click.
Managing Quote Templates
You can edit any template to update its line items or settings, or delete templates you no longer use.
Contract Templates
Contract templates come in two formats, each suited to different needs.
Text-Based Templates
These use a rich text editor with variable substitution. You write your contract language and insert placeholders like:
{{client_name}}{{project_address}}- And other available variables
When you generate a contract from the template, BuilderMate automatically fills in the placeholders with actual client and project data.
PDF-Based Templates
If you already have a PDF contract you want to use:
- Upload the PDF to BuilderMate.
- Define interactive field insertion points on the document — places where signatures, dates, and form fields need to appear.
- When sent, the recipient can fill in and sign at the designated spots.
Common Contract Templates to Create
- Residential construction contracts
- Subcontractor agreements
- Warranty documents
- Design-build agreements
Payment Stage Templates
Payment stage templates save reusable sets of billing milestones that you can apply to any project. This is especially valuable when you use the same billing schedule across similar project types.
Creating a Payment Stage Template
- Go to the Payment Stage Templates tab.
- Click Create.
- Enter a template name (e.g., "Standard 5-Stage Residential").
- Add stages, each with:
- Stage name (e.g., Deposit, Foundation, Framing)
- Percentage of total or a fixed dollar amount
- Days from project start — when this stage is typically billed
Example: Standard 5-Stage Residential
| Stage | Percentage | |-------|-----------| | Deposit | 10% | | Foundation | 20% | | Framing | 25% | | Rough-in | 25% | | Final | 20% |
Using a Payment Stage Template
On a project's Payment Stages section, click "Import from Template" and select the template you want. For percentage-based stages, BuilderMate automatically calculates the dollar amounts based on the project price.
Good to Know: After importing a template, you can still adjust individual stages on the project. The template gives you a starting point — you're not locked into it.
Good to Know
- Templates are available to all users who create quotes, contracts, or payment stages, but only Admins can create and manage the templates themselves.
- Editing a template does not retroactively change quotes, contracts, or payment stages that were already created from it. Only future uses of the template will reflect the changes.
- Having well-organized templates is one of the best ways to ensure consistency across your team, especially as you bring on new estimators or project managers.