Buildertrend's Schedule revolutionizes project management by seamlessly integrating task assignments, deadlines, and progress tracking.
Whether you're managing a single construction site or overseeing multiple projects simultaneously, the Schedule provides the clarity and organization needed to stay on top of deadlines and deliverables, ultimately driving productivity and success.
Schedule Overview Help Video
Setting Workdays
Before diving into schedule creation, it's important to first establish your working days. Setting your default workdays ensures your project timelines are accurate from the start, avoids scheduling tasks on non-working days, and helps maintain realistic expectations for both your team and clients.
To establish your work days, select a job, then navigate to Job Info.
Next, adjust your standard work week by selecting the applicable days of the week from the Work Days dropdown.
The schedule on this job will now reflect your established working days.
If you need to adjust workdays temporarily (e.g., add a couple of days as workdays), use the Workday Exceptions.
Workday Exceptions allow you to treat specific non-working days as working days without altering the overall schedule. Click here to learn more about Workday Exceptions.
If you adjust the Work days for a job that is already in flight, it is important to note that your schedule items may shift to fit into your new work week.
Creating your Schedule
Begin by selecting a Job, then navigate to Schedule from the Project Management dropdown.
Creating Schedule Item(s) from Scratch
From a job schedule, you can create a new schedule item by:
Clicking New Schedule Item
Clicking on a specific day (from the calendar view)
Highlighting multiple days (from the calendar view)
Next, fill out the important information in the Schedule Item Details such as Title, Display Color, Assignees, Start/End Dates, and Work Days. When you are finished, click Save.
Importing a Schedule from a Template
From a job schedule, you can import a schedule from a template by selecting Import from Templates from the More Actions dropdown.
Next, choose the Source Template, check Schedule under Items to Copy, and set a New Start Date. Once the schedule is imported, individual items can still be adjusted as needed. When you're ready, click Import.
Including Notes on a Schedule Item
Adding notes to a schedule item is a simple way to provide extra context, instructions, or updates. You can include more detailed notes for the schedule item by selecting the Notes tab within the schedule item.
Notes are only visible to users that have been granted access to the job AND have permission to View Schedule.
All Notes: Notes visible to the internal team, subs/vendors, and clients.
Internal Notes: Notes visible to the internal team only.
Sub Notes: Notes visible to the internal team and subs/vendors.
Client Notes: Notes visible to the internal team and clients.
Attaching Files on a Schedule Item
Attaching files to a schedule task item allows you to keep important documents such as plans, permits or photos directly connected to the work being done.
From the Files tab within the schedule item, you can click Create New Doc to create a Microsoft Word or Excel document directly from the schedule item, or click Add to upload a file.
When adding files to a schedule item, you have the ability to establish which user types can view the uploaded file.
Schedule History
The Schedule Item History provides a clear audit trail for any changes made to a schedule item. You’ll see who made the change, when it was made, and any notes explaining why. It also details how the update impacted related tasks, giving your team full visibility and helping maintain accountability throughout the project.
Once you've made changes to a schedule item, click the
icon to see the schedule history.
Tap View Details next to a specific schedule history entry to see a detailed breakdown of how the change affected other tasks.
Predecessors
Using predecessors in your schedule enhances clarity and control by establishing task dependencies. This allows Buildertrend to intelligently manage your timeline, helping you maintain momentum as your project evolves. Key benefits include:
Automated scheduling: When one task shifts, all linked tasks update accordingly.
Improved efficiency: Save time by reducing manual adjustments.
Clear visibility: Visualize the order of operations to better plan your workflow.
Delay prevention: Easily spot and manage potential bottlenecks before they impact progress.
Predecessor Types
Finish-To-Start (FS): The most common type of task relationship in scheduling. It means that one task must finish before the next task can start.
Example: You can't begin Framing until the Foundation is complete.
You would want to link your Framing schedule item to your Foundation schedule item using a Finish-To-Start predecessor to indicate that Framing will start once Foundation is complete.
Start-To-Start (SS): Means that two tasks are linked to start at the same time, or that one task can’t start until another one has started.
Example: Rough Plumbing and Rough Electrical often need to progress simultaneously, allowing your electrician and plumber to coordinate placements and avoid conflicts.
You would want to link your Rough Plumbing schedule item to your Rough Electrical schedule item (or vice versa) using the Start-To-Start predecessor to indicate that the two will be started simultaneously.
Adding Predecessors to Schedule Items
Once your schedule items are created, you can link them using predecessors by navigating to the Gantt view of your schedule.
From here, click and drag the circle from one task to another.
For a Finish-To-Start predecessor, click and drag the circle at the end of one schedule item to the beginning of the item contingent upon the completion of the predecessor.
For a Start-To-Start predecessor, click and drag the circle at the beginning of one schedule item to the beginning of the item contingent upon the start of the predecessor.
Once your schedule items are linked, if the predecessor is moved, the successor is automatically adjusted.
To undo a connection, simply click on the line linking the items together and confirm the removal.
Predecessors: Accounting for Lag and Lead Time
Lag and lead time allow you to fine-tune the timing between linked schedule tasks:
Lead time lets a successor task start before its predecessor is fully complete.
Example: Start painting a room a day before all drywall is finished.
You would want to link your Paint schedule item to your Install Drywall schedule item using a Finish-To-Start predecessor to indicate that Painting will start once Install Drywall is complete.
Then you would indicate that your Paint schedule item has a lag time of -1 days, indicating that you want your Paint schedule item to begin 1 day before the Install Drywall schedule item is to be complete.
Lag time adds a delay between the completion of one task and the start of the next.
Example: Wait two days after pouring concrete before starting framing.
You would want to link your Framing schedule item to your Pour Concrete schedule item using a Finish-To-Start predecessor to indicate that Framing will start once Pour Concrete is complete.
Then you would indicate that your Framing schedule item has a lag time of 2 days, indicating that you want your Framing schedule item to begin 2 day after the Pour Concrete schedule item is completed.
Setting the Baseline
The Baseline Schedule captures a snapshot of your original project timeline. Once set, it allows you to measure how your project is performing compared to the initial plan.
Referencing the baseline provides key insights such as:
Progress Tracking: Visually compare your current schedule with the baseline to identify where you're ahead or falling behind.
Accountability: Clearly communicate timeline updates with clients, subcontractors, and internal teams.
Accurate Forecasting: Spot trends in delays or changes to inform and improve future project planning.
Change Management: Understand the impact of schedule adjustments over time.
To set the Baseline, navigate to the Baseline tab from the job schedule. Click Set Baseline once your initial schedule is complete.
Once the Baseline has been set, baseline details include expected vs. actual start dates, durations and slips, or shifts causing you to be ahead of or behind schedule.
Schedule Adjustments
Once the Baseline has been set, any adjustments made to the schedule will be reflected in the Baseline view.
If the schedule has be set to Online, any adjustments made to schedule items will prompt you to Notify the assigned user(s) and provide you the ability to log a Shift Reason and Shift Notes for proper record keeping and a reference point throughout the job.
A breakdown of all shifts can be seen within the schedule item by selecting the Shifts tab.
Publishing Your Schedule:
Online and Offline Modes
Buildertrend's Schedule offers an intuitive feature, Online and Offline Mode, which allows you to control visibility and notifications while editing the schedule.
Offline mode gives the ability to privately build your workflow while muting notifications and visibility to your clients, trades and subcontractors.
Online mode means your schedule is live to permitted trades and clients, and will now receive relevant future notifications of assigned items. Schedule Conflicts are now live.
To adjust modes, simply navigate to the Schedule and toggle your schedule on/off.
Once you toggle your schedule online, you will then need to confirm this action.
Creating/editing your Schedule on the Mobile App
With Buildertrend’s mobile app, you can create and edit your project schedule anytime and anywhere, keeping your timelines accurate and your team aligned.
Whether you're in the field or on the move, you can easily update tasks, adjust dates, assign users, and stay on top of critical milestones.
This mobile flexibility helps you react to changes in real time, reduce communication gaps, and keep your project moving forward right from your pocket.
For a complete walkthrough on creating and editing your Schedule using the mobile app, check out the Schedule on Mobile article.
Templating Your Schedule
Feature Templates in Buildertrend help save time, reduce effort, and ensure consistency across similar projects.
Schedule Templates can range from a full build, from A to Z, to a basic framework or key project milestones. Create as many templates as needed to keep productivity front and center in your workflow.
Templates can be built from scratch or generated from an existing Buildertrend job. When pulling from an existing job, you have the flexibility to include the entire schedule or just a select group of tasks.
Templating Your Schedule Help Video
Templating the Full Schedule
To create a Template containing all schedule items, begin by selecting a Job, then navigate to Job Info.
Within the Job Info window, click Copy to Template from the ellipsis menu.
Next, create a Template Name, then select Copy To Template.
Note: This method will copy all Job features to the Template,
such as To-Dos, Files, Etc.
You may choose to keep those items if they are relevant to your Template,
or delete them once in the Template.
Deleting or editing the Template will not effect your Job.
Once copied, you may access this through the Templates Menu.
Copy Select Schedule Items to a Template
To copy select schedule items to an existing Template (or job), first navigate to the List View of the schedule.
Next, select the item(s) you wish to copy to an existing Template (or job), then click Copy.
Choose the job or template from the Destination Job/Template drop-down box and set a start date for these schedule items, then click Copy.
Note: Items may be adjusted once added to a Template or Job.
Interested in Learning More? 📚
The Buildertrend Learning Academy is your one-stop-shop for your online education, whether you're new to Buildertrend or an experienced user looking to learn more.
If you have any questions or require additional support, feel free to chat with us, send an email: support@buildertrend.com, or give us a call at 1-888-415-7149. We’re always happy to help.