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Project Management Settings

Customize your Project Management features with robust setting options.

Ciara Samento avatar
Written by Ciara Samento
Updated over 3 months ago

Project Management Settings in Buildertrend help create consistency across your entire organization by standardizing how projects are managed.

Admins can set default preferences for features like To-Dos, Daily Logs, Time Clock, and more, ensuring efficient workflows across all jobs.

These centralized settings support alignment among users, enforce best practices, and streamline project execution from start to finish.

Start by navigating to Company Settings from the user icon to manage settings for specific project management features


Schedule Settings

Default Viewing Options

  • Default builder view – Sets the default format (Calendar, List, or Gantt) that your internal team sees when navigating to the Schedule.

  • Default client view – Controls which default schedule format (Calendar, List, or Gantt) clients see by default in their portal, helping tailor their experience to your preferences.


Default Notification Options

  • Default schedule item reminders – Automatically sends reminder notifications to assigned users before a scheduled task starts.

  • Send confirmation request with schedule item reminders – Includes a prompt for assigned users to confirm they’ve received and acknowledged the reminder.

  • Default notify linked subs/vendors – Ensures that any subs or vendors linked to a schedule item receive notifications by default.


Other Settings

  • Show times for hourly items on Calendar - Month view – Displays start and end time blocks for hourly schedule items directly on the monthly calendar view.

  • Show job name on Calendar - Month/Week/Day views for All Listed Jobs – Adds the job name to schedule items across all calendar views for better clarity when viewing the schedule for All Jobs.

  • Automatically mark items complete – When enabled, schedule items are marked complete automatically once their end time passes.

  • New Schedule Items - Default to show subs/vendors – Automatically enables visibility to assigned subs/vendors when creating new schedule items.

  • Include header on schedule PDF exports – Adds a header with company/job details to schedule PDFs for a more polished and professional look.


Phases

  • Create and manage a list of default phases to quickly apply when organizing schedule items, helping streamline and standardize your scheduling process.


External Calendar Integrations

Buildertrend allows you to sync your Lead Activities, To-Do’s, and Schedule Items with third-party calendars like Apple, Outlook, or Google.

This makes it easier to view and manage your Buildertrend tasks alongside your other calendar events. Synced items will appear on your external calendar from 30 days in the past to 60 days into the future.

Begin by navigating to your Personal Settings via the user icon. Under the Other tab, use the Create Feed option for each scheduled task type you'd like to sync with your third-party calendar.

Then, follow the video instructions below that correspond with your preferred calendar platform.


Apple Calendar Integration

*Note: This setup may be implemented mobile device as well as your iMac.


Microsoft Outlook Calendar Integration

*Note: Setup must be completed on Desktop Outlook and Desktop Buildertrend. You will not be able to perform this set-up action from your mobile Outlook.


Google Calendar Integration

*Note: Setup must be completed on Desktop Google Calendar and Desktop Buildertrend.


Daily Log Settings

Daily Log Setup

  • Stamp Location – Automatically includes a GPS pin on new Daily Logs to show where they were created.

  • Default Daily Log Notes – Allows you to add preset text that will appear in each new Daily Log for consistency and time savings.


Weather

  • Include Weather Conditions (Default) – Automatically pulls weather data into new Daily Logs based on the jobsite location and log date.

  • Include Weather Condition Notes (Default) – Adds a default text field alongside the weather data, allowing team members to provide context or observations related to the day’s conditions.


Default Daily Log Share Settings

Set whether new Daily Logs are automatically shared with clients, subcontractors, or kept internal by default, helping ensure consistent communication preferences across all jobs.

Depending on user permissions, these settings can be adjusted manually for each Daily Log.


Daily Logs custom fields

Create and manage additional fields to capture Daily Log-specific information not included in Buildertrend’s default options.

This helps ensure all relevant details are consistently documented within the platform, reducing reliance on external notes or tools.

For a complete walkthrough on creating custom fields, check out this article.


To-Do Settings

To-Do's Setup

  • Send Past Due To-Do Reminder up to X days – Automatically sends reminders for overdue To-Do’s for the number of days you specify, helping keep tasks from falling through the cracks.

  • Require all checklist items to be complete in order to complete a To-Do – Prevents a To-Do from being marked complete until all associated checklist items are finished, promoting thorough task management.

  • Move completed checklist items to the bottom – Automatically reorders the checklist so completed items are moved to the bottom, making it easier to focus on what’s still outstanding.


To-Do's custom fields

Create and manage additional fields to capture To-Do-specific information not included in Buildertrend’s default options.

This helps ensure all relevant details are consistently documented within the platform, reducing reliance on external notes or tools.

For a complete walkthrough on creating custom fields, check out this article.


Change Order Settings ​

General Options

You can set a prefix used in your Change Order numbering system to match your internal documentation standards.

This helps organize records, improve searchability, and align Buildertrend with your internal processes for consistent reporting and communication.


Client Options

  • Show client internally declined Change Orders – Allows clients to view Change Orders that your team declined internally, providing added transparency if enabled.

  • Show line items to client – Determines whether clients can see individual cost breakdowns within a Change Order.


Approval Options

  • Invoice Change Orders upon client approval – Automatically generates an invoice when a client approves a Change Order, streamlining your billing workflow.

  • Change Order approval disclaimer – Add a custom message or legal disclaimer that clients must review before approving a Change Order. To update the verbiage, click Change.


Default Change Order Description

Set a standard description that auto-populates on new Change Orders to save time and maintain consistency.


Display on Printout

Choose which elements are included when generating a printable version of a Change Order:

  • Price – Show the total cost of the Change Order.

  • Discussions – Include discussion history for context and transparency.

  • Line Items – Display detailed breakdowns of materials, labor, or services.

  • Performing Subs/Vendors – List the subcontractors or vendors responsible for executing the work.

  • Signature Lines – Add signature fields for necessary approvals.

  • Custom Fields – Include any additional custom information specific to your workflow.


Change Order custom fields

Create and manage additional fields to capture Change Order-specific information not included in Buildertrend’s default options.

This helps ensure all relevant details are consistently documented within the platform, reducing reliance on external notes or tools.

For a complete walkthrough on creating custom fields, check out this article.


Selections Settings ​

Default Viewing & Notification Options

  • Default builder view – Choose the default layout your team sees when managing Selections.

  • Default client view – Set the default layout clients will see when reviewing their Selections.

  • Default to expand Category & Location view – Automatically expand category and location filters for quicker navigation.

  • Alert users X day(s) before upcoming deadline – Automatically sends reminders of impending selections for the number of days you specify to keep users informed of upcoming Selection deadlines.


Allowances

  • Allowances on new jobs – Automatically include allowance categories when creating new jobs.

    • This setting does not apply when creating a job from a template that has allowances enabled, the permission on the template will be used.

  • Show allowances to Subs/Vendors – Control whether subs/vendors can view allowance amounts tied to their work.


Client Options

  • Show vendor contact info to client – Choose whether clients can see vendor contact information.

  • Show line items to client – Allow clients to see detailed breakdowns of each Selection’s cost.


Approval Options

  • On New Jobs Update Job Running Total When a Selection Is Approved – Keep financial totals accurate by updating job cost based on approved Selections.

  • Require Signature on Selections – Decide if and when signatures are required:

    • Client Approvals Only

    • All Approvals

    • None

  • Selections approval disclaimer – Add a custom message or legal disclaimer that clients must review before approving their selection. To update the verbiage, click Change.


Display on printout

Choose which elements are included when generating a printable version of the selections:

  • Approved Choices Only – Limit printouts to only show approved selections.

  • Pricing – Include item pricing for transparency.

  • Subs/Vendors – List who is responsible for each Selection item.

  • Added By – Display who added the Selection.

  • Installers – Show assigned installers for specific choices.

  • Choice Description – Include detailed descriptions of selected items.

  • Selection Description – Provide a general overview of each Selection category.

  • Line Items – Show itemized entries within a Selection.

  • Discussions – Include message history related to the Selection.

  • Custom Fields – Display any additional fields you’ve added for tracking or communication.


Selections custom fields

Create and manage additional fields to capture Selection-specific information not included in Buildertrend’s default options.

This helps ensure all relevant details are consistently documented within the platform, reducing reliance on external notes or tools.

For a complete walkthrough on creating custom fields, check out this article.


Warranty Settings

Warranty Setup

  • Send client feedback reminder up to X days – Automatically remind clients to leave feedback on a warranty claim if they haven’t responded within the specified number of days, helping you close the loop on service quality.

  • Allow subs/vendors and clients to print warranty claims – Enable or restrict the ability for subs/vendors and clients to print submitted warranty claims for their records or offline reference.


Warranty custom fields

Create and manage additional fields to capture Warranty-specific information not included in Buildertrend’s default options.

This helps ensure all relevant details are consistently documented within the platform, reducing reliance on external notes or tools.

For a complete walkthrough on creating custom fields, check out this article.


Time Clock Settings

General Defaults

  • Week Start – Choose which day of the week your company’s time tracking should begin for consistent reporting and payroll alignment.

  • Hourly Rate Tracking – Determine if you prefer tracking of hourly rates by Cost Code or by User.

  • Use HH:MM formatting on time clock totals – Display total time worked in hours and minutes format instead of decimal hours. Example: time clock totals as 25:45, otherwise totals will display in decimal format 25.75 (hrs)

  • When a job is deleted, prompt to delete corresponding time card items – Ensure data accuracy by prompting users to remove time entries linked to deleted jobs.

  • Send one-time notification to internal users that have been clocked in for over 12 hours – Prevent timekeeping errors by alerting team members who may have forgotten to clock out.

  • Automatically end breaks after X minutes – Help maintain accurate records by automatically ending breaks after a set time limit.

  • Show General Job – Provide a default job option for logging time not tied to a specific project, such as training or administrative tasks.


Overtime Defaults

  • Show overtime – Enable tracking of standard overtime for compliance and reporting. This must be enabled to choose from the following settings:

    • Employees accrue daily overtime – Apply overtime rules based on daily work hours.

    • Employees accrue weekly overtime – Apply overtime rules based on weekly work hours.

    • Overtime Days – Designate specific days (e.g., weekends) to automatically apply overtime rates.

  • Show double overtime – Enable tracking of double overtime for high-hour days or special pay periods. This must be enabled to choose from the following settings:

    • Employees accrue daily double overtime – Apply double overtime after a certain number of hours worked in a day.

    • Employees accrue weekly double overtime – Apply double overtime after a threshold of weekly hours.

    • Double Overtime Days – Set specific days to apply double overtime rules.


Geofencing

  • Select Radius – Define the allowed distance (in Miles or Kilometeres) from a jobsite for clocking in/out to ensure time entries are accurate and location-based.

  • Default Time Clock Geofencing to ON for all new jobs – Automatically enable geofencing for new jobs to maintain consistency and accountability.


Client Update Settings


File Settings

Document folders

  • Auto-create folder for subs/vendors and clients to upload documents – Automatically generates a dedicated folder for your subcontractors and clients, making it easy for them to upload and organize their documents.

  • Default viewing permissions:

    • Subs/Vendors – Set whether subcontractors can view documents by default.

    • Clients – Set whether clients can view documents by default.


Photo folders

  • Auto-create folder for clients to upload photos – Automatically provides clients with a designated folder to upload project-related photos for better collaboration and record keeping.

  • Default viewing permissions:

    • Subs/Vendors – Control whether subcontractors can view uploaded photos by default.

    • Clients – Control whether clients can view uploaded photos by default.

  • Default uploading permissions: The Default viewing permissions must be active in order to allow default uploading permissions.

    • Subs/Vendors – Set whether subcontractors are allowed to upload photos by default.

    • Clients – Set whether clients are allowed to upload photos by default.


Video folders

  • Default viewing permissions:

    • Subs/Vendors – Choose if subcontractors can view videos by default.

    • Clients – Choose if clients can view videos by default.


Signature request

  • Default release text – Customize the standard release statement that appears when a signature is requested on a file, ensuring clarity and compliance with your company’s policies.


Comments & Messages Settings

Comments

  • Allow client to discuss and comment with Subs/Vendors – Enables clients to communicate directly with assigned subcontractors or vendors through comments, fostering transparency and reducing the need for back-and-forth messaging through your team.


Survey Settings

Surveys

To create new custom survey, click New Survey from your survey settings.

Create your survey by entering the necessary details and customizing it with questions from the question bank. Simply drag and drop the desired questions into your survey. When you're done, click Save.

💡Pro Tip

When adding questions from the question bank to your survey, use the additional question settings to:

  • Mark questions as Required

  • Allow responses to be marked N/A if not applicable

  • Allow Comments to collect more detailed feedback from clients

These options help ensure you gather the most relevant and insightful responses.


Default Survey Notification

  • Default Survey Notification – Sets the standard message that will appear in all survey email notifications sent to clients, helping ensure consistent communication and saving time when sending feedback requests.


Survey Questions

  • Default all questions to require an answer – Automatically marks every survey question as mandatory, ensuring you receive complete feedback from respondents.

  • Default all questions to have N/A option – Adds a “Not Applicable” choice to all questions by default, giving clients flexibility to skip questions that don’t apply to their experience.

To create new custom survey questions, click New Survey Question from your survey settings.

Create your survey question by entering the relevant details and customizing the content as needed. When finished, click Save.

  • Question – Enter the full survey question you want your clients to answer.

  • Report Label – Provide a shortened version of the question for easier identification in reports.

  • Answer Format – Choose how you’d like respondents to answer:

    • Stars – 5-star rating system

    • 1 to 10 – Numerical scale from 1 to 10

    • Yes/No – Simple yes or no answer

    • Open Ended – Rich text response for detailed feedback

  • Tags – Apply tags to help filter and organize questions.

  • Active – Check this box to make the question available for use in future surveys.


RFI Settings

RFIs Setup

  • Default RFI reminders – Default a reminder to go out the selected number of days prior to when the RFI is due.

  • Send Past Due RFI Reminders up to – The RFI assignee will be reminded that the RFI is past deadline for the amount of days selected.


RFI custom fields

Create and manage additional fields to capture RFI-specific information not included in Buildertrend’s default options.

This helps ensure all relevant details are consistently documented within the platform, reducing reliance on external notes or tools.

For a complete walkthrough on creating custom fields, check out this article.


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.

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