Project Management
Create projects, set budgets, and track costs by category.
On This Page
Creating a Project
Projects are the central organizing unit in BuildLedger. Each construction job should have its own project to track invoices, costs, schedules, and documents.
- Navigate to Projects in the main menu
- Click New Project
- Fill in the project details
- Click Create Project
Project Details
The project detail page gives you a complete overview of your project with multiple tabs:
- Overview – Project summary, budget status, and key metrics
- Supplier Invoices – All invoices from vendors for this project
- Client Invoices – Invoices sent to the client
- Files – Documents, contracts, and plans
- Photos – Progress photos organized by date
- Schedule – Gantt chart and task timeline
Budget Tracking
BuildLedger automatically tracks your budget vs actual costs as you categorize supplier invoices.
| Category | Budget | Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition | $15,000 | $14,200 | +$800 |
| Framing | $45,000 | $48,500 | -$3,500 |
| Electrical | $22,000 | $18,000 | +$4,000 |
| Plumbing | $28,000 | $12,500 | (in progress) |
| Total | $110,000 | $93,200 | +$16,800 |
Tip: Set up category budgets when you create the project to get variance tracking from day one.
Cost Categories
Categories help you organize costs and track spending by type of work. BuildLedger comes with standard construction categories, and you can add custom ones.
To add custom categories, go to Settings → Categories.
Files and Photos
Keep all project documents organized in one place.
Files
Upload contracts, plans, specifications, and other documents. Files can be organized into folders.
Photos
Upload progress photos to document your work. Photos are automatically organized by upload date and can be:
- Shared with clients via the client portal
- Attached to client invoices as evidence
- Tagged with categories or descriptions
Mobile Upload: Use your phone to take photos on site and upload them directly to BuildLedger.
Project Status
Projects move through different statuses as work progresses: