Selections puts the client at the center of the build. Within the Selections feature, builders create Options for clients to review and approve, and Options can be tied to Allowances for budgeting purposes.

Together, Options and Allowances provide one connected workflow for managing client choices, tracking budgets, and understanding cost impacts from pre-construction through final invoicing. Clear deadlines, shared financial visibility, and transparent communication help reduce ambiguity, prevent delays, and keep every decision documented in one place.

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Creating an Option

Options are the individual choices you present to your clients throughout the selection process. Use Options to offer products, finishes, upgrades, or other project decisions while keeping pricing, documentation, and approvals organized in one place. 

To create an Option, select a job, then navigate to the Selections feature under the Project Management dropdown.

Select the + Options button to add an Option.

The dropdown next to + Options includes an Autofill from a Document option. Upload a supplier quote, spec sheet, or designer document, and Buildertrend reads the file and creates the Option, filling in the title, description, pricing, and other available details it finds for you to review before saving.

The dropdown's Autofill from URL option works the same way but is triggered by a pasted link instead of an upload file. See the Product URLocument field below for more on that behavior. 

Enter in the Option details, including Title, Description, Pricing Information, Taxability and any images or files. (You can have multiple line items within an Option.)

Options also support additional fields to help organize and document client choices, including:

• Category – Group similar selections together. 
• Location – Identify where the selection applies within the project. 
• Product URL – Link directly to a manufacturer or vendor product page. Buildertrend can automatically populate the Option title, description, pricing, and other available details from supported product pages.
• Specifications – Connect implementation requirements and project documentation. Learn how to connect specifications to selections here.
• Images and Attachments – Provide visual references and supporting files. 

When an Option is created through Autofill — whether from a URL or an uploaded document — Buildertrend automatically applies a cost code based on your own selection history, so you don't need to add one manually. This automatic matching doesn't apply within Allowances. When an Option is tied to an Allowance, the Allowance's cost code is always used instead. 

When finished creating your Option, select Save.

Once saved, the Option will automatically go into a Draft status.

 

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Using Allowances with Options

Allowances help you establish budgets for products or materials before final Options have been selected. Use Allowances to keep projects moving while giving clients the flexibility to make decisions later with clear visibility into budgets and costs. 

Allowances can be created in one of two ways, depending on where your project is in the construction process: 

• Before the estimate is locked, by creating an Allowance in the Estimate worksheet
• After the estimate is locked, by adding an Allowance through a Change Order

To create an Allowance from the Estimate worksheet, navigate to the Estimate under the Financial dropdown.

Within the Estimate worksheet, create an Allowance in one of the following ways: 

1. While building the estimate from scratch 
2. Using the Estimate Toolbar
3. Converting an existing line item into an Allowance 
4. During the Estimate import from Excel

Complete the Allowance line item with a Title, Cost Code, Description, and Pricing Information.

Once created, the Allowance will appear on both the Estimate and the Selections list, where it is identified with a coin icon for easy recognition. 

Within the Estimate:

Within Selections:

 

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Adding an Allowance through a Change Order

If additional project scope is introduced after the Estimate has been locked, you can create a new Allowance directly from a Change Order instead of unlocking the original Estimate.

The new Allowance remains in a Waiting on Change Order status until the Change Order is approved or declined. Once the Change Order is approved, the Allowance:

• Becomes active in Selections with a Pending status
• Receives its own budget
• Can have Options added and follow the standard client selection workflow

If the Change Order is declined, the Allowance is automatically removed from Selections. 

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From the Selections feature, you can now create new Options or tie existing Options to an Allowance. 

To add a new Option to an Allowance, click the (+) icon next to the Allowance.

To add an Allowance to an existing Option, open the Option and select the appropriate Allowance from the dropdown menu.

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Reusing Options and Allowances

Using a Job Template

Selections can be configured within a Job Template, allowing you to create your Options and Allowances once and reuse that setup across future jobs.

When creating a job from a template, you can choose to bring the template's Selections setup into the new job.

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Copying from Another Job 

To save time when setting up a project, you can copy existing Options or Allowances from another job. 

When copied, all associated details, pricing information, attachments, and configuration settings are brought into the new job, providing a starting point that can be adjusted as needed. 

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Using the Selections Catalog

The Selections Catalog provides a centralized library of reusable Options and Allowances that can be used across multiple jobs. 

To add Options to your catalog, select the desired Option(s) from the Selections list, then select Save to catalog. 

Once saved, those Options can be reused across future jobs by selecting the From catalog button from your Options dropdown on the Selections list page. 

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Reviewing and Managing Options

When an Option is first created and saved, it is automatically placed in a Draft status.

While in Draft status, the Option is only visible internally and can continue to be edited as needed. To make the Option available for client review, select Send.

Once sent, the Option moves to a Pending status and becomes available in the Client Portal. 

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Builder Actions

Builders can respond to Options by selecting: 

• Approve (✅)
• Decline (X)

• Recall (↺) 

Recalling an Option returns it to a Draft status, allowing you to make changes before sending it back to the Client Portal for review. 

To edit an Option, select the Pencil Icon.

To delete an Option, select the Trash Icon.

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Client Actions

Clients can respond to pending Options in the Client Portal by selecting:

• Approve (✅)
• Decline (X)

When approving an Option, clients are required to provide an electronic signature before the approval can be completed. Before signing, clients will see how the Option impacts their budget and contract price, including when the Option exceeds the remaining Allowance.

Once approved, the client's signature is saved to the Option and can be viewed by the builder from the Option details. The approval is also recorded in the Activity Log, including who approved the Option and when.

Clients can only approve or decline Options through their Client Portal at this time.

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Communicating About Options 

Builders and clients can communicate directly on individual Options through Comments.

Clients can view and respond to comments by expanding an Option in the Client Portal. Option comments also appear in the client's Messages section, creating a familiar experience consistent with Invoices and Change Orders. 

Comments on an Option are only visible to the builder and client associated with the job. 

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Managing Multiple Options

For projects with a large number of Options, mass actions can be used directly from the Selections list to manage multiple Options at once. 

Available mass actions include:

• Edit
• Copy
• Delete
• Send
• Approve
• Decline
• Recall
• Link Plans and Specs
• Save to catalog

This allows multiple Options to be updated simultaneously without opening each Option individually. 

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Impact on Financials

When Options are approved either internally or by the client, the associated Allowance automatically updates in both the Selections feature and the Job Costing Budget. 

The budget will display:

• The revised cost and remaining Allowance balance, when applicable. 

• The original Allowance amount for comparison.

This allows you to track overages and underages as Options are approved.

If approved Options exceed the Allowance, the Revised budget cost will reflect the overage amount. 

Approved Options are also reflected in the Job Price Summary, providing visibility into client selections and their impact on the overall project price. 

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Marking an Allowance as Complete

 

If approved Options total less than the original Allowance amount, you can mark the Allowance as complete. 

Marking an Allowance as complete indicates that no additional Options will be applied to that Allowance and locks in the current approved total as the final Allowance cost. 

This allows the Job Costing Budget to reflect the actual amount spent rather than continuing to display the original Allowance amount. 

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Taxability

Option and Allowance pricing includes tax visibility throughout the approval process. 

To mark an Option line item as taxable, open the Option and select the Taxable checkbox next to the applicable line item. To mark an Allowance as taxable, open the Allowance and select the Taxable checkbox. 

Taxable Option line items and Allowances automatically use the job-level tax rate configured in Job Details.

Tax rates applied to Options and Allowances flow through related financial workflows, including Estimates, Change Orders, Job Price Summary, and Invoices, helping ensure pricing remains accurate throughout the project lifecycle.

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Adding Options to Purchase Orders

Once an Option has been approved, it can be added directly to a Purchase Order. 

Within the approved Option, select the Add to dropdown.

Builders can:

• Add the Option to an existing Purchase Order.
• Create a new Purchase Order from the approved Option. 

This helps move approved Options directly into the purchasing workflow without requiring duplicate data entry.

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Invoicing Allowances and Selections

Approved Allowances and Selections can be invoiced from either the Selections page or directly from an Invoice.

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From the Selections page: Select the Invoice dropdown, then choose New invoice or Add to existing invoice. 

From an Invoice: Under the Client Price section, select Selections from the Add from dropdown. 

 

Both options open the Add selections to invoice window, where you can choose the Allowances and Selections you would like to invoice. 

The Add selections to invoice window will display Allowances differently depending on their invoicing status:

• Partially invoiced Allowances: Displays the previously invoiced amount, Selection amount, and Invoice amount so you can see what remains to be billed.
• Credits owed: Completed Allowances that were invoiced for more than the final approved Selections display a negative credit amount that can be applied to the Invoice or refunded at the end of the job.
• Fully settled Allowances: Allowances where the previously invoiced amount already matches the approved Selections will not appear in the window.

Select the Allowances and/or Selections you would like to add. You can Select all and choose whether to include line item descriptions and notes. When ready, select Add to invoice.

Your selected Allowances and Selections will be added to the Invoice as line items. You can then review and send the Invoice to your client.

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