The most valuable resource builders have is their time. We get it! This blog will show you how to make the most out of the software with just four of its features while you continue to explore everything Buildxact has to offer. These four features alone will help you save time and make more money. 

Tax Profile 

Taxes! No one likes them, but they are an unfortunate reality. If you mainly do business in one specific geographic area, then Buildxact lets you set your tax information and not worry about it in the future. It also simplifies the actions you have to take if you do business in different areas with different tax rates and codes. 

You start by filling out the different fields based on your tax, the type of tax, the tax rate in that region, what your tax is on and whether you are paying tax or collecting it. 

Pro tip: Set your tax profile first! If you set up estimates before setting up your tax profile, it will not retroactively apply to those estimates. The tax profile will only apply to newly created estimates. 

Once you have set up your tax profile, if you do business in places with different tax rates, you can go into a specific estimate and click “Estimate Details.” You can then edit your tax profile for a particular estimate. 

Client Portal 

This feature is only available to users with a Pro or Teams membership or if you are doing the Trial. Avoid getting FOMO and go for one of these memberships to make your life easier! 

The “Client Portal” is fantastic to make sure you have a lead’s contact information before getting to the estimate stage and following up with them in the future. 

Start by clicking “Captured.” From there, you would fill out the person’s information and other basic details. 

You can then scroll down to “Client Project,” which is essentially the customer portal. 

The “Client Portal” will change your life and keep you organized. The portal is a powerful tool that streamlines your communication with clients, helping you avoid potentially losing an email in a crowded inbox or just wasting time looking for something specific in the inbox. You will, without a doubt, stand out from competitors by presenting your work in a more engaging way. 

To start, click “Publish Project.” Here you can customize it any way you like to make sure you present yourself to the client in a way that fits your brand.  

You can upload any documents or images you think would benefit your customer. Once you upload an element into the portal, click it and then select “Share” to add it to the portal. From there, you can decide where you want a specific element to show up: Quotes, Plans, Documents, Invoices, or Variations. Take a step further and a custom message for your client. 

If business is booming… amazing! You can publish 100 portals per year, and you can have multiple clients in each portal. 

As mentioned before, the “Messages” section will help streamline your communication with clients. You will be able to find specific messages easily. 

The client portal contains: 

1: Messages
2: Quotes
3: Plans
4: Documents
5: Variations
6: Invoices
7: Contacts 

Redistribution & Allowance Items 

Before going into the amazingness of this feature, make sure that when you show allowance items on a quote letter, you don’t include mark-up. 

You will have three options with redistribution: 

1: None (No redistribution) – This option is very uncommon, but it allows you to leave the markup on the item if you choose to do so. There is a feature in the quote letter to inform your client that the price includes mark-up and what percentage. 

2: Category Redistribution – This option is more common than the previous one. Category redistribution is the default setting on Buildxact. When you hit the “C” button on the software, it will take the markup and automatically redistribute it for you. 

3: Estimate Redistribution – This option takes the mark-up and applies it across the entire estimate. You can turn on “Estimate” or “Category-wide Redistribution” for a specific item, which will allow for a smoothing of the categories. 

Customizable Quote Letter 

You can now customize the layout of your quote letters, including fonts, images, and content sections. Stand out from the competition and impress your client with quick, detailed, and customizable quotes. 

The first step is to choose a layout by clicking “Select a different layout.” 

You have two options: 

1: Buildxact print-only layout 

2: Buildxact customizable layout 

If you select Buildxact customizable layout, you will see a list of sections you can toggle “On” or “Off,” depending on the ones you want. 

You can also select a preset, which is a mini-template for a particular section within the software. 

In the “Content” section of the “Letter Template”, the items in brackets are placeholders. These will auto-populate for you have set them up. 

Once you have created your quote letter, you can save it as a layout. You will then be able to use it as a template for future jobs. It is an incredible timesaver! 

Now, get out there and crush it!