How to Create Payment Schedules in Proposals in Buildern

📋 Requirements

Before creating a payment schedule, make sure that:

An Estimate has already been created
A Proposal has been generated based on that estimate
All project costs have been finalized

👉 Learn more about how to create a new Proposal or Estimate in Buildern

Create a Payment Schedule

To create a payment schedule in your proposal:

Open the proposal you want to work on.
Scroll down to the Payment Schedule section.

Here you can either:

Use a payment schedule template
Add payment parts manually

ℹ️ Note - Payment schedules are tied to the proposal estimate. If you update the estimate after creating the payment schedule, you may need to review and adjust the payment parts to ensure the amounts remain accurate.

Choose Your Method

Buildern allows you to create a payment schedule in two ways, depending on your needs:

Option 1: Use a Payment Schedule Template

Templates allow you to quickly apply a predefined payment structure to your proposal.

To create a new template:

Click Select in the Payment Schedule section
Enter the template details and define the payment parts
Click Save

The Add New option allows you to quickly create a new payment schedule template directly from the Payment Schedule dropdown, without leaving your proposal.

To use the Add New option:

Click Select in the Payment Schedule section
In the dropdown, click + Add New
Enter the template name
Define the payment parts (e.g., deposit, progress payments, final payment)
Click Save

You can do the same from your account settings:

Click the Settings (gear icon) in the top-right corner
Navigate to Payment Schedule Templates
Click Create Template

Enter the template details and configure the payment parts
Click Save

Once created, the template will be available for reuse in future proposals.

Option 2: Add Payment Parts Manually

If you need a custom structure, you can manually create payment parts.

To add a payment part:

Click + Add New Payment Part
Enter a name for the payment part
Choose how the payment amount should be calculated

Buildern will automatically calculate the amount based on your selection.

Repeat these steps until all payment parts are added.

Payment Calculation Options

Buildern allows you to calculate payment amounts using several methods:

Fixed Amount ($) — Enter a specific payment amount.
Percentage of Total (%) — Calculate the payment as a percentage of the total estimate.
Percentage of Remaining Amount — Calculate the payment based on the remaining balance.
Remaining Amount — Assign the full remaining balance to the final payment.

This flexibility allows you to create payment schedules that match your project milestones, deposits, and progress payments.

For example:

An initial deposit may be a fixed amount.
Progress payments may be calculated as percentages.
The final payment can cover the remaining balance.

💡 Tip - You can mix fixed amounts and percentage-based payments in the same schedule. For example, use a fixed deposit and percentage-based progress payments.