Get more from your project command center.

1. From Dashboard view, select Contractor Management.
2. Find the contractor whose logo you want to add or change.
3. Find Estimate Logo, then select Choose File.
4. Locate your logo on your computer, select the file, and then select Open. FORGE accepts PNG, JPG/JPEG, and WebP images up to 5 MB.
5. Confirm that the selected file name appears beside Choose File.
6. Select Save for that contractor. Choosing a file does not upload it until you save the contractor.
7. Confirm that the logo appears in the Estimate Logo area.

1. From Dashboard view, select Contractor Management.
2. Find your contractor company in the list.
3. Confirm that the contractor company name is spelled and capitalized correctly.
4. Review the contractor notes and add any information your team should keep with the company record.
5. Select Save.
6. Reopen the contractor and confirm that the updated information is still displayed.

1. From Dashboard view, select Contractor Management.
2. Find the contractor whose estimate defaults you want to configure.
3. Review Default Markup (%), General Conditions (%), Overhead (%), and Profit (%).
4. Enter each percentage as a number. For example, enter 15 for 15%.
5. Select Save.
6. Remember that these are starting values for estimates. Review them on every estimate because individual projects may require different settings.

1. From Dashboard view, select Contractor Management.
2. Find the correct contractor and select Show Crew.
3. Enter the crew member's name in Crew contact name.
4. Select the person's title or role from the dropdown.
5. Select a color. This color helps identify the person on schedules.
6. Select Add Crew Contact.
7. Confirm that the new crew member appears in the contractor's crew list.
8. Repeat these steps for each person who may be scheduled or assigned time.

1. From Dashboard view, select System Admin.
2. Select Account/User Management to open it.
3. Find the option to invite a team member.
4. Enter the person's name and email address. Check the email carefully before continuing.
5. Select the appropriate system role.
6. Send the invitation.
7. Confirm that the invitation appears as pending until the person accepts it.

FORGE users have their own sign-in and can work inside the application according to their permissions.

Crew members are people connected to a contractor who can appear on schedules and time entries. A crew member does not automatically have permission to sign in.

Eligible FORGE users are automatically connected to the contractor's crew so they can also be scheduled and included in time management. Do not create a duplicate crew entry for a system user who already appears in the crew list.

1. From Dashboard view, select System Admin.
2. Select Account/User Management.
3. Review every user and confirm that each person has the correct role.
4. Use an administrator role only for people who need account-management privileges.
5. Use a regular-user role for people who need to work in FORGE without managing the account.
6. Remember that a note can be deleted only by its poster or an administrator.
7. Save any role changes and confirm that the updated role appears beside the user.

Before opening the form, gather the information you already have:

• Property or project name
• Street address, city, state, and ZIP code
• Commercial client company or residential contact information
• Asset manager and property manager, when applicable
• Project description, permit number, and tax rate
• The work scopes expected for the project

You can leave information blank when it is not yet available and return to Project Details later.

1. Sign in to FORGE.
2. Locate the blue + button in the top header.
3. Select the + button.
4. The Add Project window will open.

1. Select the Project name field.
2. Enter the name your team will recognize in project lists, schedules, reports, and estimates.
3. Use a consistent property or job name, such as Maple Ridge Tenant Build-Out.
4. Avoid vague names such as New Job or Repair Project.

1. Open the Status dropdown.
2. Select Not Started if work has not begun, or Active if the project is already underway.
3. Use Warranty for projects needing warranty work, and Complete when all work is finished.
4. Open the Project type dropdown.
5. Select Commercial or Residential. The contact fields will adjust to match the selected project type.

1. Select the Permit field.
2. Enter the official permit number if one has been issued.
3. If there is no permit number yet, leave the field blank. The words Enter permit number... are only a prompt and will not be saved as a permit.
4. Return to Project Details later when a permit number becomes available.

1. Select the Description field.
2. Enter a clear summary of the overall work included in the project.
3. Include the major repairs, improvements, or construction activities.
4. Keep temporary updates and daily events out of this field; those belong in project notes.
5. Use enough detail to support future estimates, searches, and AI-generated reports.

1. Select the Tax Rate (%) field.
2. Enter the tax rate that applies to the project's location.
3. Enter the percentage as a number. For example, enter 8.125 for 8.125%.
4. Enter 0 when tax should not be calculated.
5. Review this carefully because the project tax rate can be used as the default on estimates.

1. Enter the street address in the Address field.
2. Enter the city in the City field.
3. Enter the two-letter state abbreviation in the State field.
4. Enter the ZIP code in the ZIP field.
5. Review each field for spelling and number errors.

FORGE displays the finished address in an easy-to-read, two-line format:

Street address
City, State ZIP

For a commercial project:

1. Open the Company dropdown and select the client company.
2. Select the appropriate Asset Manager and Property Manager.
3. Review the role, phone, and email shown for each contact.
4. If the company or contact is missing, close the form without saving incomplete information, add it through Company Contacts, and then return to the project.

For a residential project:

1. Enter the primary contact's name, role or title, phone number, and email address.
2. Add a secondary contact when another person should be connected to the project.

1. Find the Work Scopes section near the bottom of the form.
2. Select Select project scopes to open the list.
3. Select each scope expected for the project, such as electrical, plumbing, roofing, or concrete.
4. If a needed scope is missing, enter its name under Manage scope list and select Add.
5. Review the selected scopes before saving.

Work scopes help organize project cards and prepare the project for later bid solicitation.

1. Return to the top of the Add Project window.
2. Review the project name, status, type, address, company, contacts, description, tax rate, and work scopes.
3. Select Save Project.
4. Wait for the Add Project window to close.
5. If FORGE displays an error, read the message, correct the identified field, and select Save Project again.

Do not select Close before saving. Close exits the form without creating the project.

1. FORGE returns to the project status selected when the project was saved.
2. Find the new project card in the main Dashboard area.
3. Confirm the project name, company, address, contacts, scope, and status.
4. Select Go to Project to open it in Focus view.
5. If anything is incorrect, select Open Project, open Project Details, make the correction, and save again.

Once the project card is correct, continue building its working record:

• Add an opening project note.
• Schedule the next follow-up.
• Add detailed bid scopes and vendors.
• Upload available project documents.
• Add project schedule items when dates are known.

Information entered during project setup becomes useful throughout FORGE—in project cards, filters, bids, estimates, schedules, reports, and client communication.

A typical FORGE bid workflow follows this order:

1. Add the work scope.
2. Describe the work and attach supporting documents.
3. Send or record vendor proposal requests.
4. Track vendor follow-ups.
5. Submit and approve received proposals.
6. Use approved pricing to build the estimate.
7. Award the vendor after a contract has been issued.

Approve confirms that a proposal amount should count toward the bid total. Award records that the vendor has received the contract. These are separate steps.

1. Find the project in Dashboard or Focus view.
2. Select the blue Bid Status button on the project card.
3. The Bid Solicitation window will open.
4. Confirm that the correct project name and address appear at the top.

1. At the top of the scope list, select Manage Scope.
2. Open the Add bid scope dropdown.
3. Select the type of work, such as electrical, plumbing, roofing, or concrete.
4. Select Add Scope.
5. Confirm that the new scope appears in the left sidebar.
6. Repeat these steps for every major category of work that requires pricing.

1. Open Manage Scope.
2. Select Manage bid types.
3. Enter the new scope name under Add possible bid type.
4. Select Add.
5. Return to the Add bid scope dropdown and select the new option.
6. Select Add Scope to add it to the project.

Use a clear trade or work-category name so the scope is easy to recognize on project cards and estimates.

1. Select the bid scope in the left sidebar.
2. Find Scope description.
3. Select Edit Description.
4. Describe the work, major inclusions, known exclusions, alternates, and important pricing requirements.
5. Save the description.
6. Read it again from a vendor's perspective and confirm that the requested work is clear.

Detailed scope descriptions also give FORGE better information when building estimate line items with AI.

1. Find the scope-level Documents section.
2. Select Choose File and locate the PDF on your computer.
3. Enter a useful document type, such as Plans, Site Report, or Scope.
4. Add an optional note when the file needs additional explanation.
5. Select Upload PDF.
6. After the upload finishes, select the document link and confirm that the correct file opens.

Scope documents apply to the overall bid scope. Vendor proposals should be submitted inside the individual vendor record instead.

1. Find the vendor-request form below the scope description.
2. Open the Vendor dropdown.
3. Select the vendor you want to solicit.
4. Confirm that the contact name, email, and phone number populate correctly.
5. Correct the contact information if necessary. Saving it here updates the shared vendor record.
6. If the vendor is missing, select Create new vendor... and enter the vendor information.

1. Confirm the selected vendor and contact information.
2. Enter the date the proposal was requested in Request date.
3. If the proposal has already been received, enter the date under Proposal received. Otherwise, leave it blank.
4. Select Add Vendor Request.
5. Confirm that the vendor appears below the request form.
6. Repeat these steps when requesting pricing from additional vendors for the same scope.

1. Select the vendor row to open it.
2. Scroll to the vendor's Follow-Ups section.
3. Enter a short action in Description, such as Follow up on electrical proposal.
4. Select the follow-up date and time.
5. Select Schedule Follow-Up.
6. Confirm that the follow-up appears beneath the form.

Vendor follow-ups also appear in the project's centralized Follow-Ups view and in portfolio-wide reminders, so they are not buried inside the bid.

1. Open the vendor row.
2. Find the Bid Proposals section.
3. If a PDF is available, select Choose File and locate it on your computer.
4. Enter the Document type, such as Bid Proposal or Change Order.
5. Enter the proposal amount.
6. Add an optional note for exclusions, allowances, clarifications, or other important details.
7. Select Submit Bid.
8. Confirm that the proposal appears in the vendor's proposal list.

1. Open the correct vendor row. For self-performed work, use the contractor or internal vendor record created for that work.
2. Leave PDF attachment (optional) blank.
3. Enter the document type, amount, and an optional note describing the pricing.
4. Select Submit Bid.
5. Confirm that the proposal displays No PDF attachment.

A proposal submitted without a file is still an official proposal record and can be approved for inclusion in the bid total.

1. Find the proposal in the vendor's Bid Proposals list.
2. Select Edit.
3. Correct the document type, amount, note, or other available information.
4. Save the changes.
5. Confirm that the updated information appears on the proposal card.

Use a separate proposal record for a separate change order or additional approved scope instead of overwriting information that should remain part of the bid history.

1. Review the proposal file, amount, document type, and note.
2. Select Approve when the proposal should be included in the bid scope total.
3. Confirm that the proposal displays an Approved label.
4. Review the vendor's calculated bid amount.
5. If the proposal should no longer count, select Unapprove.

FORGE totals all approved proposals for that vendor. This allows multiple proposals and approved change orders to contribute to the same bid amount.

1. Look for Bid amount near the vendor actions.
2. Confirm that the displayed amount equals the total of the vendor's approved proposals.
3. Review the scope total shown on the project card or bid-status summary.
4. If an amount is missing, confirm that the correct proposal has been approved.
5. If the total is incorrect, review each approved proposal for an incorrect amount or approval status.

1. Confirm that the approved proposal information and calculated bid amount are correct.
2. Select Award after the contract has been issued to the vendor.
3. Confirm that the vendor row and scope show the awarded status.
4. If the award was recorded by mistake or the decision changes, select Unaward.

Do not use Award merely to select pricing for an estimate. Proposal approval controls bid totals; Award records that contracting has occurred.

The bid-scope cards provide a quick visual status:

• Red — The scope needs bid activity.
• Yellow — One or more vendor requests have been added and the scope is in the bidding process.
• Green — A vendor has been awarded.

The progress bar gives every bid scope an equal share of the first 90% of project bid progress. A scope earns more progress as it moves from not started, to proposal requested, bid received, proposal approved or selected, and awarded.

Sending the completed estimate to the client contributes the final 10%. This keeps estimate status separate from the weighting of individual bid scopes.

1. Review every bid scope and confirm that the intended proposals are approved.
2. Close the Bid Solicitation window.
3. Select the project's estimate button.
4. Select Build Main Estimate from Bid Scopes when you want FORGE to create estimate line items from the bid information.
5. Review every generated line item, description, amount, markup, fee, and tax before approving the estimate.

FORGE can organize the approved scope and pricing, but the project manager remains responsible for confirming that the estimate accurately represents the work.