Guide
Getting started with BuilderLog
A complete step-by-step guide to every feature in BuilderLog. Written for someone who has never used the app before and isn’t especially confident with technology. Follow the numbered steps in order and you’ll be up and running in a few minutes.
BuilderLog runs in your phone or computer’s web browser — Safari, Chrome, Edge. There is nothing to download from an app store.
1. Opening BuilderLog for the first time
Open your web browser.
Go to builderlog.app and tap “Open BuilderLog”, or type the app address directly into your browser.
The welcome screen will appear.
If you’re new, tap “Sign up”. If you already have an account, tap “Log in”.
Tip: On a phone, add BuilderLog to your home screen so it looks and feels like a normal app — look for “Add to Home Screen” in your browser’s menu.
✕ Don’t search for “BuilderLog” in the App Store or Play Store — it only works through a web browser.
2. Creating your account
Tap “Sign up”.
Type in your email address.
Choose a password you’ll remember.
Tap “Sign up” or “Create account”.
You’ll land straight on your Jobs page — your account is ready.
✕ Don’t close the browser tab while the app is creating your account. Wait for the Jobs page to appear.
3. Understanding the dashboard
When you open BuilderLog, the first thing you see is the Jobs page. At the top is your dashboard — a summary of how your work is going.
Open jobs — how many jobs you currently have on the go.
Completed — how many jobs you’ve marked as finished.
Total invoiced — the total value of all your quoted prices.
Received — how much you’ve actually been paid so far.
Outstanding — what customers still owe you.
Net profit — your total invoiced minus your total costs across all jobs.
4. Adding a job
A “job” is any piece of work — an extension, a kitchen fit, a loft conversion, a renovation.
From the Jobs page, tap the round “+” button in the top right corner.
A form slides up. Type in a short description, e.g. “Rear extension — 14 Oak Lane”.
Type in the customer’s name.
Check the date is correct, or change it.
If you know the price, type it into “Quoted price”. If not, leave it blank and add it later.
Tap “Create job”.
5. Adding costs to a job
Costs are what you spend doing a job — materials, skip hire, scaffolding, fuel. Logging these shows your real profit.
Tap on a job in your Jobs list to open it.
Tap the round “+” button on the job’s page.
Choose a category: Materials & supplies, Labour, Van mileage, Skip & waste, Equipment hire, Scaffolding, Subcontractor, or Other.
Type the amount you spent.
To add more, tap “Save & add another”. When finished, tap “Done”.
Logging mileage
When you choose “Van mileage” as the category, simply type the number of miles you drove. BuilderLog calculates the claimable amount automatically at the current HMRC rate (55p per mile from April 2026). You don’t need to work out the amount yourself.
Tip: A builder doing 10,000 business miles a year can claim £5,500. Most sole traders claim nothing because they never logged the journeys.
6. Marking a job as done and paid
Open the job from your Jobs list.
When the work is finished, tap the tick button to mark it “Completed”.
Once the customer has paid, tap the £ button to mark it “Paid”.
7. Editing a job
Open the job from your Jobs list.
Tap the small white pencil icon next to the job title.
Change anything you need — description, customer name, date, price, or notes.
Tap “Save changes”.
8. Finding a job
On the Jobs page, tap the search box and type a customer’s name or part of the job description.
Use the tabs — Open, Completed, All — to switch between categories.
Tap the “Unpaid” button to see only jobs that haven’t been paid yet.
9. Quotes
Creating a new quote
Tap “Quotes” at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the “+” button in the top right.
Fill in the customer’s name, address and a short description of the work.
Add each line item — e.g. “Labour”, “Materials”, “Skip hire” — with quantity and rate.
Tap “Save draft” to save, or “Save & print” to save and print immediately.
Editing, printing, and converting quotes
Edit: Open the quote, tap “Edit quote”, make changes, save.
Print: Open the quote, tap “Print” — a professional document opens with your details, line items, and CSCS number.
Convert to job: Open an accepted quote, tap “Convert to job” — a new job is created automatically using the quote’s details. This is a Pro feature.
10. Saving customers
Tap “Clients” at the bottom of the screen.
Tap “+”, fill in their name and address, tap “Save client”.
Next time you create a job or quote, select them from “My Clients” instead of retyping.
11. Week view
Tap “Week” at the bottom of the screen to see your jobs across the next 7 days.
12. Upgrading to Pro
Tap “Settings” at the bottom of the screen.
Tap “Upgrade to Pro”, then “Start Pro”.
Enter your card details on the secure payment page and complete payment.
Pro switches on within about 15 seconds.
✕ Don’t use a different email at checkout than the one you’re logged into the app with — they must match exactly for Pro to activate.
13. Creating an invoice (Pro)
First, add your CSCS number: Settings → “Rates, tax & CSCS number”. You only need to do this once.
Open a completed job and tap “Invoice”.
A professional PDF invoice opens with your name, CSCS number, customer details, and the price.
14. Tax report (Pro)
Tap “Report” at the bottom of the screen.
Select the tax year.
Your income, costs and estimated profit are shown.
Tap the printer icon to create a PDF copy.
15. Business expenses
On the Report page, tap the “Business expenses” card to add one-off costs not tied to a specific job — new tools, insurance, CSCS renewal, van MOT, training courses. These are included in your tax report automatically.
16. Getting around the app
The bottom menu has six tabs: Jobs, Week, Quotes, Clients, Report, and Settings.
Try BuilderLog free — no card needed
10 jobs a month free forever. Upgrade to Pro for £9.99/month when you’re ready.
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