A built-in CRM for residential construction leads — tracking every prospect from first contact through permit issuance, with automatic project initialization at the moment construction can begin.
What It Is
The Pre-Construction Pipeline replaces the spreadsheet or generic CRM that most GC firms use to track potential projects. It is purpose-built for residential construction: it understands the stages that actually matter (lead, estimate, permit), tracks the documents that belong at each stage (estimates, permits, fee payments), and — critically — knows that when a permit is issued, the project is ready to build.
Unlike a generic sales CRM, the BuildOS pipeline is directly connected to the construction side of the platform. When a prospect reaches the final stage, it doesn't just update a record — it triggers the automatic creation of a fully scheduled construction project.
The Six Pipeline Stages
Every prospect moves through a defined sequence of stages. Each stage represents a meaningful milestone in the sales and pre-construction process, and each carries a win probability used to calculate the weighted pipeline revenue forecast.
| Stage | Win Probability | What's Happened | Typical Next Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | 10% | Initial contact received — referral, web inquiry, or cold call | Qualify the prospect: confirm budget range, site, and intent to build |
| Qualified | 25% | Budget range confirmed, site identified, realistic scope discussed | Prepare a preliminary estimate |
| Estimate Sent | 50% | Formal estimate delivered to the client | Follow up; negotiate scope or price adjustments |
| Verbal Commitment | 75% | Client has verbally agreed to move forward | Prepare and submit permit application |
| Permit Applied | 85% | Permit application submitted to the municipality | Track permit status; respond to revision requests |
| Permit Issued | 100% | Municipal permit approved; construction can legally begin | BuildOS automatically creates the project and schedule |
Prospect Record — What's Tracked
Each prospect in the pipeline is a complete record that accumulates information as the sale progresses. The key fields:
Estimate Management
Each prospect can have one or more estimates attached — a full preliminary cost breakdown organized by WBS construction phase. Estimates include:
- Line items by construction phase — each with a WBS code, description, estimated cost, unit, and quantity
- Margin percentage — the firm's target markup tracked per estimate
- Status lifecycle — Draft → Sent → Revised → Accepted
- Currency — USD or CAD, set per estimate
- Sent date — tracked automatically when the estimate is marked "sent"
Estimate revision is handled by creating a new estimate version rather than overwriting the existing one — giving you a full history of what was proposed and accepted.
Permit Tracking
Building permits are complex — a single residential project typically requires multiple permit types from the municipality (building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical). BuildOS tracks each permit independently:
| Permit Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Submitted | Application hasn't been filed yet |
| Submitted | Application is in the queue with the municipality |
| Under Review | Municipality is actively reviewing the application |
| Revisions Requested | Municipality has asked for changes — action required |
| Approved | Permit issued — triggers project creation if it's the building permit |
| Denied | Application rejected — requires follow-up or appeal |
Additional per-permit fields include: jurisdiction name, permit number, filing date, fee amount (in cents + currency), and any notes about revision requests. All permit fees are tracked to help with budget planning and cash flow forecasting.
The Permit Issuance Gate — What Happens Automatically
When Sarah marks the building permit status as "Approved" and enters the permit issued date, BuildOS executes the following steps as a single, instantaneous, all-or-nothing operation:
Marking a Prospect Lost
When a prospect will not convert, it can be marked Lost at any stage. A required "lost reason" is captured (budget concerns, competitor selection, project cancelled, timeline mismatch, etc.). Lost prospects are removed from the active pipeline and revenue forecast but remain in the system for historical analysis. They can be reopened if circumstances change.
Pipeline Analytics
The pipeline analytics view provides a revenue forecast built from the current set of active prospects. Key metrics:
All analytics are calculated and displayed separately by currency (USD vs. CAD) — totals are never mixed across currencies.