Overview
The main project contract is the core agreement between your company and the client, and serves as the foundation for financial and project management. On the Project Contracts listing page, the main contract is identified by a Main Contract pill.
The Add Main Contract wizard has five steps:
Contract Details
Contract Documents
Insurance Requirements (optional)
Rules (optional)
SoV/WBS
Note: Your workspace's Financial Governance settings (configured by an admin in Company Settings → Governance Settings) may affect contract approval and SoV/WBS behavior. For example, if "Require Approval, Lock SoV / WBS, and Cost Codes" is enabled, the SoV/WBS and cost codes will lock once the contract is executed.
Process
Select or create the project. If the project does not yet exist, create it first.
Navigate to the Project Contracts tab.
From the project menu, click Project Contracts. The Project Contracts listing page opens.Open the Main Contract
On the listing page, locate the contract labeled with the Main Contract pill and click into it. The Add Main Contract wizard opens to Contract Details.
Tip: At any point in the wizard, click Save as Draft in the top right to pause and resume later. Use the Previous step and Next step to navigate between steps.Step 1 — Contract Details
Complete the following fields. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk.
Contract Name (required) — typically reflects the scope of work or services along with the client's company name. 25 character limit.
Custom ID — your company's specific contract ID, such as your accounting contract number or any other referenced contract number.
Client (required) — the primary contact for the company or contractor with whom the contract is being established. For Main Contracts, the client must already be added to the Project Directory before they can be selected here. If you try to select a user whose company doesn't match the client company set in the Project Directory, you'll see the message: "The user company doesn't match the client company set in the Project Team / Directory." Add the client through the Project Directory first, then return to the contract wizard.
My Project Managers — assign one or more project managers. Selected users receive a notification that they are listed as a project manager for the contract. Click Add or Invite Another to add additional PMs.
Agreement Type (required) — select one:
Advisory — the owner's rep is providing services in an advisory capacity. Vendor contracts are between the project owner (contract holder) and the vendor.
Agency Non-Bill Pay — the owner's rep acts as an authorized agent for the owner. Vendor contracts are between the agent (contract holder) and the vendor.
Agency Bill Pay — the owner's rep acts as an agent and also manages the financial disbursement of payments to vendors. The project owner maintains direct contractual relationships with vendors (contract holder); the owner's rep processes and issues payments.
Principal — the owner's rep is providing services in a principal capacity and managing principal turnkey delivery. Vendor contracts are between the owner's rep (contract holder) and the vendor, with the owner as the project beneficiary.
Undetermined — the contract structure is not yet defined; typically selected for projects in feasibility.
Note: Changing the Agreement Type here will also update it on all other main contracts in the project.
Contract Type — select one:
Standard Contract Agreement (Single Stage Agreement) — project scope, cost, and schedule are generally determined, and services are authorized in a single stage under the Original Contract. Subsequent changes are authorized via Change Orders.
Non-Standard Agreement (Multi-Stage Agreement/GMP) — project scope, cost, and schedule are not yet fully defined. Services are authorized in stages under an Initial Contract. Contract Amendments make updates until details are finalized, at which point a Final Contract Amendment establishes the Original Contract. Later changes are handled through Change Orders.
Payment Term — the agreed period in which a vendor must be paid after invoicing (e.g., Net 30). Payment Terms are configured in Company Settings under the Payment Terms tab.
Initiation Date — the start date of the contract agreement.
Effective Date — the date services will commence.
Expiration Date — the date the contract expires.
Description — additional information about the contract. This field can also be populated as a variable on your document template for use in contract exports. 500 character limit.
Tip: You can have multiple main contracts within a single project. They must all be with the same client.
Click Next Step to continue.
5. Step 2 — Contract Documents
Record whether you already have an executed contract. This step is required.
Yes, I have an executed contract — select this if you already have an executed agreement you're inputting for record. Selecting this option skips the approval workflow.
No, I don't have an executed contract — once you complete the wizard, you'll be able to apply a document template, upload an executed agreement, or send an agreement for approval.
Documents can also be added later. After the contract is created, you can:Apply Document Template — use a template to create a tailored document that auto-fills project and contract details.
Upload a Fully Executed Agreement — input an executed agreement for the record.
Send Document for Approval — upload documents from your device for approval.
Click Next Step to continue.
6. Step 3 — Insurance Requirements (optional)
Add any insurance requirements for the contract.
Click Add Insurance Requirement to enter a requirement manually.
Click Apply Template to load a pre-configured insurance template.
If no insurance requirements apply, leave this step empty. Click Next Step to continue.
7. Step 4 — Rules (optional)
Configure retention and lien waiver rules for the contract.
Retention
Retention rule % — enter the retention percentage to apply. Setting retention here automatically applies the percentage to each line item in the Schedule of Values, including any change orders or amendments. The rule applies as a default; you can update specific values per line on the SoV/WBS step. The retention % ensures that on invoices entered for this contract, the configured % is held back from the gross value of the invoice and can be requested once the agreed % of completion has been met.
Lien WaiversDrag a lien waiver template file into the upload area or click browse files to select one from your computer. You can upload one file in PDF, DOC, DOCX, or TXT format. The vendor will be prompted to use this template when submitting their invoice.
Require Lien Waiver With Invoice Submission — toggle on to block invoices from being submitted without a corresponding lien waiver.
Click Next Step to continue.
8. Step 5 — SoV / WBSBuild the Schedule of Values / Work Breakdown Structure. This establishes the structure of the agreement for billing and schedule management.
Choose how to populate the SoV/WBS:Import From Excel — import line items from an Excel file.
Apply Template — load a pre-configured SoV/WBS template created by your Workspace Administrator.
Add Schedule of Values / Work Breakdown Structure — build manually.
Display toggles at the top of the step:Units — display unit and quantity columns to calculate values by quantity × unit price.
Retention — display the per-line Retention rule % column.
For each line item (WBS 1), enter:Name — description of the phase, task, or quoted item.
Cost Code — select from the project's cost code list. Use Apply to All to copy the same cost code to every line in the SoV.
Value — the dollar value of the line.
Retention rule — the retention % for this line (visible when the Retention toggle is on).
Use Add WBS 2 to add a sub-level under any line. The SoV supports up to three levels of nesting (WBS 1 → WBS 2 → WBS 3).
Other actions on this step:Expand All — expand all nested levels.
Manage Order — reorder line items.
Add WBS 1 — add another top-level line.
Alternates: Below the main SoV, use Add Alternate WBS 1 to add alternates. Use Apply Template to load alternates from a template.
Confirm totals: The Total row at the bottom of the SoV displays the aggregate contract value and retention. Verify if these reflect the agreed contract value before creating.
9. Create the contractOnce all required steps are complete, click Create in the top right of the wizard to finalize the main contract.
Next Steps: