Run your first job record

Launch playbook12 min read

Use one real or demo UK job to prove the core record: quote it, evidence the work, record the change, get approval, update the contract sum, and invoice from the agreed position.

Job details with UK commercial setup

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When to use this

Use this in the first week after Getting started. It is the path that shows SiteHut is more than a task list.

Skip it if you only needed a workspace and a jobs list. Come back when you are about to send a customer quote.

Before you start

• Finish workspace setup. Prefer the UK general construction starter pack, or check Settings → Workspace settings for GBP, VAT, retention, and UK terminology.
• Company details and VAT number so public quote and invoice pages look legitimate.
• At least one customer and one partner in Customers & trades.
• A small, real job pattern: single-storey extension, kitchen, or roof repair.

Tip

SiteHut is the operational record (what was agreed, what changed, what was approved). Xero or your accountant remains the statutory ledger. See Xero.

The outcome

One job record should contain:

• Customer, site, and UK commercial defaults.
• A quote or contract baseline with assumptions written down.
• A short programme (five to ten tasks).
• A site diary entry that captures a client instruction or site issue.
• A variation (or early warning) linked to that evidence.
• A client approval link with signer details.
• Final Account showing original contract, approved variations, invoiced, paid, retention, and remaining.

1

Create the job

Create a job with customer, site address, planned start, and expected finish. If the job uses a formal contract, open Job → Details → Contract setup and confirm variation rules, retention, VAT, domestic reverse charge, and CIS assumptions.

Job → Details with UK commercial fields

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2

Set the baseline

Open Job finances → Quotes and create the quote, or record the agreed contract. Write assumptions and exclusions in plain language: client selections, allowances, access, working hours, who owns planning and building control, and how changes will be approved.

See Quotes.

3

Build a simple programme

Add five to ten tasks on Plan or Tasks. Include at least one client-decision task and one inspection or building-control task so a delayed change is visible on the Gantt.

4

Capture site evidence

From mobile My Work or Job → Construction → Site diary, add an entry with photos or notes. A good demo line: Client requested two extra sockets in the kitchen wall after first-fix walk-through.

My Work → Site diary entry with photos

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5

Raise the variation

Open Job finances → Variations (or convert from the diary issue if your workflow offers it). Pick the route that matches the moment:

Route	Use when
Early warning	Cost, time, or risk may move, but you do not need approval yet
Request / quote request	The client wants a price before work starts
Instruction / CVI	The instruction was already given and must be on record
Priced variation	The client must approve cost or time
No-cost variation	Scope or programme changes, contract sum does not

Simple vs full register is explained in Variations.

6

Send for client approval

Use the public approval link. Check it shows builder branding, the job, scope, price impact, schedule impact, signatory name, capacity, and a clear evidence statement.

Public variation approval page

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7

Check Final Account

Open Job finances → Final Account. Confirm original contract value, approved variations, pending or forecast items, and the revised contract sum. See Final Account.

8

Invoice from the agreed position

From Final Account invoice position or Invoices, raise the next interim invoice. Check UK labels that apply to this job: VAT or DRC, retention, CIS deduction, amount paid, balance due, payment reference.

Public invoice totals with retention

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9

Check the client view

Open each public link at phone width: quote, variation, invoice, and any shared programme. Someone who does not use SiteHut should understand the number without training.

What done looks like

• You can explain the job's commercial position in under 30 seconds.
• The approval page says exactly what is accepted or rejected.
• Variation approval stored signatory name, authority, note, locale, and timezone.
• Final Account separates approved value from forecast or judgement value.
• Invoice totals show retention, VAT or DRC, CIS, paid, and remaining where they apply.
• The same path still works if you start from a phone on site.

Common mistakes

• Logging the extra in WhatsApp and never raising a variation.
• Invoicing remaining work before the variation is approved.
• Using titles like "Extra 3" with no diary evidence.
• Treating SiteHut as a replacement for Xero. Sync or export; do not skip the accountant.

What this path is not

SiteHut is not a takeoff, permit, or safety-inspection product. Keep those records on the job with tasks, files, and diary, and use specialist tools where the contract requires them.