> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.menaia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Work a Project

> Open a project to see everything in one place — the client and property, contacts, the estimate and job, scheduled visits, media, forms and invoices — and move the work forward from a single hub.

A **project** is the home base for one job at one address. It pulls together everything that happens for that customer — who you're working with, where the work is, the estimate, the job, scheduled visits, photos, forms, and billing — so you don't have to chase information across the app.

<Note>
  Think of a project as the file folder for a single customer's work at a single property. Open it once and everything related is a tab away.
</Note>

<Frame caption="Video: Create and Manage Client Projects (1:28)">
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## What a project pulls together

Every project is tied to one **client** (the customer) and one **property** (the address where the work happens). From there it links the rest of the work for that address:

* The **estimate** built for the job (and any alternates).
* The **job** that gets created when an estimate is sold.
* The **contacts** to reach about this work.
* The **lead** the project came from, when there is one.
* All the **media, forms, schedule, and invoices** for the work.

<Tip>
  One project, one address. If the same client needs work at a second property, that's a second project.
</Tip>

## Open a project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the client">
    Go to **Clients** from the main navigation and open the customer you're working with.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the project">
    From the client, open the project for the address you're working on. The project opens on its **Overview** tab.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Create a project

If a client doesn't have the project you need yet, you can create one directly from the client.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start a new project">
    On the client, open the **Create New** menu in the top-right and choose **New Project**. If the client has no projects yet, you can also use the **Create Project** button on the empty projects screen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name the project">
    The **Project name** is prefilled with the client's name — keep it or change it. If the client already has a project with that name, a warning appears, but you can still continue.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the property">
    Under **Property address**, pick one of the client's existing addresses or add a new one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the primary contact">
    Under **Primary contact**, pick one of the client's contacts or add a new one. A contact you add here is also saved to the client.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create it">
    Click **Create Project**. The new project opens on its Overview.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  A project created this way has no lead, so it won't count toward your closing ratio. To include it, create a lead and log a lead activity first.
</Note>

If you don't see **New Project**, your role can't create projects — see **Who can do what** below.

## Find your way around

A project is organized into tabs along the top. You'll always see **Overview**, and the rest appear depending on what your branch has turned on and what's happened on the project so far.

| Tab | What's there |
| - | - |
| **Overview** | The summary screen — contact details, property details, lead information, assignment, and shortcuts. |
| **Estimates** | The estimate(s) and proposal(s) for this job. See [The Estimates tab](#the-estimates-tab). |
| **Schedule** | Visits and appointments booked for this work. See [The Schedule tab](#the-schedule-tab). |
| **Job Plan** | The plan the crew works from. |
| **Media** | Photos, videos, and documents for the project. See [Add & manage project media](/guides/projects/media). |
| **Comments** | The running conversation about this project, with mentions, attachments, and threaded replies. See [Project comments](/guides/projects/comments). |
| **Forms** | Forms filled out for the job. |
| **Invoices** | The invoices for the work. |
| **Expenses** | The costs logged on the project, with receipts and a status for each. Every role except Crew Member sees it when expenses are turned on for your workspace. See [Project expenses](/guides/projects/expenses). |
| **Financial Summary** | What the project is worth and how much has been invoiced, collected, and is still due, plus every payment and credit. You can also record one payment across several invoices here. Admins only. See [Project financial summary](/guides/billing/project-financial-summary). |
| **Client Portal** | Activate a secure portal for the customer, send them an invite by email or text, and preview what they'll see: job status, their team, and shared media, plus proposals, invoices, and a calendar if your workspace turns those on. See [Share the Client Portal](/guides/projects/client-portal). |

<Note>
  If you don't see a tab, it isn't part of your branch's setup or there's nothing for it yet — for example, **Estimates** and the billing tabs only appear once those features are enabled for you.
</Note>

## What you see on the Overview

The Overview is split into a main column and a sidebar.

**In the main column:**

* **Contact Details** — the primary contact and any secondary contacts for the work. See [Edit project details & contacts](/guides/projects/edit-details).
* **Property Details** — the address, property type, and parking. The address links out to maps, and shows the driving distance from your branch when it can be worked out.
* **Lead Information** — where the project came from, shown when the project started from a lead.

**In the sidebar:**

* **Upcoming Events** — the next visits and appointments, when scheduling is turned on.
* **Assignment** — the **Sales Person** credited with the work and the **Crew Lead** assigned to the job.
* **Recent Calls** — the last five calls tied to this project, each with who it was with, whether it was completed or missed, how long it lasted, and when it happened. You see "No calls yet." when there aren't any.
* **Shortcuts** — quick links to the estimate, when one exists.

<Tip>
  The **Sales Person** is filled in for you automatically based on the most recent lead activity — they're the person credited with the sale in **My Performance**.
</Tip>

## The Estimates tab

The **Estimates** tab lists every estimate on the project, along with how its proposal is doing with the customer. It shows up when estimates are turned on for your workspace, for every role that can open a project.

| Column | What it shows |
| - | - |
| **Created By** | Who built the estimate. |
| **Sent to Client** | The date and time the proposal was sent, or a dash if it hasn't gone out. |
| **Proposal Viewed** | **Viewed** once the customer has opened the proposal. |
| **Proposed Cost** | The estimate's price. |
| **Crew Notes** | **View Notes** when the estimate has crew notes, or **Add Notes** when it doesn't. Either one opens the **Crew Notes** window, where you can edit the notes and click **Save**. |
| **Status** | The estimate's status, such as In Progress or Sold. See [Change an Estimate's Status](/guides/estimates/change-status). |
| **Client Response** | **View Response** when the customer requested changes, or **View Rejection** when they rejected the proposal. It opens their note and reason, with an **Email Client** button when the customer has an email on file. See [Handle the Customer's Response](/guides/proposals/client-response). |
| **Actions** | Buttons to open the estimate, open its proposal, or delete it. |

The buttons in **Actions** are:

* **View breakdown** (the calculator icon) opens the estimate's breakdown.
* **View proposal** (the document icon) opens the proposal. If no proposal has been made yet, this reads **Preview proposal**.
* **Delete estimate** (the **x** icon) deletes the estimate after you confirm. Its proposal is deleted too.

On a smaller screen, each estimate shows as a card with a three-dots menu. The menu has **View Breakdown**, **View Proposal** (or **Preview Proposal**), **View Crew Notes** (or **Add Notes**), **View Client Response** or **View Rejection Details** when the customer has responded, and **Delete Estimate**.

<Note>
  Only **Admin**, **Ops Manager**, and **Sales Admin** can delete an estimate. Once the customer has signed the proposal, delete is turned off. Hovering it shows "This estimate was signed and cannot be deleted," and on a smaller screen the menu option reads **Delete Estimate (Signed)**.
</Note>

If the project doesn't have any estimates yet, the tab shows **No Proposals found** with a **Create Estimate** button. The button starts a new estimate with this client and project already filled in. See [Create an Estimate with the Calculator](/guides/estimates/create) or [Create an Estimate from Scratch](/guides/estimates/create-from-scratch).

## The Schedule tab

The **Schedule** tab lists the calendar events tied to this project: lead activities, tasks, and job shifts. It shows up for every role that can open a project, as long as the schedule is turned on for your workspace. By default, events are sorted by day with the newest first.

| Column | What it shows |
| - | - |
| **Event Type** | **Lead Activity**, **Task**, or **Job Shift**. |
| **Event Title** | The event's name. |
| **Created By** | Who created the event, and when. |
| **Day** | The date of the event. |
| **Time** | The start and end time. |
| **Actions** | **See Calendar Event** opens that event on the Schedule. |

If nothing has been booked yet, you see **No events have been scheduled.** with a **Schedule Event** button that takes you to the Schedule to book something. See [View the schedule](/guides/schedule/view-the-schedule).

## Let the customer know you're on the way

When you open a project you'll see a **Send On My Way Text** button near **Create New** at the top of the page. Use it to send the customer a quick text message letting them know your team is heading to their location. On a smaller screen the same action lives in the three-dot menu at the top of the page.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the sender">
    Click **Send On My Way Text**. The **Send an On My Way text** window opens with the project's contacts ready to choose from.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick who to text">
    Choose the contact to notify — the **primary contact** is selected for you, and you can switch to any secondary contact. If the contact you pick has no phone number on file, add a mobile number; it's saved to that contact so it's there next time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the message">
    A message is filled in for you — it greets the contact by name and names your company. Edit it however you like; a character count shows how much room is left.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send it">
    Click **Send now**. The text goes out to the customer right away, and you'll see an **On My Way text sent** confirmation.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  After a text goes out, the button shows **Sent** with the time it was last sent for this project (or the date, if it went out on an earlier day), so you can tell at a glance whether the customer has already been notified.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Anyone who can edit client details can send an On My Way text, including **Crew Leaders**. Crew Members don't see the button.
</Tip>

## How a project moves forward

A project doesn't have a status of its own — its story is told by the work inside it:

<Steps>
  <Step title="It starts from a lead or a new estimate">
    Most projects begin when you build an estimate for a customer at an address. If the work came in as a lead, the project carries that lead's information.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The estimate is sold">
    Selling the estimate creates the **job** and the **Job Plan**, and fills in the **Crew Lead** and scheduling so the work can be carried out.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The crew does the work">
    The crew works from the Job Plan, captures **Media** on site, completes **Forms**, and keeps the schedule up to date.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The job is billed and closed">
    Once the work is done, **Invoices** and **Financial Summary** track payment, and the job is closed out.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  You manage the estimate's status (In Progress, Sold, and so on) on the estimate itself — the project simply reflects whatever is happening with it.
</Note>

## Who can do what

* **Sales roles and above** can open projects and edit their details and contacts.
* **Crew Leaders** can open projects and send an On My Way text, but can't edit a project's details.
* A few actions are more protected — for example, only **sales roles** (Admin, Sales Admin, Sales Member) can delete a project, and only **Admin, Sales Admin, Sales Member, and Client Coordinator** can create one.

If a button or tab isn't available to you, it's because your role doesn't include that action — check with a manager if you think you need access.