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

# Work orders and crews

> Dispatch the construction work, per trade, to the crews who build it

## Working with work orders and crews

Work orders turn a sold estimate into work someone does. Each covers exactly one trade — roofing, gutters, siding — and carries what that crew needs. They live on the project's **Construction** tab, grouped by trade. XBuild can draft them from the signed estimate, always as a proposal you review first.

*This feature is available on select XBuild plans. If you don't see it in your account, contact [support@x.build](mailto:support@x.build).*

### 1. What a work order carries

| Field               | Details                                                                                                                         |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Trade**           | Exactly one per work order                                                                                                      |
| **Line items**      | Copied from the signed estimate as a snapshot — editing the estimate later never changes a work order already in a crew's hands |
| **Instructions**    | Free-form notes for the crew                                                                                                    |
| **Who**             | A crew from your roster, a team member, or both                                                                                 |
| **Scheduled dates** | Start and end                                                                                                                   |
| **Amounts**         | Expected cost for the work, which feeds the project's [finances](/platform/project-finances)                                    |

### 2. The lifecycle

| Status         | Meaning                                                                                                                                                     |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**      | Every work order starts here — visible to your team, committed to nothing                                                                                   |
| **Dispatched** | Assigned and scheduled; live work. Can drop back to draft if plans change                                                                                   |
| **Complete**   | The crew finished; XBuild records when and by whom                                                                                                          |
| **Cancelled**  | A draft or dispatched work order that's called off. Stays on the record, doesn't count against readiness, and its expected cost returns to the trade's pool |

When every work order is complete and no open [tasks](/platform/tasks) remain, the Construction tab says the job looks ready to close out — a suggestion, never a gate.

### 3. Let XBuild propose the work orders

1. On the **Construction** tab, choose to seed work orders from the estimate. This needs a signed estimate on the project.
2. XBuild proposes one work order per trade, each with a title and the trade's line items.
3. Review — edit titles, trades, lines, and amounts, or remove proposals you don't want.
4. Confirm. Only then are the work orders created, all as drafts. What's created is exactly what you approved.

### 4. The crews roster

Crews are who you dispatch to: internal crews and subs. From the **Construction** tab, choose **Manage crews**, then add a crew with a **name**, an optional **trade**, and a **type** — Internal or Subcontractor. Edit or archive from the same list.

The roster is deliberately light — no logins, no scheduling calendar. Work orders and [costs](/platform/project-finances) point at a crew, which is what makes "what do we spend per roof with this sub?" answerable over time. Crews **archive** rather than delete: an archived crew leaves the pickers but keeps its name on every historical work order and cost.

### 5. Troubleshooting common issues

* **The seeding option says it needs a signed estimate.** Work orders seed from the contract, not the draft — get the proposal signed first (see [E-signatures and authorization](/features/e-signatures-and-authorization)), or create work orders manually in the meantime.
* **I edited the estimate but the work order didn't update.** By design — lines are a snapshot of the work as sold. Edit the work order's lines directly, or cancel it and create a fresh one. For work added after signing, use a [change order](/platform/change-orders).
* **I can't put two trades on one work order.** One trade per work order keeps per-trade scheduling, costs, and profit clean. Create one per trade — seeding does this automatically.
* **I don't see the Construction tab.** It's part of the gradual rollout. If the rest of the project page looks current and the tab is still missing, contact XBuild Support.

For further assistance, contact XBuild Support at [support@x.build](mailto:support@x.build).