Complete user guide

How to use Reconstro, A to Z

Every part of the app explained the same simple way — what it is, when you use it, and the step‑by‑step to do it, with a picture for each. Projects, the heart of Reconstro, is covered in full detail.

What it is — the plain meaning When you use it — why & the right moment Step by step — exactly what to click

This complete guide is currently available in English. Short how-to articles are available in all 11 languages at reconstro.com/guides.

01 · Getting started

Your first look

Where everything lives and what the home screen is telling you.

1.1 The home dashboard

What it is

Your command centre. It shows your projects by status, the latest activity across every job, the tasks assigned to you, your currencies' exchange rates, and quick buttons to start anything.

When you use it

Every time you sign in — it's the fastest way to see what moved since you were last here and jump straight to the thing that needs you.

Step by step

Sign in — you land on Home.
Read Projects by status (Active / Completed / Cancelled) for a one-glance health check.
Scan Recent activity to see the newest events across all your projects.
Use the quick actions at the top — New project, New estimate, Add currency — to start work without hunting through menus.
A short guided tour opens on first login; reopen it any time from the "Get started" card.

Short version: How to create a project

02 · Set up your business

Your company, before the projects

Reconstro hangs everything off a business. Set these up once and every project inherits them.

2.1 Businesses

What it is

A business is your company profile — a head office, a branch, or a trading name. Projects, quotations and your public storefront all attach to a business, so it's the foundation everything sits on.

When you use it

Right at the start, before your first project. Add more later when you open a new branch or run a second trading name.

Step by step

Open Organization → Businesses.
Your default Main office is already there. Open it, or press + Office to add another.
Fill in name, type (Company / Office / Individual), address and contact details.
Under Used for, choose where it appears: Projects, Quotation (letterhead on offers), and Showcase (public storefront).
Save. It's now selectable when you create a project or an estimate.

The three "Used for" switches — explained

You fill in a business's details once, then flip three independent switches to decide where it may appear. Turn on any combination.

	🧱 Projects	📄 Quotation	🏬 Showcase
What the switch does	Lets this business be the office / branch on a project	Makes it the letterhead on your exported offers	Gives it a public storefront on Discover
Who sees it	You & your team (internal)	Your client (on the offer they receive)	The public & buyers (on Discover)
Turn it on when…	this office actually runs jobs	you send branded quotes from this entity	you want to be found and sell publicly
It unlocks	Zones + project assignment	Your name, logo & address on the offer	Posts, reviews, ratings & categories
Cedar & Co example	"Main office" runs the London projects	Offers go out as "Cedar & Co Builders, London"	Storefront: 4.8★, 21 posts, Air Curtain / Heater

They're independentA quiet back-office might be Projects + Quotation only (not public); a pure sales page might be Showcase only. Most main offices — like yours — have all three switched on.

Short version: Manage businesses

2.2 Zones

What it is

A zone is a named area inside one business — a label for where a job is: a district, site or neighbourhood like "Old Town" or "Waterfront". You split the city or region you work in into the patches you actually operate in, then tag each project with one.

When you use it

When you work across several areas or sites and want to organise, filter and report your projects by location. If you only ever work in one place, a single zone is plenty.

Step by step

Open a business under Organization → Businesses — one that's turned on for Projects (zones only live under a project-running business).
In the Zones card press + Add zone, give it a name such as "Waterfront", and save.
Optional: draw the zone's outline on the map. Reconstro then centres a project's address map there and gently warns if an address falls outside the zone — a helpful nudge, never a hard block.
When you create a project, choose its Zone. From then on every project is tagged by area.
Later, filter and group projects by zone — for example "show everything in Waterfront".

Good to knowEach business keeps its own zone list, and a project can only pick from its own business's zones. A zone that's already used by a project can't be deleted — you deactivate it instead (it leaves new pickers; existing projects keep it), and you always keep at least one active zone.

Business detail: zones, storefront and settings

Short version: Manage zones

2.3 Storefront (public on Discover)

What it is

The public face of a business on Reconstro's Discover feed — a storefront with your posts, star reviews and a verified badge.

When you use it

When you want to market your work publicly and let other businesses find, review and message you.

Step by step

Open a business and find the Storefront card.
Turn on Public on Discover, then press View public storefront to see it as visitors do.
Add Posts (products and portfolio work), request Verification, and read your Reviews.

2.4 Staff & permissions

What it is

Logins for your team, each with permissions that control exactly what they can see and do.

When you use it

When you bring people on and want them working in Reconstro with the right level of access.

Step by step

Open Organization → Staff and press + Add staff.
Enter their details and tick the permissions they should have.
Reconstro creates the login and shows you a secure hand-off (copy / WhatsApp / email) to send them.
Toggle a staff member active or inactive at any time.

Short version: Add staff

2.5 Clients

What it is

The customers you build for. A client can be attached to projects and invited to a read-only client portal.

When you use it

Before (or while) creating a project, so the job is tied to the person paying for it.

Step by step

Open Contacts → Clients and press Add.
Enter name, phone, email and address, then save.
The client is now selectable as the owner of a project.

Short version: Add a client

2.6 Suppliers

What it is

The vendors you buy materials and services from. Purchases and payments are recorded against a supplier, giving you a running statement per supplier.

When you use it

Before recording purchases, so every expense links to who you bought it from.

Step by step

Open Contacts → Suppliers and press Add.
Enter the supplier's details (and optionally link them to their public storefront).
Save — the supplier is now selectable when you record a purchase.

Short version: Add a supplier

2.7 Currencies & exchange rates

What it is

The currencies you work in — one default (base) plus any additional ones — and the exchange rates between them.

When you use it

When a project takes payments or pays suppliers in more than one currency.

Step by step

Open Currencies and press + Add currency to activate the ones you use (e.g. GBP, EUR, USD).
Open Exchange rates → Manage and set the rate for each non-default currency.
Those currencies are now selectable on projects and transactions.

Short version: Add a currency

2.8 Project types & cash-out types

What it is

Your own dropdown lists — the kinds of project you build (House, Villa, Office…) and the categories of expense (fuel, wages, permits…).

When you use it

Once, up front, to tailor the choices so your projects and expenses are categorised your way.

Step by step

Open Project setup in the sidebar.
Under Project types and Cash-out types, add or edit the entries you need.
They now appear as options when creating projects and recording money out.

03 · Projects — the heart of Reconstro ★

Everything about a project

A project is where a whole construction job lives — its money, stages, tasks, activity, team and documents in one place. This section covers every part in detail.

3.1 What a project is

What it is

A project is one construction job — a house, a tower, a fit-out. It holds its budget and cash flow, its work broken into stages, its tasks and site activity, its documents, and the team assigned to it. Everything about that job is under one roof.

When you use it

You create one project per job. It's the thing you open every day to see money in and out, progress, and what's next.

💡Think of it this way: a business is your company; a project is one job that company is doing. Most of your day-to-day happens inside a project.

3.2 Create a project

What it is

Starting a new job — giving it a name, the business it belongs to, its type, location and currency.

When you use it

Every time you win or start a new job.

Step by step

Press New project (on Home or in Projects).
Enter a title, choose the business and project type, and optionally a zone.
Pick the base currency and (optionally) additional currencies.
Set start/end dates, the client (owner), and whether it's New build or Renovation.
Save — the project is created and opens on its overview.

Short version: How to create a project

3.3 Activate a project

What it is

Turning a project "live" with a plan. Your first project is free to try; further projects are activated with a subscription.

When you use it

Right after creating a project, before you start recording money and progress on it.

Step by step

On a new project you'll see an Activate prompt.
Choose a plan and complete the secure payment (or use your free first project / bundle allowance).
Once active, an expiry card on the project shows how long it's covered, with a Renew option.

3.4 The project overview

What it is

The project's home page — a summary of its money, stages, recent activity, tasks and key details, with tabs to everything else.

When you use it

Every time you open a job — it's the dashboard for that one project.

Step by step

Open Projects → All projects and select a project.
Read the summary cards, then use the tabs to move between Money, Stages, Tasks, Activity, Documents and more.

3.5 Stages

What it is

The phases of the build — Foundation, Superstructure, Finishing, and any you add. Work, costs and activity are grouped by stage.

When you use it

From the start of every project — a "Foundation" stage is created automatically, and you organise the rest of the job around stages.

Step by step

Open the project's Stages.
Add stages, rename or reorder them to match your build sequence.
Set the current stage so new tasks and activity default to it.

3.6 Activities

What it is

A running log of what happened on site — "Concrete pour completed", "Materials delivered" — each dated, attributed to a person and stage, and able to carry photos.

When you use it

As work happens, to keep a visual, time-stamped record of progress for you and your client.

Step by step

Open the project's Activity and press add.
Write what happened, pick the stage, and attach site photos.
It appears on the project timeline and the company-wide activity feed.

3.7 Tasks

What it is

To-dos you assign to staff, each with a priority, start and due date, a status (Not started → In progress → Done) and its own comment thread.

When you use it

To hand out and track work on a project so nothing is dropped.

Step by step

Open the project's Tasks and press add.
Give it a title, assign one or more staff, set priority, dates and stage.
Track it as the status moves; discuss it in the task's comments.

Short version: Tasks and reminders

3.8 Notes

What it is

Quick written notes kept against a project and stage — decisions, reminders to yourself, things said on site.

When you use it

Any time you want to jot something down that isn't a task or a formal activity.

Step by step

Open the project and find Notes.
Write the note, pick the stage, and save.

3.9 Money & the ledger

What it is

The financial heart of a project — every pound in and out, on one clear timeline. Money-in shows green, money-out shows red, each amount tagged with its currency.

When you use it

Constantly — it's how you know a job's real cash position at any moment, and it feeds the budget and reports.

Step by step

Open the project's Money / ledger tab.
Press + Transaction and pick the kind (see 3.10–3.13 below).
Filter by kind, stage or supplier; export the ledger to Excel any time.

💡The next four articles each cover one kind of transaction. They all live in this same ledger.

Short version: Track money on a project

3.10 Money in — cash-in

What it is

Money the client pays you — advances, milestone payments, the final handover payment.

When you use it

Whenever the client pays, so income against the job is recorded.

Step by step

In the project ledger press + Transaction → Cash in.
Enter the amount and currency, the date, the client and a note (e.g. "Milestone — foundation").
Save — it appears green on the timeline and lifts the project's cash position.

3.11 Money out — cash-out

What it is

General overhead spending that isn't a supplier purchase — fuel, wages, permits, equipment hire — tagged with a cash-out type.

When you use it

For day-to-day costs on the job that don't come from a specific supplier invoice.

Step by step

Press + Transaction → Cash out.
Enter the amount, date, a cash-out type (e.g. Fuel & transport) and a note.
Save — it appears red on the timeline.

3.12 Purchases from suppliers

What it is

Buying materials or services from a supplier. You can record the full amount and how much you paid now — the rest becomes an outstanding balance the supplier statement tracks.

When you use it

Every time you buy from a supplier, whether you pay in full or part now.

Step by step

On the money page press + Add cash out, then choose a Supplier — that turns the cash-out into a purchase.
Enter the amount, then choose Paid now: Paid in full, Part-paid, or On credit.
Optionally attach a receipt photo and link a project item.
Save — any unpaid balance is tracked and settled later with a payment (3.13).

3.13 Supplier payments

What it is

Paying down what you still owe a supplier from earlier part-paid purchases — the settlements the supplier statement reconciles.

When you use it

When you clear an outstanding balance with a supplier.

Step by step

Open the supplier under Contacts → Suppliers and record a payment against their outstanding balance.
Enter the amount you're paying and the date.
Save — the supplier's outstanding balance drops accordingly.

3.14 Budget vs. actual

What it is

A side-by-side of what you planned to spend against what you've actually spent, based on the project's financial terms (a fixed budget, or cost-plus).

When you use it

Throughout the job to catch overspend early and prove the job is on track.

Step by step

Set the project's financial terms (Fixed budget or Cost-plus) when you create it or in its details.
Open Budget vs. actual to see planned vs spent, with a clear on-track / over indicator.

3.15 Reminders

What it is

Scheduled nudges tied to a project — "Site inspection", "Client walkthrough" — that notify you before they're due.

When you use it

For time-sensitive things you must not forget on a job.

Step by step

Open the project's Reminders and add one.
Set the title, due date/time and lead time, then save — you'll be notified in time.

Short version: Tasks and reminders

3.16 Documents

What it is

The project's files — the contract, plans, and site photos — kept with the job.

When you use it

To store and find every document related to a job in one place.

Step by step

Open the project's Documents.
Upload files, then open or download them any time.

3.17 Team on the project

What it is

The staff assigned to a project — who can see it and be given its tasks.

When you use it

When you set up a job, to bring the right people onto it.

Step by step

Open the project and find its team / assignments.
Add staff to the project; they can now be assigned its tasks.

3.18 Project reports & export

What it is

Polished Excel exports of a project — financial summary, budget, full ledger, by-stage, and a filter-aware timeline — ready to send a client or partner.

When you use it

For client updates, month-end, or any time you need the numbers outside the app.

Step by step

Open Reports (or the export buttons on the project).
Choose the report and press export — a formatted .xlsx downloads.

04 · The rest of the app

More sections — coming next

These are mapped and ready. As you send me screenshots for each, I'll write them up in the same what / when / step-by-step style.

4.1 Estimates & quotations

Before you win a job you need a price. An estimate is where you build that price from line items; a quotation is that same estimate dressed as a branded offer — on your business letterhead, addressed to the client, and exported to Excel to send.

① Build a cost estimate

What it is

A working sheet that forecasts a job's cost from individual line items (quantity × rate), with adjustments for markup, contingency, discount and tax. Each estimate stays Draft until you finalise it.

When you use it

When you're planning or bidding a job and need a defensible number — before any project exists.

Step by step

Open Estimate → Estimates and press + New estimate.
Give it a title and a base currency (every line and total is priced in it), plus an optional reference or note, then Create.
Add line items — type them in, Add products from your catalogue, use Measure to work out a quantity, or Paste rows from a spreadsheet. Each line is quantity × rate in a unit (m², m³, sheet, unit…).
Open Edit adjustments for markup, contingency, discount and tax — the cost breakdown (subtotal → grand total) updates live.

② Turn it into a Quotation — the branded offer

What it is

The client-facing version of your estimate — the same line items and totals, but headed by your business (name, logo, phone, address), addressed To a client, and exportable as a clean Excel offer. This is what you actually send.

When you use it

When the numbers are ready and you want to send a professional quote the client can sign off on.

Step by step

On the estimate, fill in Business & offer — pick which of your businesses is the letterhead (its Used for → Quotation must be on), the client under To, and the offer date.
Check the line items and the cost breakdown: Subtotal → Markup → Tax → Grand total, all in your currency.
Press Finalize to lock the quotation (Draft → Final) so the figures can't drift.
Press Export to Excel to download the branded offer, and send it to your client.

Estimate ➜ projectAn estimate is a pre-sale price, separate from a project's live money. Once you win the job you create a project to track the real cash-in, cash-out and budget — the whole Projects section above.

Short version: Estimate a project's cost

4.2 Messages & notifications

Two ways Reconstro keeps you in the loop: Messages for talking to people, and Notifications for everything the app wants to tell you.

① Messages — talk to your team, clients and suppliers

What it is

Built-in chat, so work conversations live next to the job instead of scattered across WhatsApp. Messages arrive in real time while the page is open, and the sidebar shows an unread count.

When you use it

Day to day — chasing a supplier quote, answering a client, or coordinating the site team — whenever you want the conversation on the record.

Step by step

Open Messages in the sidebar. The left pane lists your conversations; pick one to read it.
Press + for a New conversation, then choose Team, Client or Supplier — see the table below — and press Start conversation.
Type in the box and press Send message. Enter sends, Shift + Enter starts a new line.
Scroll up and press Load earlier messages to read back through the history.

Who you can message

	👥 Team	🏠 Client	🚚 Supplier
Who it reaches	Your own staff	The client of one project	The owner of a supplier's company
You search by	Staff name (the owner is pinned to the top)	Project — Reconstro finds its client	Supplier name
Requirement	An active staff member	The client must already be invited to the client portal	The supplier must be linked to a business on Reconstro
Typical use	"Can you check the scaffolding today?"	"Here's this week's progress."	"Do you have 200 blocks in stock?"

What you'll seeA message shows Sending… while it's on its way, and Failed — retry (tap it) if it doesn't get through. If your connection drops, the header says Reconnecting… or Offline and your messages send once you're back. Messages are text only for now — no attachments — and there are no read receipts, so nobody sees whether you've opened a message.

② Notifications — what needs your attention

What it is

One feed of everything that happened across your workspace — money recorded, tasks assigned or overdue, reminders due, comments, staff joining, subscriptions and exchange-rate changes. Each one links straight to the thing it's about.

When you use it

First thing in the morning, or whenever the bell in the top bar shows a count — it's the fastest way to catch up without opening every project.

Step by step

Click the bell in the top bar for a quick look, then View all notifications — or open Notifications in the sidebar.
Turn on Unread only to hide what you've already seen.
Click any row to jump straight to the project, task or transaction it refers to — it's marked as read at the same time.
Press Mark all as read to clear the badge in one go.
Keep scrolling to load older notifications.

Good to knowThe bell count refreshes as you move around the app rather than pushing instantly, so a quick page change brings it up to date. Chat unread counts, by contrast, update live. On mobile you also get push notifications in your device's language.

4.3 Showcase & Discover

Showcase is Reconstro's built-in marketplace for the construction world — a public place to show what you sell and the work you've built, and to find other businesses. It has two sides: Discover (browse everyone) and My Showcase (your own storefronts). Any business you switch on for Showcase becomes a public storefront here.

① Discover — the marketplace

What it is

A public feed of products and portfolio work from businesses around the world. Each card shows the item, the business behind it, a price, photos, tags, its location and how many comments it has.

When you use it

When you want to find suppliers, materials or inspiration — or simply see how your own storefront looks to buyers.

Step by step

Open Showcase → Discover in the sidebar.
Search the marketplace, or narrow it by Country and Category — the result count updates as you filter.
Open any card to see the full product or work, its photos, and the business behind it.
Leave a comment, or open that business's storefront to see everything they've published and their star reviews.

② My Showcase — your storefront

What it is

Where you manage your own storefronts — one for each business that has Showcase turned on. From a storefront you publish Products (your catalogue) and Work (your portfolio), and read the reviews buyers leave.

When you use it

When you want to market your business publicly — list what you sell, show finished projects, and let buyers find and message you.

Step by step

Open Showcase → My Showcase. You'll see a storefront for each Showcase-enabled business — or press New storefront to turn one on.
Open a storefront (e.g. Main office) to manage it.
Add a post: choose Product (something you sell, with a price) or Work (a finished project for your portfolio), then add photos and details.
Your posts now appear on Discover. Check back for comments and star reviews, and request a verified badge to build trust.

How it connectsShowcase reuses the same business you already set up — there's no separate profile. Flip Used for → Showcase on a business and it becomes a storefront; everything you publish carries that business's name, logo and reviews.

Short version: Set up your Showcase

4.4 Reports, plans & billing

Three tools grouped under Projects in the sidebar: Reports (how every project is doing), Plans (activate & renew projects), and Billing (what you've paid).

① Reports — across every project

What it is

A reporting hub over all your projects. Open any project for five ready-made reports — Stage breakdown, Financial, Budget vs actual, Expenses and Payments — each with a cash-out-by-item drill-down, and each printable or exportable to Excel.

When you use it

When you want the numbers behind a job — for a client update, a lender, or just to see where the money went.

Step by step

Open Projects → Reports and pick a project.
Switch between the tabs — Stage breakdown, Financial, Budget vs actual, Expenses, Payments.
Expand a stage's cash-out by item to see exactly what the money bought.
Print or Export the report to send it on.

② Plans — activate your projects

What it is

Where you activate projects. Buy a bundle to switch several on at once — each becomes its own independent subscription. It shows how many projects are ready to activate and your purchase history.

When you use it

When you start new projects and need to unlock them — your first project is a free trial; the rest need a plan.

Step by step

Open Projects → Plans — the badge shows how many projects are ready to activate.
Buy a bundle to activate several projects in one purchase, or activate a single project from its own page (see Activate a project).
Each activated project becomes its own subscription; past purchases sit in Purchase history.

③ Billing — your receipts

What it is

A read-only receipts ledger of every subscription payment across every project, with a running total paid. Each receipt shows the project, the period it covers and when you paid.

When you use it

For your records — to see what you've spent on Reconstro and keep proof of payment.

Step by step

Open Projects → Billing.
See your Total paid and how many receipts you have.
Read each receipt — project, subscription period and paid date.

4.5 Settings

What it is

One page for your account and how the app looks — your profile, your password, and your language, theme and text size. It's a single scrolling page, not a set of tabs.

When you use it

When you first set up your account, and any time you want to change your photo, switch language, or turn on dark mode.

Step by step

Open Settings at the bottom of the sidebar.
Profile — press Change photo to upload a picture (JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP; Reconstro resizes it for you), edit your Full name and Phone, then press Save. Your email (or staff code) and your Role are shown here too, read-only.
Security — press Change password. You may be asked to sign in again afterwards.
Preferences — turn Dark Mode on or off, pick your Language, and set the Font size (with a reset button to go back to normal).
Help & support — opens the searchable help articles, an FAQ, and a button to email support.

Good to knowTheme, language and font size are saved on the device you're using, so you can have dark mode on your laptop and light mode on your tablet. The interface is available in up to 11 languages — Arabic and Kurdish switch the whole app to right-to-left, and Kurdish appears for users in Kurdish-speaking regions. This full guide is written in English; the shorter how-to articles under Help & support are translated into every supported language.

reconstro.com/app/settings

Short version: Make the app your own