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Mastery

Templates

Templates are reusable task lists that capture your proven construction workflow. A template stores task names, durations, predecessor relationships, and phase structure so you can start new projects from a proven schedule instead of a blank slate.

If you build similar homes repeatedly, templates turn hours of schedule setup into a five-minute task. Your entire team benefits from the same proven sequence on every project.

What a Template Contains

A Baulit template stores everything needed to reproduce a schedule:

Task names organized into phases (e.g., Pre-Construction, Foundation, Framing, MEP Rough-In)
Durations in working days (Monday through Friday) for each task
Predecessor relationships defining the Finish-to-Start (FS) dependency network
Phase groupings that keep related tasks together visually

Templates do not include dates, assignments, statuses, or budget data. Those are project-specific details you add after applying the template.

Working days only: All durations in templates use working days (Monday through Friday). When you apply a template to a project, the Gantt chart calculates calendar dates by skipping weekends automatically.

Default Templates

Baulit ships with default templates designed for common residential construction scenarios. These cover the full build lifecycle from Pre-Construction through Closeout, with phases like Site Work, Foundation, Framing, Roofing, MEP Rough-In, Insulation, Drywall, Interior Finishes, Exterior Finishes, and Final Inspections.

Each default template includes realistic task durations and a pre-built predecessor network based on typical residential sequencing. Use them as-is for a fast start, or customize them to match the way your company actually builds.

Tip: Use a default template as your starting point, then save your customized version as a new template. Over time, your template library becomes a refined collection of schedules tailored to your market and crew speeds.

The Template Builder

The Template Builder is where you create and edit templates. Access it from Settings > Templates.

Creating a new template

Open the Template Builder. Go to Settings and click the Templates tab. Click New Template to start with a blank template, or click Duplicate on an existing template to start from a copy.

Name your template. Give it a descriptive name like "Standard 2-Story" or "Spec Home - Ranch" so you can identify it quickly when starting a new project.

Add phases. Click Add Phase to create top-level groupings. Phases are organizational containers that keep related tasks together. Typical phases include Pre-Construction, Foundation, Framing, and so on.

Add tasks to each phase. Within each phase, click Add Task to create individual work items. Enter the task name and set the duration in working days.

Set predecessors. For each task, specify which tasks must finish before it can start. Use the predecessor dropdown to search and select tasks by name. All relationships are Finish-to-Start (FS), the only dependency type Baulit supports.

Reorder tasks. Drag tasks up and down within a phase to set the display order. Drag tasks between phases to reorganize your structure. Predecessor relationships are preserved regardless of display order.

Save the template. Click Save to store the template. It is now available when creating new projects or when browsing the template library.

Editing an existing template

Click any template name in the Templates list to open it in the builder. Make your changes and click Save. Editing a template does not affect projects that were already created from it. Those projects have their own independent copy of the tasks.

Browse Library

The Browse Library modal gives you access to all saved templates and the default templates that ship with Baulit. You can open it from two places:

When creating a new project: The Browse Library button appears on the project creation form, letting you pick a template before the project is created.
From an existing project's task list: Click Browse Library to add a template's tasks to an existing project alongside any tasks already there.

The modal shows each template with its name, phase count, task count, and total estimated duration. Click a template to preview its full structure before applying it.

Important: Applying a template to a project that already has tasks adds the template tasks alongside existing ones. It does not replace your current task list. If you want a clean start, remove existing tasks first.

Saving a Project as a Template

After you have refined a project schedule through actual construction experience, you can save it back as a template for future use. This is one of the most powerful features in Baulit because it captures real-world-tested schedules.

Open the project. Navigate to the project whose schedule you want to preserve as a template.

Save as template. Open the project menu and click Save as Template. Baulit copies all tasks, phases, durations, and predecessor relationships into a new template.

Name the template. Give it a descriptive name that reflects the project type and any distinguishing features (e.g., "Custom Home - 3000 sq ft" or "Kitchen Remodel - Full Gut").

Review and save. Task statuses, assignments, dates, and budget data are stripped out since those are project-specific. What remains is the pure schedule structure.

This workflow lets you continuously improve your templates based on real construction experience. After every completed project, review the schedule, adjust durations to match what actually happened, and save the improved version.

Duplicating Templates

Click the Duplicate button next to any template to create an exact copy. This is useful when you want to create a variation without modifying the original. For example, create a two-story template based on your single-story template by duplicating it and adding the additional framing and roofing tasks.

The duplicate gets a default name like "Copy of Standard Ranch" which you can rename immediately. All phases, tasks, durations, and predecessors are copied.

AI Template Generator

If you are starting from scratch and want a head start, the AI Template Generator can create a draft template based on a project description. This feature requires an AI API key configured in your BYOK settings and a Pro or Enterprise subscription.

Open the AI Template Generator. Go to Settings > Templates and click Generate with AI.

Describe your project. Enter details like the home type, approximate square footage, number of stories, foundation type, and any specialty work (pools, detached garages, complex rooflines).

Review the generated template. The AI produces a complete draft with phases, tasks, durations, and predecessor relationships. Review it carefully. The AI provides a starting point, not a finished product.

Edit and save. Adjust durations based on your local conditions and crew speeds. Add or remove tasks to match your workflow. Fix any predecessor relationships that do not reflect your actual construction sequence. Then save.

The AI drafts, the builder decides. AI-generated templates are a starting point. Always review durations against your real-world experience and verify predecessor relationships reflect actual construction constraints. For full details, see AI Template Generator.

Template Best Practices

Keep templates focused

Create separate templates for distinct home types rather than one massive template that tries to cover everything. A "Standard Ranch" template and a "Two-Story Colonial" template are more useful than a single "Universal Home" template with hundreds of conditional tasks.

Include realistic durations

Base your durations on actual project experience, not optimistic estimates. If framing a two-story home consistently takes 12 working days with your crew, set it to 12 in the template. Accurate durations lead to accurate CPM calculations and realistic project timelines.

Build the dependency network into the template

Templates that include predecessor relationships save the most time. When you apply a template with a complete dependency network, the Gantt chart and CPM calculations work immediately without additional setup. Without predecessors, you have to build the network from scratch using the Dependency Wizard for every new project.

Include inspection tasks

Inspections are easy to forget when building a template from memory. Walk through your local jurisdiction's inspection schedule and make sure every required inspection appears as a task in the template. Inspections also serve as natural merge points in the dependency network where multiple trade work streams converge.

Version your templates over time

After completing a project, review what worked and what took longer than expected. Update your template durations and task list based on real results. Over a few projects, your templates become highly accurate representations of your actual construction process.