How to Create a Contract

Contracts in Mastt represent your Committed Costs—the financial commitments you've made to contractors and suppliers. This guide covers both AI Upload (fastest method using a PDF) and Manual Data Entry (if you don’t have a PDF version of your Contract) for adding contracts to your project.

Before you start:

• Ensure you have appropriate permissions to add contracts in the Cost module
• For AI Upload: Have your contract PDF ready
• For Manual Entry: Gather contract details including contractor information, dates, payment terms, and line items

Creating a Contract

Access the Add Contract Form

1. Click Cost in the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Click Contracts in the top navigation to view the Contract Register.
3. Click the + Add Contract button in the upper left corner.

The Contract Register is the main list view where you can see all your contracts, add new ones, and manage existing entries.

Choose Your Contract Setup Method

Choose your method based on whether you have a PDF contract available:

• AI Upload: Automatically extracts contract details from your PDF contract. This is the fastest method.
• Manual Entry: Enter all contract information directly into the form. Use this when you do not have a PDF version of your contract.

Using AI Upload

Mastt AI automatically extracts contract details and flags important clauses to track.

Upload Your Contract File

1. Find the Fill details with AI section at the top of the form.
2. Click Upload File to select your contract PDF, or drag and drop your file onto the upload area.

Review Extracted Data

The AI automatically extracts and populates the following information:

• Contract Standard, which identifies the contract type
• Roles such as Principal, Client, Owner, or Issuer
• Key Dates including Date Approved and Contract Completion Date
• Payment Terms including payment clauses, GST/Tax percentage, and SoPA Jurisdiction for Australian contract standards
• Variation Terms including the Variation Clause
• AI Compliance Checklist with payment requirements and documentation needed to verify progress claims
• Line Items from the contract

Verify and Adjust Fields

1. Review the extracted information for accuracy.
2. Click into any field to make corrections or updates.
3. Verify that dates, contractor names, and amounts match your contract.
4. Continue to Add Supporting Information below to complete your contract setup.

Using Manual Entry

Enter all contract information directly into the form when you do not have a PDF version of your contract.

Enter Basic Contract Details

1. Enter a descriptive Title such as "Main Building Construction - Smith & Co".
2. Select the Contract Standard from the dropdown.
3. Select the Budget this contract applies to.
4. Add any other required details like PO Number if applicable.

Configure Roles

The Roles section only appears after selecting a Contract Standard.

1. Click the Roles tab to expand the section.
2. Complete the required role fields based on your contract standard.
3. Use the Superintendent/Authorised Person toggle to select which role should display as Authorised by on Payment and Variation letters.

Set Key Dates

1. Click the Key Dates tab.
2. Enter the Date Approved.
3. Enter the Contract Completion Date. This enables Extension of Time Variations.

Set Payment and Variation Terms

1. Click the Terms tab.
2. Review the Payment Terms and edit details if needed. This includes the Payment Clause (which appears in the Payment Certificate), Security of Payment Act Jurisdiction for Australian contract standards, and Contract Tax percentage.
3. Review the Variation Terms. The Variation Clause will auto-populate on the Variation Approval letter.

Set Up Line Items

1. Scroll to the Line Items section.
2. Enter the Line Item Name such as "Site Preparation and Foundation Works".
3. Enter the Amount, which is the contract value for this line item.
4. Select the Line Item Budget. If the budget was set earlier, it defaults to that budget. You can select a different budget if your contract applies to multiple budgets.
5. Enter the Due Date (optional).
6. Set the Tax Rate. This defaults to the Contract Tax Rate, but you can change it for mixed tax contracts or tax-free line items.
7. Click Add Line Item to add more line items.
8. Repeat for all contract milestones, deliverables, or work packages.

Create Contract Sections (Optional)

For contracts with Sections or Separable Portions, you can organise your line items into groups.

1. Click the Add Section button below the contract line item details.
2. Name each section based on your contract portion.
3. Repeat to create multiple sections as needed.

Add Supporting Information

1. Scroll to the Notes section at the bottom of the form.
2. Add comments if needed. These are only visible to users within this project.
3. Upload supporting documents in the attachment field.

Finalise Contract Setup

1. Review all contract details for accuracy.
2. Click the Add button at the bottom right of the form.

Your new contract now appears in the Contract Register. If the contract is not approved yet, you can change its status to Approved once it has been signed off.

Editing a Contract After Creation

You can update contract details at any time by navigating to the Contract Register, clicking the Action button (three dots) next to your contract, and selecting Edit Contract. For more details, see How to Edit and Delete Contracts.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: What if the AI doesn't extract my contract information correctly?

Click into any field to manually correct the extracted information. Always review AI-extracted data for accuracy before saving.

Q: Why can't I see the Roles section in the form?

The Roles section only appears after you select a Contract Standard. Choose your contract standard first, then the Roles button will become available.

Q: What if I need to add a contract to multiple budgets?

When setting up line items, you can assign each line item to a different budget using the budget dropdown next to each line item. This allows one contract to span multiple budgets categories.

Q: How do I edit a contract after creating it?

Navigate to the Contracts register, locate your contract, and click the Action button next to it. Select Edit Contract to modify details. Changes are saved immediately when you click Update.

Q: Can I use AI Upload with scanned contracts?

Yes, but ensure the PDF has clear, readable text. Poor quality scans or handwritten contracts may not extract accurately. For best results, use digitally-generated contract PDFs.

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