Contracts Overview

Construction projects run on contracts — between principals and head contractors, head contractors and subcontractors, consultants and clients, suppliers and builders. Keeping track of contract details, parties, key dates, and values across multiple projects is essential, and spreadsheets are not up to the job. Contracts in Pasco Cloud give every agreement a structured record linked to your projects and teams.

What Is a Contract in Pasco Cloud?

A contract in Pasco Cloud is a reference record for a real-world agreement. It captures the key details — parties, dates, value, type, and status — and links them to your projects. Think of it as a structured contract register that lives alongside your project data.

Each contract has:

• A contract reference — your internal reference number or code.
• A title describing the agreement.
• A type — head contract, subcontract, consultancy agreement, supply agreement, and more.
• A status tracking the contract's lifecycle.
• A counterparty — the other party to the agreement.
• Key dates — execution, commencement, planned completion, and actual completion.
• A value with currency.
• Linked projects — one or more projects the contract relates to.
• Comments for discussion and correspondence tracking.
• Attachments for contract documents.

ℹ️ Did you know?

Contracts and correspondence work together. When you tag correspondence to a contract, it automatically appears in the contract's Correspondence tab — building your correspondence register over time. Contract notices created from AS4000 or AS2124 templates can be formally transmitted via correspondence, with delivery tracking and read receipts. Advanced features like variation tracking, progress claim management, and payment schedules are planned for future releases.

Contract Lifecycle

Contracts have a flexible five-status lifecycle:

Unlike issues and tasks, contracts allow any-to-any status transitions. This reflects the unpredictable reality of construction contracts — a terminated contract can be reactivated, a complete contract can go on hold during a defects liability dispute, and a draft can be terminated before execution.

Contract Types

The contract type field is freeform — you can enter any type that fits your agreement. Pasco Cloud suggests common types to help you get started:

• Head Contract — the primary agreement between principal and contractor.
• Subcontract — an agreement between the head contractor and a subcontractor.
• Consultancy Agreement — engagement of a consultant (architect, engineer, surveyor).
• Supply Agreement — procurement of materials or goods.
• Service Agreement — engagement of a service provider.
• Design Agreement — specific design services engagement.
• Joint Venture Agreement — partnership between two or more parties.

You are not limited to these suggestions — type any contract type that suits your situation.

Counterparties

Every contract has a counterparty — the other party to the agreement. The counterparty is defined with:

• A name (required) — the organisation or individual you are contracting with. This is freeform, so it works even if the other party is not a Pasco Cloud user.
• An optional linked organisation — if the counterparty is a registered organisation in Pasco Cloud, you can link them for data enrichment.

The freeform approach is deliberate — not every party you contract with will be on the platform, and you should not be blocked from recording a contract because the other party has not signed up.

Project Relationships

Contracts can be linked to one or more projects, with a relationship type describing how the contract relates to each project:

• Parent Project — the contract governs this project overall.
• Delivery Project — the contract delivers work on this project.
• Related — a general association.
• Custom — enter any relationship description that fits.

A single contract can span multiple projects (for example, a consultancy agreement covering a firm's engagement across several sites), and a single project can have multiple contracts.

Sharing and Visibility

Contracts use the same group-based visibility model as issues, tasks, and reports. Share contracts with specific users, groups, or make them public. The creator always has access.

Contract Correspondence

Each contract detail page includes a Correspondence tab showing all correspondence items tagged to that contract where you are a participant (sender or recipient). This builds a per-contract correspondence register automatically — every formal notice, instruction, or claim tagged to the contract appears here sorted by date.

To create correspondence linked to a contract, use the compose page and add the contract as an entity tag. Or use the "Send via Correspondence" action on a notice and the notice will be tagged automatically.

💡 Tip

The contract's Correspondence tab is a quick way to see the full correspondence history for an agreement — without searching through your inbox. Use entity tags consistently and the register builds itself.

Mobile Support

Contracts are available as a read-only feature on the Pasco Cloud mobile app. You can browse the contract list, view contract details including all sections (overview, counterparty, project relationships, attachments, comments), and search by title or reference. Creating and editing contracts is done on the web app.

What's Next?

• Ready to manage contracts? Read Managing Contracts for the full guide.
• First time? Follow the Tutorial: Linking Contracts to Projects for a hands-on walkthrough.
• Want to send formal correspondence? See the Correspondence Overview.
• Need to understand notices? See Notices.
• Looking for issue tracking? See the Issues Overview.
• Need task management? See the Tasks Overview.