---
title: "Budget Review and Approval Workflow in Ontraccr"
url: "https://help.ontraccr.com/en/article/budget-review-and-approval-workflow-in-ontraccr"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-08-22T18:17:50.816Z"
---

# Budget Review and Approval Workflow in Ontraccr

## 🧾 **Budget Review and Approval Workflow in Ontraccr**

* * *

### **📘 Overview**

Once a budget is built in **Step 5**, it can be reviewed, edited, and submitted for internal alignment. While Ontraccr doesn’t yet include formal approval routing or locking mechanisms, the workflow supports a **collaborative budgeting process** using clear review stages and visibility across roles.

This article explains how teams typically finalize budgets in Ontraccr and how to manage edits and version consistency.

* * *

### **✅ Building the Budget**

Start by completing your budget using either:

-   **Build Estimate Mode** (detailed per-cost-code)
-   Upload Budget/High level Mode (Default Mode)

Once your team finishes entering values, use the following strategies for review and sign-off.

* * *

### **🧑‍💼 Review Workflow Best Practices**

### 1\. **Export for Offline Review**

-   Use the **Excel** or **PDF Export** options in the ⋮ menu
-   Send the file to project managers, estimators, or execs for review
-   Gather feedback externally before applying edits in Ontraccr

### 2\. **Leave Budget in Draft State**

-   You do **not** need to submit or publish the budget formally
-   Budgets remain editable unless tied to submitted invoices or locked downstream

### 3\. **Review Profit Forecast**

-   Use the **Contract Value** and **Expected Profit** sections to validate margin
-   Adjust contract value or cost lines to reflect business targets

### 4\. **Collaborative Editing**

-   Multiple users can edit the budget if they have permissions
-   Use Slack, email, or internal calls to coordinate edits before locking in numbers

* * *

### **🔐 What Happens After Budget Is “Finalized”?**

While there’s no formal “Approve” button:

-   Any user with access can **return to Step 5** and edit the budget at any time
-   Once the project is live:
    -   You can still adjust budgets, but may want to log changes externally
    -   You’ll start seeing **actuals** appear in the **Progress Page**
    -   Comparing actual vs. estimated becomes your source of truth for project health

* * *

### **🧾 Does Ontraccr Lock Budget Versions?**

No, Ontraccr currently does not:

-   Track version history of budgets
-   Lock budgets after submission
-   Require budget approvals from specific roles

📌 If formal budget control is critical for your company, use the **PDF Export** as a version snapshot before changes, or export-to-Excel as a version archive.

* * *

### **📤 Budget Version Control Tip**

To track revisions:

-   Export the budget as a PDF or Excel before editing
-   Use naming conventions like:
    -   `Budget_v1_Initial.xlsx`
    -   `Budget_v2_PostEstimatorReview.xlsx`