How to Set Up a Project in Procore: The Complete Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
- Cost Construction Accounting
- 7 hours ago
- 9 min read
By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor | Construction Cost Accounting
(949) 482-2790 | constructioncostaccounting.com
A successful Procore project setup is one of the highest-leverage hours you will spend on any construction job. Because Procore's tools are deeply interconnected, the quality of your initial setup determines how well every downstream tool — punch lists, RFIs, submittals, change orders — functions for the entire life of the project. Get the foundation right, and the platform works the way it was designed to. Get it wrong, and you spend the next several months fixing documents and re-uploading drawings while active construction is underway.
This is the fourth blog in our Procore series. It walks through the complete Procore implementation process for a new project — from creating the project record to locking a solid documentation baseline before construction begins. As a construction bookkeeper and QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm that works with contractors using construction project management software, Construction Cost Accounting sees the financial consequences of both clean and messy setups — and this guide reflects what a clean one looks like.
The 5-Step Setup Sequence at a Glance
PROCORE PROJECT SETUP — THE 5-STEP SEQUENCE
Get the foundation right before construction begins — fixing it mid-project is far more costly
1 | Initiate the Project | • Click Create Project (top right) • Enter project value, time zone, all details • Complete profile = better sub-tools later |
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2 | Build the File Directory | • Drag & drop folders from Explorer/SharePoint • Use the Documents tool • Do NOT duplicate dedicated tools |
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3 | Upload Specifications | • Use the Specifications tool • Create a set (e.g. 'Bid Set'), add CSI + dates • Procore auto-organizes by CSI division |
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4 | Upload Drawings | • Drag & drop into the Drawings tool • Auto-sorts, titles & names sheets • Check 'Needs Attention' for issues |
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5 | Configure Team & Workflows | • Assign permissions / User Groups • Split responsibilities across the team • Lock a 100% solid baseline before build |
Source: Construction Cost Accounting | constructioncostaccounting.com
Step 1: Initiate the Project
1 | Create the Project and Fill Out Every Detail |
From the top right of the Procore interface, select Create Project. This opens the project profile form. Here is the single most important principle of the entire Procore project setup: enter as much information as you possibly can. Input the project value, the time zone, the address, the project type, and every other field available.
Why does comprehensive data entry at this stage matter so much? Because Procore's tools are intertwined. A complete project profile means a better experience when you use sub-tools like punch lists, RFIs, and daily logs later. The project value feeds financial reporting. The time zone affects every timestamp in the audit trail. An incomplete profile creates small frictions that compound across months of use.
CCA PRO TIP: The time zone field is the one most people rush past — and the one that causes the most confusion later. Every RFI timestamp, every daily log entry, every submittal deadline references the project time zone. Set it correctly at creation. Fixing it after the project has activity is messy. |
Step 2: Establish the File Directory
2 | Build the Directory with the Documents Tool |
Use the Procore documents tool to set up your file directory. The fastest way to populate it is drag-and-drop: pull folders and files directly from Windows Explorer or SharePoint straight into Procore. The entire folder structure transfers, preserving your organization. This is the backbone of your construction document management inside the platform.
⚠ WATCH OUT: Do NOT create manual folders for items that Procore already has dedicated tools for — submittals, change orders, contracts, or T&M tickets. Procore has purpose-built tools for each of these, with their own workflows, logs, and audit trails. Creating a manual 'Change Orders' folder in the Documents tool duplicates a process the Change Orders tool already handles — which leads to version confusion, missed approvals, and errors. Use the Documents tool for reference material and general files; use the dedicated tools for everything they were built for. |
Think of the Procore documents tool as your general filing cabinet — site photos, reference PDFs, permits, general correspondence, and supporting documents that do not belong to a specialized workflow. Everything that has a dedicated tool stays in that tool.
BOOKKEEPER'S NOTE: From an accounting standpoint, this separation matters at audit time. When contracts live in the Contracts tool and change orders live in the Change Orders tool — not buried in a generic documents folder — the financial audit trail is clean and traceable. CCA's construction bookkeeping services rely on that traceability when reconciling commitments against QuickBooks. |
Step 3: Upload Specifications
3 | Process the Spec Book with the Specifications Tool |
Within the project tools, select the Procore specifications tool and upload your spec book. You can create a new set — for example, label it ‘Bid Set' — and input the CSI formats and issue dates. This organizes the specifications into a structured, referenceable set rather than one giant PDF.
Once you click Process, Procore automatically reads the documents and organizes them by CSI titles and divisions. This is one of the platform's biggest time-savers — what used to take hours of manual labeling and bookmarking happens automatically. The Procore specifications tool recognizes the CSI structure and breaks the spec book into navigable, searchable sections.
Procore's automated CSI processing turns a 400-page spec book into an organized, searchable set in minutes — the clearest example of why construction document management belongs inside the platform. |
Step 4: Upload Drawings
4 | Process Drawings with the Drawings Tool |
Similar to specifications, use the Procore drawings tool to upload your drawing set via drag-and-drop. Processing time varies — anywhere from five minutes to an hour depending on the size of the set. A small residential set processes quickly; a large commercial set with hundreds of sheets takes longer.
Once processing completes, Procore automatically sorts the drawings, applies titles, and assigns sheet names by reading the title blocks. Review the organization to confirm accuracy. Then check the Needs Attention area — this is where Procore flags any sheets where it could not detect a name, found a duplicate, or encountered an issue it could not resolve automatically. Resolve these flagged items before moving on.
CCA PRO TIP: The 'Needs Attention' area is not optional cleanup — it is essential. A drawing Procore could not name correctly is a drawing your field team may not be able to find on the iPad. Clear every flagged item before construction begins, while you still have time to do it carefully. |
Step 5: Configure Team and Workflows
5 | Assign Permissions, Responsibilities, and Lock the Baseline |
The final step in your Procore implementation is configuring the people and processes. This has three parts:
Assign permissions — make sure you and your team have the appropriate permissions or User Groups assigned by your company's Procore administrator. If options appear grayed out, it is almost always a permissions issue, not a software bug. Contact your admin to adjust the User Group.
Establish responsibilities — decide who handles which tasks: who manages commitments, who processes change orders, who reviews submittals. Use a team-based approach rather than having one person manage everything. When a single person owns every workflow, steps get missed the moment they are out of the office.
Lock a 100% baseline — before active construction begins, confirm you have a complete, solid baseline of documentation: specs processed, drawings sorted, file directory built, team configured. This prevents the costly scenario of re-uploading or fixing original documents months into the project.
⚠ WATCH OUT: The single most expensive Procore setup mistake is starting construction on an incomplete baseline. Once the job is active — RFIs flowing, drawings annotated in the field, invoices submitted — going back to fix the original spec set or re-process drawings is disruptive and error-prone. Lock the baseline first. Build second. |
A 100% solid documentation baseline before construction is the difference between Procore working for you and Procore becoming a months-long cleanup project. The setup hour you invest up front saves days of rework later. |
A Clean Procore Setup Deserves Clean Books.
CCA is a construction bookkeeping firm and QuickBooks ProAdvisor working with contractors who run Procore. We align your cost codes, sync your job costing with QuickBooks, and produce the WIP reports your CPA needs — so the financial baseline matches the project baseline from day one.
calendly.com/tammycca/30min | (949) 482-2790
Where the Accounting Baseline Fits In
Just as Procore needs a solid documentation baseline before construction begins, your construction bookkeeping services need a solid financial baseline at the same moment. The two should be set up in parallel — because the cost codes you establish in Procore during setup need to match the cost codes in your QuickBooks chart of accounts. When they match, your job costing flows cleanly between the project management platform and the books. When they do not, every month-end becomes a reconciliation exercise.
As a construction bookkeeper and QuickBooks ProAdvisor for Orange County contractors, CCA configures the financial baseline alongside your Procore implementation:
Cost code alignment — the Procore cost code structure matches the QuickBooks chart of accounts so job costing flows cleanly
Chart of accounts review — built for construction (labor, materials, subs, equipment, overhead) before the project goes live
Job naming conventions — consistent between Procore and QuickBooks so records reconcile without manual matching
Opening WIP baseline — the starting financial position documented before construction so progress is measured accurately
As a marketing agency near me for construction financial clarity — and a SEO marketing agency focused on Orange County contractors — CCA makes sure the accounting baseline is as solid as the documentation baseline. Procore organizes the project. We organize the money behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to set up a project in Procore?
A complete Procore project setup typically takes a few hours for a well-organized firm with documents ready to upload. The variable is processing time: specifications process in minutes, but a large drawing set can take up to an hour to process. The bigger time investment is doing it carefully — entering complete project details, reviewing the auto-organized specs and drawings, clearing the 'Needs Attention' items, and configuring team permissions. Rushing the setup to save an hour up front routinely costs days of cleanup later.
What should go in the Procore Documents tool versus the dedicated tools?
Use the Procore documents tool for general reference material — site photos, permits, general correspondence, and supporting files that do not belong to a specialized workflow. Use the dedicated tools (Submittals, Change Orders, Contracts, T&M Tickets, RFIs) for everything they were built for. Duplicating a dedicated tool's function inside a manual Documents folder leads to version confusion and missed approvals. The rule: if Procore has a tool for it, use that tool — not a folder.
How does the Procore specifications tool organize my spec book?
When you upload a spec book to the Procore specifications tool and click Process, Procore automatically reads the document and organizes it by CSI titles and divisions. You can create named sets (such as ‘Bid Set') with their own CSI formats and issue dates. The platform recognizes the CSI MasterFormat structure and breaks the book into navigable, searchable sections — eliminating hours of manual bookmarking and labeling.
What is the 'Needs Attention' area in the Procore drawings tool?
After you upload and process drawings, the Procore drawings tool automatically sorts them and assigns titles and sheet names by reading the title blocks. The ‘Needs Attention' area flags any sheets where Procore could not detect a name, found a duplicate, or hit an issue it could not resolve automatically. You should clear every flagged item before construction begins — an unresolved drawing is one your field team may not be able to locate on the iPad.
Why is a documentation baseline so important before construction starts?
Because fixing the foundation while the job is active is disruptive and risky. Once construction begins, RFIs are flowing, drawings are being annotated in the field, and invoices are being submitted — all referencing the original documents. Going back to re-process a spec set or re-upload drawings at that point can break references, confuse the field team, and introduce errors into an active job. A 100% solid baseline before construction is the core principle of a good Procore implementation.
Does CCA help align Procore setup with QuickBooks bookkeeping?
Yes. CCA provides construction bookkeeping services for contractors using Procore, and we recommend setting up the financial baseline in parallel with the project setup. We align the Procore cost code structure with your QuickBooks chart of accounts, establish consistent job naming conventions, and document the opening WIP baseline — so job costing flows cleanly between platforms from day one. If you are setting up a new project in Procore and want a construction bookkeeper to align the accounting side, schedule a consultation.
Knowing how to set up a project in Procore correctly is what separates contractors who get value from the platform from those who fight it. The five steps — initiate the project with complete details, build the file directory with the Procore documents tool, process the spec book with the Procore specifications tool, upload and verify drawings with the Procore drawings tool, and configure team permissions and a locked baseline — create the foundation every downstream tool depends on.
The same discipline applies to the financial side. Construction Cost Accounting is the construction bookkeeper and QuickBooks ProAdvisor that builds your accounting baseline alongside your Procore implementation — aligning cost codes, chart of accounts, and job naming so your books and your project management stay in sync from the first day of the job. As a marketing agency for construction financial clarity, that parallel setup is exactly what we configure for contractors running Procore.
This is Blog #4 in our Procore series. New to the series? Start with Blog #1: Procore Construction Software Overview
A Clean Procore Setup Deserves Clean Books.
CCA is a construction bookkeeping firm and QuickBooks ProAdvisor working with contractors who run Procore. We align your cost codes, sync your job costing with QuickBooks, and produce the WIP reports your CPA needs — so the financial baseline matches the project baseline from day one.
calendly.com/tammycca/30min | (949) 482-2790
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