{"id":158176,"date":"2026-10-26T10:01:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T10:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/docs.daftra.com\/tutorial\/construction-contract-statuses-change-them\/"},"modified":"2026-11-11T14:09:55","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:09:55","slug":"construction-contract-statuses-change-them","status":"publish","type":"tutorial","link":"https:\/\/docs.daftra.com\/en\/tutorial\/construction-contract-statuses-change-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction Contract Statuses and How to Change Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A Construction contract goes through several statuses from the time you create it until you close it, and each status determines what you can do with the contract: edit it, delete it, and add Payment Certificates. This guide explains the statuses and how to move between them using the buttons in the contract header, including Close<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n
Required permissions<\/span>Issue<\/strong> and Set as Draft<\/strong>: Edit and delete all Construction contracts<\/strong> or Edit and delete your own Construction contracts<\/strong>. Activate<\/strong>, Reactivate<\/strong>, and Cancel<\/strong>: Approve and reject Construction contracts<\/strong>. Close<\/strong>: Approve and reject Construction contracts<\/strong> along with the permission to edit Contracts.<\/span><\/div>\n
How to access<\/span>Direct link: Contracts<\/strong><\/a>. Or from the main menu: Construction<\/strong> > Contracts<\/strong> > open the contract. The status change buttons appear at the top left of the contract page.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Table of Contents<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Contract Statuses<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Moving Between Statuses<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Activating a Contract<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Closing a Contract<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Reactivating a Contract<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Issuing and Setting as Draft<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  7. What Each Status Allows<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Error Messages and Solutions<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Contract Statuses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Status<\/th>\nMeaning<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    Draft<\/strong><\/td>\nA contract that is saved provisionally and has a temporary number.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Issued<\/strong><\/td>\nA completed contract that is not yet activated. This is the default status when you save.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Active<\/strong><\/td>\nA contract that is in progress; you can add Payment Certificates to it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Closed<\/strong><\/td>\nA contract that is completed and delivered.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Canceled<\/strong><\/td>\nA contract that was terminated before it was completed.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Moving Between Statuses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Current Status<\/th>\nButtons in the Contract Header<\/th>\nNew Status<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    Draft<\/strong><\/td>\nIssue<\/strong><\/td>\nIssued<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Issued<\/strong><\/td>\nActivate<\/strong> \/ Set as Draft<\/strong><\/td>\nActive<\/strong> \/ Draft<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Active<\/strong><\/td>\nClose<\/strong> \/ Cancel<\/strong> (in the action bar)<\/td>\nClosed<\/strong> \/ Canceled<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Closed<\/strong> \/ Canceled<\/strong><\/td>\nReactivate<\/strong><\/td>\nActive<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Each action requires confirmation in the Change Status<\/strong> window, with the Yes<\/strong> and No<\/strong> buttons.<\/p>\n

    Activate a Contract<\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Open the issued contract and click Activate<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    2. A message appears: Are you sure you want to activate contract #(number)? Once activated, it cannot be returned to draft.<\/strong><\/li>\n
    3. Click Yes<\/strong>; the message Contract #(number) was activated successfully<\/strong> appears.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      • The contract must be linked to a project.<\/li>\n
      • After the first activation, the contract’s financial data is locked (currency, quotation, performance guarantee, advance payment, recovery plan, and taxes).<\/li>\n
      • Cost Centers are created for the contract under the project according to the cost tracking level, and the Work Items tab appears.<\/li>\n
      • You cannot delete a contract after it is activated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Close a Contract<\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. Open the active contract and click Close<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        2. A message appears: Are you sure you want to close contract #(number)? This will mark the contract as delivered and completed.<\/strong><\/li>\n
        3. Click Yes<\/strong>; the status changes to Closed<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          • The project status changes to Completed if the completion percentage of the work items is 100% or more.<\/li>\n
          • You cannot edit or delete a closed contract, or add progress billings to it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Reactivate a Contract<\/h2>\n

            From a closed or canceled contract, click Reactivate<\/strong> and then Yes<\/strong>, and the contract returns to Active<\/strong>. The project status does not automatically revert.<\/p>\n

            Issue and Set as Draft<\/h2>\n
              \n
            • Issue<\/strong>: Changes the draft to Issued<\/strong>, and the contract receives a number from the Contracts numbering sequence.<\/li>\n
            • Set as Draft<\/strong>: Returns the issued contract to a draft with a temporary number. You cannot return an active contract to a draft.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              For cancellation, see the guide on canceling a Construction contract.<\/p>\n

              What Each Status Allows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
              Status<\/th>\nEdit<\/th>\nDelete<\/th>\nProgress Billings and Invoices<\/th>\nAdvance Payments<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
              Draft<\/strong> \/ Issued<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              Active<\/strong><\/td>\nYes (except financial data)<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              Closed<\/strong> \/ Canceled<\/strong><\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

              Error Messages and Solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
              Message That Appears<\/th>\nCause<\/th>\nSolution<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
              Contract #(number) cannot be activated because it is not linked to a project.<\/strong><\/td>\nThe contract has no project.<\/td>\nLink the contract to a project from Edit<\/strong>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              Failed to update the status<\/strong><\/td>\nThe status could not be changed, usually because you don’t have the required permission.<\/td>\nCheck your permissions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              Contract #(number) cannot be updated because it is closed \/ canceled<\/strong><\/td>\nYou tried to edit a closed or canceled contract.<\/td>\nReactivate it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

              Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n

              Can an active contract be returned to draft?<\/h3>\n

              No. After activation, you can only close or cancel it.<\/p>\n

              What is the difference between closing and canceling?<\/h3>\n

              Closing is for a contract that is completed and delivered, while canceling ends a contract before it is completed. Both can be reversed by reactivating the contract.<\/p>\n

              Why doesn’t the Close button appear?<\/h3>\n

              Either the contract is not active, or you don’t have the Approve and Reject Construction Contracts<\/strong> permission along with the permission to edit contracts.<\/p>\n

              Does closing a contract create journal entries?<\/h3>\n

              No. Changing the contract status does not create accounting entries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[15599,16736],"tags":[30234,28496,30212,30236,30231,30167,30235,30232,3911,30229,30237,30230,30233],"class_list":["post-158176","tutorial","type-tutorial","status-publish","hentry","category-construction","category-contracts-construction","tag-activate-contract","tag-active-contract","tag-canceled-contract","tag-cannot-activate-a-contract-not-linked-to-a-project","tag-close-contract","tag-closed-contract","tag-construction-contract-statuses","tag-difference-between-closing-and-canceling","tag-draft","tag-issue-contract","tag-issued","tag-reactivation","tag-set-as-draft"],"yoast_head":"\nConstruction Contract Statuses and How to Change Them - Daftra Knowledge Base<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.daftra.com\/en\/tutorial\/construction-contract-statuses-change-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Construction Contract Statuses and How to Change Them - Daftra Knowledge Base\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Construction contract goes through several statuses from the time you create it until you close it, and each status determines what you can do with the contract: edit it, delete it, and add Payment Certificates. 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