How to create an allowance
Let clients choose between material options like countertop grades, tile styles, or fixture finishes.
Allowances give your clients a structured way to pick between options on a project. Instead of back-and-forth texts about countertop grades, you set up the choices and they pick from their portal.
Open the project
Go to Projects and click the project you want to add allowances to.
Go to the Allowances tab
Click the Allowances tab on the project page. You'll see any existing allowances here, or an empty state if this is your first one.
Click "New Allowance"
Give your allowance a name that makes sense to the client — something like "Kitchen Countertops" or "Master Bath Tile".
Add groups and options
Each allowance can have one or more groups (think: categories). Inside each group, add the options your client can choose from. For every option, enter the client price (what they see) and the builder cost (what it actually costs you). Set a due date so the client knows when to decide.
Save the allowance
Click Save. The allowance is now visible on the project and ready to share with your client through the portal.
The difference between client price and builder cost is how you protect your margin. The client only sees the client price. Your profit on each option is calculated automatically.
What happens next
- The allowance appears in the client portal — your client can browse options and make selections on their own time
- When the client picks an option, Kaliun automatically creates an expense using the builder cost, so your committed budget stays accurate
- You'll get notified when the client makes a selection
- The budget tab updates to reflect the new committed cost