> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.fieldpulse.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Projects vs. Jobs vs. Site Visits Details

> Decide when a multi-phase install belongs in a FieldPulse project, when it is a single job, and when a return trip should be a site visit.

> **Who uses this:** Creating a job requires the **Create & edit Jobs** permission — Administrators can create and edit any job; Team Managers can create and edit jobs assigned to them and their team; Service Agents can create and edit their own jobs; Limited Agents cannot create jobs. **Availability:** All regions. Projects require **Project Management** to be enabled in **Company Settings > Features & Plugins**.

FieldPulse gives you three records for managing work — projects, jobs, and site visits. Each one serves a different purpose, and knowing which record to reach for keeps your work organized and your team on the same page. A project holds a large or long-running scope of work, a [job](https://www.fieldpulse.com/features/job-management) is an individual unit of work, and a site visit is an extra appointment under a single job.

## Overview

Match the record to the shape of the work in front of you.

* **Project** — a folder for one large scope of work. A project organizes all the jobs, estimates, invoices, and files related to that scope, so everything stays connected and easy to reference.

* **Job** — the core work record in FieldPulse. A job can stand alone for work your team completes that day, or sit inside a project as one appointment, stage, or phase of a bigger scope.

* **Site visit** — a sub-record tied to a single job. A site visit schedules an additional appointment under an existing job — a return trip, a call-back, or multi-day work — without creating a brand-new record.

The three records nest: a project holds jobs, and a job holds site visits.

* **A project contains jobs.** Projects are built for long-term work that spans weeks, months, or even years, involves multiple phases, or requires multiple invoices over time. Each job inside the project represents one appointment, stage, or phase of that scope.

* **A job stands alone or belongs to a project.** A standalone job covers work that starts and finishes within a relatively short window. You schedule, invoice, and track each job inside a project separately, under the umbrella of the project.

* **A site visit always belongs to a job.** A site visit cannot stand on its own. Each visit carries its own date, team assignment, notes, and status, and every visit for that job stays organized in one place.

## Quick reference

The three records differ in what they are best for, whether they can stand alone, whether they carry invoicing, and which status tools they support.

| **Capability**              | **Project**                   | **Job**                  | **Site visit**               |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------- |
| **Best for**                | Long-term, multi-phase work   | Individual units of work | Return visits and call-backs |
| **Can be standalone**       | Yes                           | Yes                      | No — must be tied to a job   |
| **Supports invoicing**      | Yes, across multiple invoices | Yes                      | No                           |
| **Custom Status Workflows** | Yes                           | Yes                      | Yes                          |
| **Status Action Flows**     | No                            | Yes                      | No                           |

## When to use a project

Create a project when the work spans multiple phases, bills across more than one invoice, or runs over an extended timeframe. Consider creating a project record when:

* You're building an entirely new facility.

* You're doing work across multiple units — rewiring each unit in an apartment complex, for example, where each unit can be its own job record within the project.

* You'll be invoicing your customer multiple times as phases of work are completed, such as plumbing new construction floor by floor.

* You're managing a large commercial installation that goes through multiple defined stages before final completion.

### Example project status workflows

* **Electrical new construction:** Accepted → Deposit Collected → Permits Approved → Materials Ordered → Rough In → Trim-Out → Final Inspection → Final Invoice → Completed

* **Overhead door installation:** Accepted → Deposit Collected → Site Measured/Verified → Door & Parts Ordered → Materials Received → Installation Visit #1 → 2nd Payment Received → Installation Visit #2 → Inspections → Final Invoice Sent → Completed

* **Commercial elevator installation:** Accepted → Deposit → Pit & Framing (Phase 1) → Rough In (Phase 2) → Selections → Final Measures → Equipment Procurement → Pre-Install Checklist → Ready for Install → Equipment Installation → Ready for Inspection → Final Invoice → Paid and Completed

## When to use a job

Create a job for a discrete piece of work, whether it stands on its own or covers one phase of a project.

* **As a standalone record.** Use a job for any single visit or day's work, such as a service call, an installation, or a repair that starts and finishes within a relatively short window.

* **Within a project.** Use jobs to represent individual phases or appointments. Each one can be scheduled, invoiced, and tracked separately under the umbrella of the project.

For the steps, see [How to Create a Job](/jobs/jobs-tasks/creating-a-job).

### Example job status workflows

* **Install:** New → Install Scheduled → Truck Preparation → On the Road → Prep & Inspection → Install in Progress → Testing & Clean Up → Install Complete → Invoice Paid & Complete → Pending → Canceled

* **Emergency:** New → Emergency Dispatch Scheduled → En Route → On-Site → Service Complete → Invoice Paid & Complete → Paused → Canceled

* **Service call:** New → Service Scheduled → On the Way → Service in Progress → Service Go Back → Service Complete → Invoice Paid & Complete → On Hold → Canceled

## When to use a site visit

Add a site visit when your team needs to come back, but you're not creating new work or a new invoice. Common examples include:

* Service call-backs, or "go-backs"

* Follow-up appointments tied to the same job

* Multi-day work that doesn't warrant its own separate job record

Because overall progress is tracked at the job level, keep site visit workflows simple. For the steps, see [How to Add Site Visits](/jobs/jobs-tasks/site-visits).

### Example site visit status workflows

* **Simple:** New → On the Way → On Site → Completed

* **With escalation:** New → On the Way → In Progress → Management Needed → Completed

## Notes & limitations

* **A site visit never stands alone.** It always belongs to a job and carries no invoice of its own; invoice the job instead.

* **Status Action Flows are job-only.** All three records support Custom Status Workflows, but only jobs support **Status Action Flows**, which specify the exact actions and instructions for each status — see [Setting Up ClearPath Status Action Flows](/jobs/workflows/clearpath/status-action-flows).

* **Project notes cascade down.** Project Notes carry to any job record created within that project, so your team always has the right context.

* **Projects need Project Management turned on.** Enable it in **Company Settings > Features & Plugins** before you can create a project record.

## Still need help?

Reach the [FieldPulse support team](https://www.fieldpulse.com/company/contact-us) at [support@fieldpulse.com](mailto:support@fieldpulse.com) or through the chat feature in the bottom-right corner of your screen.

## Related articles

* [Project Management Overview](/jobs/projects/overview)

* [How to Create a Job](/jobs/jobs-tasks/creating-a-job)

* [How to Add Site Visits](/jobs/jobs-tasks/site-visits)

* [Setting Up Custom Fields on Project Records](/jobs/projects/custom-fields)

* [Workflow Design Overview](/jobs/workflows/designing-your-workflow)

* [Workflow Blueprint Details](/jobs/workflows/blueprints)


## Related topics

- [How to Add Site Visits](/jobs/jobs-tasks/site-visits.md)
- [How to Create Site Visit Reports](/reporting/raw-data/site-visit-reports.md)
- [Projects](/jobs/projects/index.md)
- [Project Management Overview](/jobs/projects/overview.md)