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User roles and permissions

Roles control what each teammate can see and do in Bolster.

You can use:

  • Built-in roles (example: Administrator)

  • Custom roles you create for your company (example: Project manager, Purchasing Manager, Laborer)

A role is a bundle of permissions.
You assign roles when you invite a user, or when you update an existing user.

How permissions work

Bolster splits permissions into two columns:

  • Self
    What a user can do with objects they own (their own clients, quotes, tasks, etc.)

  • Others
    What a user can do with objects owned by other users (team-wide visibility and control)

This matters for managers.

Example:

  • A salesperson may need Self only (their own leads and quotes).

  • A manager may need Self + Others (to supervise the team).

Create a custom role (from “Choose roles”)

  1. Open the Create new user modal.

  2. Click Choose roles.

  3. Click Create new.

  4. In the New Role screen:

    • Enter a Role name

    • Enter a Role description

  5. Set permissions (details below).

  6. Click Save.

  7. Select this new role for the user.

  8. Send invitation.

Set permissions for a role

Inside the New Role screen, you’ll see:

  • A permissions search bar (use it to find settings fast)

  • Permission sections (Client, Quote, Files, etc.)

  • A Self and Others column for each permission

To configure:

  • Click the icon under Self and/or Others for each permission you want to allow

  • Save when you’re done

Permission sections explained

Client permissions

Control access to client records.

  • See clients
    Lets a user view client records.

  • Create clients
    Lets a user add new clients.

  • Modify clients
    Lets a user edit client details.

  • Delete clients
    Lets a user remove clients.

Good fit:

  • Sales: See + Create + Modify (Self)

  • Office admin: See + Modify (Self + Others)

Quote permissions

Control estimates, proposals, and change-order workflows.

  • See quotes
    View quotes/estimates.

  • Create quotes
    Build new estimates.

  • Modify quotes
    Edit existing estimates.

  • Delete quotes
    Remove estimates.

  • Approve proposals & change orders
    Lets a user approve proposals and change orders.

Good fit:

  • Estimator: See + Create + Modify (Self)

  • Sales manager: See + Modify (Self + Others)

  • Owner/Admin: Approve proposals & change orders

File permissions

Control access to files and folders (Bolster Drive).

  • See files
    View files.

  • Create folders
    Organize folders.

  • Modify files
    Edit or update files.

  • Delete files
    Remove files.

  • Upload files
    Add new files.

Good fit:

  • Project manager: See + Upload + Create folders

  • Office: full file access

Cost / line-item permissions (company-wide)

These affect shared cost data.

  • Create cost / line-items

  • Modify cost / line-items

  • Delete cost / line-items

These line-items are shared company-wide (not owned by one user).
In practice, only users with broader access should get these permissions.

Good fit:

  • Owner/Admin

  • Ops manager

  • Estimating lead

Assembly permissions (company-wide)

Assemblies are shared templates used in estimating.

  • Create assemblies

  • Modify assemblies

  • Delete assemblies

Assemblies are company-wide objects.
Give these permissions to the people who manage your estimating system.

Good fit:

  • Estimating lead

  • Owner/Admin

User permissions (company-wide)

Controls who can manage user accounts.

  • Create users
    Lets a user create/invite users.

  • Modify users
    Lets a user edit user info (not including changing permissions).

  • Delete users
    Lets a user remove users.

Good fit:

  • Owner/Admin only

Company permissions (company-wide)

Controls access to company settings.

  • Change company settings
    Lets a user change company-wide settings.

Good fit:

  • Owner/Admin only

Template permissions (company-wide)

Controls templates used across the company.

  • Create templates

  • Modify templates

  • Delete templates

Good fit:

  • Sales/estimating lead

  • Owner/Admin

Task permissions

Controls task visibility and team coordination.

  • See tasks
    Users can always see their own tasks.
    Enable Others to see the team’s tasks.

  • Create tasks
    Users can always create tasks for themselves.
    Enable Others to assign tasks to other users.

  • Modify tasks
    Users can always modify their own tasks.
    Enable Others to complete or reassign other users’ tasks.

  • Delete tasks
    Users can always delete their own tasks.
    Enable Others to delete other users’ tasks.

Good fit:

  • Field staff: Self only

  • Project manager: Self + Others

Notification and sensitive access permissions

These control higher-risk visibility and admin capabilities.

  • See notifications
    Users can always see their own notifications.
    Enable Others to see notifications for others (if your workflow needs that).

  • See line-item prices while building quotes
    Lets a user see assembly and total quote pricing (and line-level pricing during quoting).

  • See inside locked assemblies
    Lets a user view the contents of assemblies that are locked.

  • Change user permissions
    Lets a user change permission settings (high risk).
    Keep this tightly limited.

  • See & modify markup/margins/costs
    Lets a user see costs and margins on items and projects.

  • See & modify labour rates
    Lets a user see and change company labour rates.

Good fit:

  • Owner/Admin: yes to all of the above (as needed)

  • Sales: avoid markup/margins/costs unless required

  • Field staff: usually no

Invoice permissions

Controls invoicing access.

  • See invoices

  • Create invoices

  • Modify invoices

  • Delete invoices

Good fit:

  • Bookkeeper / office admin

  • Owner/Admin

Robo permissions

Controls automation tools called “Robo” inside Bolster.

  • Create robos

  • Modify robos

  • Delete robos

  • View robos

Good fit:

  • Owner/Admin

  • Ops manager

Directpay permissions

Controls payment actions.

  • Make payment

  • Charge client

  • See accounts & transactions

Good fit:

  • Bookkeeper / office admin

  • Owner/Admin

Recommended role setups

Use these as a starting point:

  • Administrator (full permissions)
    For owners and core admins.

  • Sales / Estimator
    Quotes + clients (Self).
    No cost/margins access unless needed.

  • Project manager
    Tasks (Self + Others), files, project-related access.

  • Field / Laborer
    Tasks (Self), limited files, no financial permissions.

  • Bookkeeper
    Invoices + Directpay, limited quote editing.

Next step: assign roles to users

Once you create roles:

  • Invite the user

  • Choose roles

  • Pick one or more roles that match what they do day-to-day