Use this article to represent a construction loan with a "cost to complete" programme (multiple drawdowns over a period of time) in a Trail application, and to track the loan through your pipeline until construction is complete.

Trail doesn't have a dedicated construction-loan type, so this is the recommended way to model one. The worked example throughout: a client applying for a $600,000 construction loan on a property with a final valuation of $800,000.
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Once you have the agreed fixed price contract and the final property valuation based on market value, you're ready to start.

1. Create a New Purchase mortgage application, the same way you would create any other opportunity.

2. Under Properties, add the property to be purchased. Enter the address, and under Value enter the market value after the build is complete ($800,000 in our example). Fill out the intention, and select New Development under Existing Property.

3. Select the property to be purchased. Using the final valuation means your LVR (Loan to Value Ratio) calculates correctly, but it also makes Funding Required show the full valuation figure, which isn't correct. The next step fixes that.

4. Offset the lending required in the Cash & Equivalents section so it matches the construction amount. Add the difference between the valuation and the loan ($200,000 in our example) to a field such as Deposit Paid. This figure is a modelling device rather than a real deposit; you'll explain it to the bank on the Notes page in step 7.

5. Select your security (the property, plus any other properties the client holds) and check the LVR. With the offset in place, Funding Required now shows the construction amount ($600,000) while the LVR still calculates against the final valuation.

6. Create the servicing structure.

7. Use the Notes page to your full advantage. A construction application isn't a usual mortgage application, and the bank will have questions. Use Notes to explain the stages of drawdown and the Deposit Paid offset from step 4. All notes appear in the application the bank receives.
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Construction loans draw down over a long period, so it's hard to win the opportunity and follow the usual pipeline process. Instead, track the loan with a dedicated pipeline stage and drawdown reminders. You'll need admin rights for the pipeline part, because you'll be editing the mortgage advice pipeline.
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Create a new stage (or stages) in the mortgage advice pipeline to hold opportunities during their construction lifetime. See Customising your Pipelines for adding and removing stages. One example of what you could add:

Move the opportunity into your construction stage once the lending is confirmed. The stage gives you one place to see and manage every construction loan in progress.

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Create activities on the client's profile to track each drawdown date and anything else related to the construction. See Creating a New Activity, and if you want a dedicated activity type for construction loans, Customising your Activities. Example activities for a construction loan:

Trail notifies you close to each due date, and upcoming activities show on your pipeline and Activities page.
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Once the construction loan comes to a close, win the opportunity as normal. See Winning a Mortgage Advice Opportunity.
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Get in touch at support@gettrail.com, or use the chat button in the bottom right of the screen.