Trade Guides
Builder Design Centres: Upgrade Selections and Deposits Online
Home builder selections software lets buyers pick upgrades by plan and lot, see prices, sign off and pay deposits online, with cut-off dates enforced.
Home builder selections software moves upgrade choices out of binders and spreadsheets and into a guided online flow: the buyer sees only the options that fit their plan and lot, sees each price as they choose, signs off on a final summary and pays the upgrade deposit. For the builder, the payoff is fewer change orders, cut-off dates that hold and a clean selections sheet that goes straight to purchasing.
How design centre selections usually run
In many builder design centres, selections still run on paper or a shared spreadsheet:
- The buyer books one or two appointments with a design consultant.
- They work through a binder of standard and upgrade options: flooring, cabinets, counters, tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting, hardware.
- The consultant writes the choices on a selections sheet and prices upgrades from a price list.
- The buyer signs, pays an upgrade deposit and the sheet goes to purchasing and the site.
It works, but it has weak spots. Price lists go out of date. Options that do not fit a particular plan slip through. Buyers change their minds after the appointment by email. And the selections sheet gets re-typed into purchasing, which is where a "white oak" turns into "white" somewhere along the way.
What home builder selections software should do
The core job is to show each buyer exactly the choices available to them, priced correctly, and to lock those choices at the right time.
- Filter by plan, elevation and lot. A buyer in a two-storey plan should not see options only available on bungalows. A lot with a walkout basement may have extra options.
- Standard vs. upgrade. Show the included standard clearly, then each upgrade with its price difference.
- Package and dependency rules. Some upgrades come as packages. Some require another choice (an island upgrade may require a larger cabinet package). Some exclude others.
- Running total. The buyer sees the total upgrade amount update with every choice.
- Cut-off dates by category. Structural and rough-in choices (electrical, plumbing locations) close early. Finish choices close later. After the date, the category locks.
- Final sign-off. A clear summary by room and category, with the buyer's confirmation, before deposit.
A typical selections timeline
| Stage | Categories | What the system does |
|---|---|---|
| After purchase agreement | Structural options, layout | Opens structural selections, sets cut-off |
| Pre-construction | Electrical, plumbing rough-in, cabinets | Locks structural, opens rough-in choices |
| Framing | Flooring, counters, tile, fixtures | Locks rough-in, opens finishes |
| Before drywall | Paint, hardware, lighting fixtures | Final cut-off, issues selections summary |
Your stages and dates will vary by builder and by province or state. The point is that each category opens and closes on a schedule the system enforces, so the site does not get a change request after the drywall is up.
Deposits and upgrade payments
Builders handle upgrade money in different ways. Common approaches:
- Upgrade deposit at sign-off, often a percentage of the upgrade total, with the balance at closing.
- Full payment for upgrades at sign-off, especially for items the builder orders early.
- Staged deposits by category, paid as each category locks.
A checkout can take the deposit online through the builder's own payment account, so the buyer does not have to come in with a cheque. We compare models in deposits vs. pay in full. The buyer and builder should confirm with their accountant how upgrade deposits are treated for tax.
Words and documents matter
Buyers are often nervous about money in a new-home purchase. Clear words help: a selections summary is a summary, an upgrade price is a price, and an invoice is money owed. Sending a document labelled "INVOICE" with "Amount due" when the buyer is still choosing tile causes worry and calls. The same issue shows up in custom manufacturing, and we cover it in quote, bid or invoice.
A final review step that shows every selection by room, with standard items marked and upgrades priced, is the document most buyers want. It also becomes the purchasing and site reference.
Working with trade suppliers
Many design centre options come from trade partners: cabinet makers, countertop fabricators, flooring suppliers. Once selections lock, those suppliers need clean orders. Sending selections out as structured data, rather than a scanned sheet, cuts re-keying on both sides.
How Inlay handles this
- Inlay can present upgrade selections as a guided flow themed to the builder's website, on the builder's own subdomain, with options filtered by your rules.
- The running total, a final review step and buyer accounts with save for later keep choices clear and editable until submit.
- Deposits or full payment can be set per product or category, paid through the builder's own Stripe account, with 0% of sales going to Inlay (Stripe's processing fees still apply).
- The Multi-brand plan covers several brands or locations, with done-for-you setup and Canadian or US hosting.
- Selections can sync to purchasing or production systems by webhook, CSV or email.
Book a 20-minute demo to see a design centre selections flow in Inlay.