BuilderGrid syncs project milestones, inspections, draw windows, and subcontractor commitments to Microsoft Outlook calendars via Microsoft Graph. Meetings created in Outlook with a project attendee flow back to the project schedule. Attendee responses (accept, decline, tentative) are tracked.
What it covers
The Microsoft Outlook integration covers four categories of project events:
- Milestones. Scheduled project phase completions (foundation set, framing dried, final inspection scheduled) appear on the user’s calendar as all-day events or timed appointments.
- Inspections. Third-party and municipal inspection windows (rough framing, final electrical, final walkthrough) sync with appointment time and location.
- Draw windows. The period during which a draw application must be submitted and approved before the next phase start sync as calendar events. Miss the window and the project schedule slips.
- Subcontractor commitments. Start and end dates for committed subs (framing crew, drywall team, finish carpenter) appear on the calendar, helping identify schedule conflicts.
Any calendar event created in Outlook with a project attendee (e.g., "Project 926 Stratford Site Meeting") is recognized by BuilderGrid and offered as a project milestone. Users can accept the suggestion or skip it.
Auth and setup
The integration uses OAuth 2.0 via Microsoft Entra ID and requires two steps: tenant-level admin consent and per-user authorization.
Step 1: Tenant admin consent. A tenant admin navigates to Settings › Integrations in BuilderGrid and clicks "Authorize Microsoft 365." A consent screen appears. The admin reviews the requested scopes and clicks "Consent on behalf of your organization." Consent is granted once.
Step 2: Per-user setup. Each team member navigates to Settings › Calendar and clicks "Connect Outlook." They log in with their Microsoft 365 credentials. BuilderGrid requests permission to read and write to their personal calendar. The scopes are:
Calendars.ReadWrite(read and create events on the primary calendar)User.Read(read the user’s profile for display name)offline_access(maintain the connection when the user is offline)
Once the user authorizes, their Outlook calendar is synchronized with BuilderGrid. No further action is required; events sync bidirectionally in real-time.
Sync direction and cadence
| Event Type | Source | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Milestones | BuilderGrid → Outlook | Real-time when created or updated |
| Inspections | BuilderGrid → Outlook | Real-time when scheduled |
| Draw windows | BuilderGrid → Outlook | Real-time when phase dates change |
| Sub commitments | BuilderGrid → Outlook | Real-time when scheduled |
| User-created events | Outlook → BuilderGrid | Real-time; suggested as milestones |
| Attendee responses | Outlook → BuilderGrid | Real-time |
Edge cases and gotchas
Shared calendars. The integration syncs only the user’s primary calendar. Shared calendars (team calendars, project calendars) are not supported in this version. Multi-user shared schedules must be managed within BuilderGrid.
Recurring events. BuilderGrid sends recurring events to Outlook (e.g., "weekly site meetings"), but changes to a single occurrence in BuilderGrid do not sync back. The series is read-only. To modify a single instance, edit it in Outlook; BuilderGrid will not override that change.
Time-zone drift. Teams spanning multiple regions may see timezone mismatches if users are not in the same timezone. Specify all-day events for date-certain milestones (final inspection scheduled) to avoid confusion. Timed events (site meeting at 10 a.m. ET) are converted to each user’s local time automatically.
Token expiry. Authorization tokens expire every 90 days. BuilderGrid refreshes them automatically in the background. If a user has been inactive for longer than 90 days, they may need to re-authorize on next login.
Limitations
The integration does not cover email sync, document attachments, or shared calendar management. Emails related to projects are not imported into BuilderGrid. Inspection reports and lien waivers attached to emails must be manually uploaded to the project. Shared team calendars (not personal calendars) are out of scope for this version.
Related integrations
Microsoft Outlook integrates with BuilderGrid’s Entra ID SSO, so your Microsoft 365 login credential is the same credential used to sign into BuilderGrid. If you also use Google Workspace, the Google Calendar integration provides equivalent functionality. DocuSign e-signature workflows can be tied to calendar deadlines; once a document is signed, the signature date can trigger a milestone. See the Google Calendar and DocuSign integration pages for details.