Every document your engineering business sends to customers—quotes, invoices, job cards, completion certificates—shapes their perception of your company. Simpro's Form Builder is the tool that controls all of these documents, yet most businesses barely scratch the surface of what it can do.
SectionWhat Is Simpro Form Builder?
Form Builder is Simpro's document design system. It controls the layout, content, and styling of every PDF document your system generates, including:
- •Quote forms (standard quotes, detailed quotes, supplier quotes)
- •Job forms (job cards, worksheets, completion certificates)
- •Invoice forms (tax invoices, progress claims, statements)
- •Asset forms (asset reports, service records)
SectionAccessing Form Builder
Navigate to System > Setup > Form Setup. You'll see tabs for different document types:
| Tab | Document Types |
|---|---|
| Quote | Quote forms, supplier quote requests |
| Job | Job cards, worksheets, detail forms |
| Invoice | Tax invoices, progress claims, credit notes |
| Asset | Asset reports, service history |
SectionUnderstanding the Form Builder Interface
The Form Builder interface has three main areas:
The Canvas shows a visual representation of how your document will look.
The Toolbar contains formatting options—fonts, sizes, colours, alignment.
The Fields Panel lists all available dynamic fields organised by category.
SectionEssential Fields for Engineering Documents
Company Fields
CompanyName, CompanyAddress, CompanyPhone, CompanyEmail, CompanyLogo, CompanyVAT
Customer Fields
CustomerName, CustomerAddress, SiteAddress, CustomerContact, CustomerPhone
Document Fields
For Quotes: QuoteNumber, QuoteDate, ValidUntil, QuoteTotal For Jobs: JobNumber, JobDescription, ScheduledDate For Invoices: InvoiceNumber, InvoiceDate, DueDate, InvoiceTotal
SectionWorking with Loops
Loops are essential for displaying multiple items. The basic structure repeats for each line item, automatically populating fields with relevant data.
Nested Loops
For complex documents showing cost centres with their line items, nested loops allow you to create hierarchical displays.
SectionCreating Professional Headers
Your document header establishes credibility. Options include left-aligned logo with right-aligned details, centred headers, or full-width banners.
SectionBuilding Effective Tables
Tables present pricing and specifications clearly. Best practices include clear column headers, appropriate alignment, and subtotals to break up long tables.
SectionConditional Content
Form Builder supports conditional logic to show or hide content based on data values.
SectionTesting Your Templates
Before using new templates:
- •Create a test document with realistic data
- •Generate the PDF and review every element
- •Check on different devices
- •Print a copy to check margins
SectionCommon Form Builder Challenges
Blurry logos: Upload higher resolution images (minimum 300dpi) Text cut off: Check field lengths and use text wrapping Layout breaks: Test with edge cases and adjust column widths
SectionNeed Help With Your Simpro Setup?
If you're ready to build the operational foundation that lets your engineering business scale without chaos, I'd love to discuss how I can help.
SectionGet Started Today
Want professional Simpro templates right now? Browse our ready-to-use template library designed specifically for UK engineering businesses—quote templates, invoice templates, job cards, and more.
Need help implementing Form Builder properly? Book a free discovery call to discuss how we can optimise your entire Simpro setup and build systems that scale.