The reader said "not booked on this site".

You can only check in at a site where you accepted a booking for that day. Check your bookings. If you think it's a mistake, tell the site supervisor.

Report it straight away so nobody else can use it. Your old card stops working, your record stays yours, and you get a replacement card.

My money shows as held.

Held money is waiting for your worked days to be approved. Once they are approved, it becomes available and you can withdraw it.

The reason is shown and the money goes back to your wallet, so it isn't lost. Check that your mobile money number is right, then withdraw again.

My rating looks wrong.

You can dispute a rating. It goes to moderation, and unfair, personal or retaliatory reviews are removed. One bad review doesn't define you: recent work counts most, and older ratings fade.

I changed my phone number.

Update the number on your profile so offers and payouts reach you. Your record, your tier and your wallet stay the same.

I don't have a smartphone.

You don't need one. Every worker has a profile, and on a basic phone you can receive offers, answer them and check your wallet by USSD and SMS.

Home/Resources/Worker Education

Learn how Buildpal works for you

Plain, step-by-step guides for workers: joining, getting verified, finding work, checking in at the gate and getting paid. With a smartphone or a basic phone.

Hiring or running a site?I'm a contractor

Start here

Everything you need for your first job, in order. Tick each step off as you go.

0 of 6 done

Video tutorials

Short videos that show each step on screen.

All guides

Pick a topic, or search above.

14 guides

Getting started
Join Buildpal
Create your worker profile with a smartphone or a basic phone. Joining is free, and your profile is yours: it follows you from site to site.
5 min4 steps
Getting started
Get verified
Verification shows contractors you are who you say you are. It starts with the basics, and you can unlock more as you go.
4 min4 steps
Getting started
Build your trade profile
Describe your work exactly: your main trade, the other trades you do, your skills and your certificates. A precise profile brings the right offers.
5 min4 steps
Finding work
Accept your first offer
When a contractor's booking fits you, you receive an offer. Here is how to read it and accept it, with the app or a basic phone.
4 min4 steps
Finding work
How offers and the standby list work
Why you get the offers you get, how long you have to answer, and what the standby list means for you.
4 min4 steps
On site: your card and check-in
Get your Site Card
Your Site Card is how you check in at the gate. Your first card is free, it is registered to you, and it goes with you to every site.
3 min3 steps
On site: your card and check-in
Check in and out at the gate
Tap your card at the reader when you arrive and when you leave. That tap is the record your pay is calculated from.
3 min4 steps
On site: your card and check-in
A lost or damaged card
If your card is lost, stolen or broken, report it straight away. Your old card stops working and your record stays yours.
3 min3 steps
Getting paid
Get paid to mobile money
How approved days become money in your wallet, and how to withdraw it to mobile money, with the app or a basic phone.
4 min4 steps
Getting paid
How your rate is set
Your rate is published, not bargained. Here is what makes it up, and how a stronger record raises it.
3 min3 steps
Your reputation
Tiers, and how to move up
Your tier, from 1 to 4, is a record of proven work. Here is what builds it, why recent work counts most, and why it moves carefully.
4 min4 steps
Your reputation
Dispute a rating or a pay day
If a rating looks unfair or a day's pay looks wrong, you can dispute it. Here is how, and what happens next.
4 min4 steps
Your rights and safety
Your rights and staying safe on site
Staying safe comes first. Here is what to wear, what to do about danger, and what Buildpal does and doesn't change about your rights.
5 min4 steps
No smartphone? USSD and SMS
Use Buildpal without a smartphone
Everything a worker needs works on a basic phone: joining, offers, your wallet and help. Here is how, by USSD and SMS.
4 min4 steps

Troubleshooting

Quick answers to the problems people run into most.

Offers stay open for a fair window, so you can see them even when you are busy on site. When the window closes, the place goes to the next worker. Keep your phone on and your profile up to date, and more offers will come.

Glossary

The words you'll see on Buildpal, in plain language.

Offer: An invitation to work on a booking: the site, the dates, the trade and the rate.
Acceptance window: The time you have to accept an offer. It is long enough for you to see it, even if you are working on site.
Standby list: The workers ready to take a place if someone declines or doesn't arrive.
Verified: Your identity has been checked. Verification comes in levels: you start with the basics and unlock more.
Tier: Your level from 1 to 4, earned on reliability, quality and attendance. It shows how proven your work is, not how skilled you are.
Base rate: The day rate Buildpal publishes for your trade. No booking pays less.
Tier premium: Extra pay for a higher tier: a more proven worker earns more for the same work.
Site Card: Your own card, registered to you. You tap it at the reader to check in and out.
Reader: The device at the site gate. It records your taps and tells you why if it can't let you in.
Wallet: Where your pay arrives. It shows your available money, your held money and every payment.
Held money: Money for days that are still waiting to be approved.
Payout: Money you withdraw from your wallet to your mobile money account.

Still stuck?

Tell us what's wrong and the Buildpal team will help you sort it out.

Contact the team