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Selling Plans on the Marketplace

Upload, price, publish, and manage architectural plans for sale with AI scanning and revenue tracking

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OverviewGetting StartedUploading PlansAI ScanningPricing Your PlansPublishing PlansManaging Your PlansWatermarking & DeliveryTips for SuccessQuestions

Overview

The Plan Marketplace lets you monetize your architectural plans by selling them to other builders, contractors, and homeowners. Upload plan PDFs in bulk via ZIP files, let AI scan and extract metadata automatically, set your pricing, publish to the marketplace, and earn 75% of every sale. BlueClerk handles payment processing, watermarking, and secure delivery.

Getting Started

Connect Your Bank Account

Before you can sell plans, you need to connect your bank account via Stripe Connect so you can receive payouts:

  1. Go to Builder > Profile in the sidebar
  2. Look for the "Connect your bank" banner if your bank isn't connected yet
  3. Click "Connect Bank Account" to start Stripe Connect onboarding
  4. Complete the Stripe verification (identity and bank info)
  5. Your account is now ready to receive payouts from plan sales

Subscribe to the Marketplace

After connecting your bank, you need an active marketplace subscription:

  1. Go to Builder Dashboard
  2. Click "Marketplace" in the sidebar
  3. Click "Subscribe" to start your marketplace subscription ($29/month)
  4. Complete Stripe checkout - Subscription is required to upload and sell plans
  5. You're ready to start uploading plans

Note: The first plan you upload is free - you can try the marketplace before subscribing. After your first plan, the subscription is required to upload additional plans via ZIP files.

Uploading Plans

Single PDF Upload (Free Tier)

Upload one plan for free before subscribing:

  1. Go to Builder > Marketplace
  2. Click "Upload Plan"
  3. Select a PDF file (single plan only)
  4. AI scans automatically - Extracts bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, etc.
  5. Review extracted metadata and make corrections if needed
  6. Set your price (you keep 75% of each sale)
  7. Publish to marketplace when ready

Bulk ZIP Upload (Requires Subscription)

Upload multiple plans at once via ZIP file:

  1. Ensure you have an active subscription ($29/month)
  2. Go to Builder > Marketplace
  3. Click "Upload Plans (ZIP)"
  4. Select a ZIP file containing multiple PDF plan files
  5. AI scans each plan automatically - Extracts metadata from all plans in parallel
  6. Review and edit each plan's metadata
  7. Set pricing for each plan individually
  8. Publish selected plans to the marketplace

ZIP Upload Requirements:

  • Active marketplace subscription ($29/month)
  • ZIP file containing only PDF files (one plan per PDF)
  • Each PDF is scanned individually with AI metadata extraction

AI Scanning

What AI Extracts

When you upload a plan, AI scans the PDF and extracts:

  • Bedrooms - Number of bedrooms
  • Bathrooms - Number of full and half baths
  • Square footage - Total heated square feet
  • Stories - Single-story, two-story, etc.
  • Garage bays - Number of car garage
  • Structure type - Wood frame, brick, etc.

Reviewing AI Results

  1. Check extracted data after upload completes
  2. Edit any incorrect values - AI isn't always perfect
  3. Add missing details like plan name, style, or features
  4. Save changes before publishing

Pricing Your Plans

Setting a Price

  1. Open your plan in the marketplace dashboard
  2. Enter your price (what customers will pay)
  3. You earn 75% - BlueClerk keeps 25% for payment processing and platform fees
  4. Save pricing

Pricing Strategy

Consider:

  • Plan complexity - More bedrooms and square footage = higher price
  • Market rates - Research what similar plans sell for
  • Your costs - Factor in design time and revisions
  • Competitive pricing - Price to sell while maintaining margins

Publishing Plans

Making a Plan Live

  1. Ensure metadata is complete - Name, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, etc.
  2. Set your price
  3. Upload preview images (optional but recommended)
  4. Click "Publish"
  5. Plan goes live on the marketplace immediately

Preview Images

Add preview images to help plans sell:

  1. Open your plan in the marketplace dashboard
  2. Scroll to "Preview Images" section
  3. Click "Upload Image"
  4. Select images - Elevations, floor plans, renderings, or completed homes
  5. First image becomes the plan thumbnail
  6. Label images - Rendering, Front Elevation, Floor Plan, etc.
  7. Organize with custom sort order

Managing Your Plans

Viewing Sales

  1. Go to Builder > Marketplace
  2. See sales dashboard with total revenue, plans sold, and payout history
  3. Click any plan to view individual sales

Payouts

  • Payouts occur automatically via Stripe Connect
  • You receive 75% of each sale
  • Payout schedule depends on your Stripe Connect settings (typically weekly)
  • View payout history in your Stripe dashboard

Editing Plans

  1. Open your plan in the marketplace dashboard
  2. Edit any field - Name, price, metadata, preview images
  3. Changes save immediately
  4. Published plans update live - No need to republish

Unpublishing Plans

  1. Open your plan in the marketplace dashboard
  2. Click "Unpublish"
  3. Plan is removed from the marketplace immediately
  4. You can republish later if needed

Watermarking & Delivery

Automatic Watermarking

When a plan is sold:

  1. BlueClerk watermarks the PDF with your company logo
  2. Watermark appears on every page to prevent unauthorized redistribution
  3. Original unwatermarked file is never shared with buyers
  4. Watermarked PDF is emailed to the buyer automatically

Secure Delivery

  • Buyers download watermarked PDFs from their BlueClerk account
  • No unauthorized sharing - Watermarks discourage redistribution
  • Permanent access - Buyers can re-download anytime

Tips for Success

  • Complete metadata - More details = better search visibility
  • High-quality preview images - Help plans sell faster
  • Competitive pricing - Research the market before setting prices
  • Upload multiple plans - More plans = more potential sales
  • Update regularly - Add new plans to keep your catalog fresh

Questions

Q: How much do I earn per sale? A: You keep 75% of each sale. BlueClerk keeps 25% for payment processing and platform fees.

Q: When do I get paid? A: Payouts occur automatically via Stripe Connect based on your payout schedule (typically weekly).

Q: Can I edit a plan after publishing? A: Yes - changes save immediately and update the live marketplace listing.

Q: What file format should plans be in? A: PDF only. BlueClerk does not support DWG, CAD, or other formats.

Q: How many AI scans do I get? A: Your marketplace subscription includes 200 AI scan credits per month. Each plan uploaded counts as 1 scan.

Q: Can I upload plans without a subscription? A: Yes - you can upload 1 plan for free before subscribing. After that, a subscription is required to upload additional plans via ZIP files.

Q: What happens if I cancel my subscription? A: Your published plans remain live on the marketplace, but you can't upload new plans or use AI scanning until you resubscribe.

Q: How does the free tier work? A: Upload 1 PDF plan for free without a subscription. AI scanning is included for your free plan. After your first plan, subscribe for $29/month to upload unlimited plans via ZIP files.

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