How-To Guides for Subcontractors
Practical, step-by-step guides to protect your payment with proper construction documentation.
How to Document Construction Delays for Payment Claims
Construction delays cost subcontractors billions in unpaid claims every year. The difference between a successful delay claim and a rejected one is documentation — specifically, contemporaneous evidence created at the time the delay occurred. Here's how to do it right.
How to Protect Your Lien Rights as a Subcontractor
Mechanics liens are the most powerful tool subcontractors have to get paid. But lien rights are time-sensitive and easily lost through poor documentation. Most lien claims fail not because the work wasn't done — but because the paperwork wasn't right. Here's how to protect your rights from day one.
How to Document Construction Change Orders for Payment
Unpaid change orders are the #1 source of profit erosion for subcontractors. The problem isn't usually that the work wasn't authorized — it's that the documentation wasn't sufficient to prove the extra work was done. Here's a documentation system that protects every dollar of change order work.
How to Defend Against Unfair GC Deductions and Backcharges
Backcharges and deductions are one of the most common ways subcontractors lose money. A GC claims work was defective, incomplete, or late — and deducts from your payment. Often, these deductions are based on incomplete information or shifted blame. The only effective defense is proof — and that means documentation created before the dispute arises.
How to Track Construction Materials Inventory with Voice Notes
Materials tracking is one of the most overlooked aspects of construction documentation. Lost materials, incorrect counts, and unaccounted deliveries cost subcontractors thousands in waste and disputes. Voice-first inventory tracking is faster than spreadsheets and more reliable than memory.