Main building contractors: problems we solve
28 problems main building contractors bring us, each with the cause, what it costs and what we build to fix it.
Main building contractors problems
28 articlesHow Do Our Site Managers Keep a Proper Daily Diary Without Writing It Up at Ten O'Clock at Night?
Main contractor site diaries get written up late from memory, if at all. We build a phone-first daily diary that fills itself from what already happens on site.
How Do We Stop Letting Subcontractors Start on Site Before Their Insurance and Paperwork Are In?
Main contractors chase subcontractor insurance, accreditations and bank details by email. We build a supplier portal that collects, checks and tracks expiry.
Why Does Every Monthly CIS Return Mean a Day of Checking Subcontractor Statuses and Deduction Rates by Hand?
Main contractors verify subcontractors and work out CIS deductions by hand each month. We build CIS checks into payments so returns and statements are ready.
How Do We Stop Subcontractor Daywork Sheets Turning Up Weeks Later With Nobody Remembering the Work?
Main contractors get daywork sheets weeks late with hours nobody can check. We build same-day daywork capture with photos, sign-off and the instruction.
How Do We Get Every Subcontractor Working to the Same Three-Week Lookahead Instead of Last Month's Programme?
Main contractor lookahead programmes are printed, pinned up and out of date by Wednesday. We build a live lookahead that each trade sees and confirms weekly.
How Do We Stop Site Managers Ringing Merchants for Materials With No Order Number and No Job Code?
Main contractor site orders placed by phone leave invoices with no order number or job. We build quick mobile ordering that raises and codes the order on site.
How Do We Stop Deliveries Arriving Unannounced on a Tight Site While Others We Called Off Never Turn Up?
Main contractor deliveries arrive unbooked while call-offs go missing. We build a delivery booking and call-off tracker that suppliers and the gate both use.
How Do We Stop Paying Weekly Charges on Towers, Welfare Cabins and Drying Equipment Left on Site After Their Trade Has Gone?
Main contractors pay weekly charges on towers, cabins and dryers long after use. We build a register that asks site managers weekly and checks hire invoices.
How Do We Track Every RFI to the Architect and Engineers So Site Is Not Waiting on an Answer Nobody Is Chasing?
Main contractor RFIs get lost in email chains with the design team. We build an RFI log that tracks each query, who owes the answer, and what work it holds up.
How Do We Make Sure Trades on Site Are Never Working From a Superseded Drawing Revision?
Main contractor sites keep printing drawings that are later superseded. We build revision control that tells each trade which sheet changed and what moved.
Why Are We Still Chasing Subcontractors for O&M Manual Content in the Last Fortnight Before Practical Completion?
Main contractors chase subcontractors for O&M manuals and as-built mark-ups at completion. We request each package's documents while the trade is on site.
How Do We Manage Defects the Client Reports After Handover Without Losing Track of Which Subcontractor Owes the Fix?
Main contractors lose track of defects reported after handover. We build a defects log that takes client reports, routes each to the trade and tracks closure.
How Do We Decide Which Tenders to Price When Invitations Arrive Faster Than Our Estimators Can Handle?
Main contractors price too many tenders and win too few. We build a tender register that scores each invitation against your criteria before estimators start.
Why Does Our Monthly Progress Report to the Client Take the Project Manager Two Days to Pull Together?
Main contractor monthly progress reports are rebuilt from diaries, photos and programmes. We build reports that assemble themselves from site records.
How Do We Catch the Work That Falls Between Two Subcontract Packages Before It Turns Up on Site?
Main contractors find work nobody priced between trade packages. We build a scope matrix that maps every item to a package and flags gaps before orders go out.
How Do We Get Our Own Joiners' and Labourers' Hours Onto the Right Jobs and Cost Codes Every Week?
Building contractors lose track of which job their own operatives' hours belong to. We build weekly time capture that codes hours to job and activity from site.
How Do We Stop Doing Extras Homeowners Asked for on WhatsApp and Then Arguing About Them on the Final Bill?
Builders agree homeowner extras on WhatsApp and argue over them at the final bill. We build an extras log priced and approved by the client before work starts.
How Do We Invoice Homeowners for Each Build Stage on Time and Stop Chasing Payments Weeks Late?
Builders invoice homeowner stage payments late and chase them later still. We build stage tracking that invoices as each stage is signed off on site.
Why Do So Many of Our Extension and Refurbishment Quotes Go Quiet After We Send Them?
Builders send extension quotes that go quiet with no follow-up. We build an enquiry tracker that books the survey, sends the quote well and follows up on time.
How Do We Deal With Neighbour Complaints About Our Site Properly Instead of Whoever Picks Up the Phone?
Main contractor sites get neighbour complaints by phone, email and at the gate. We build a complaints log that records, assigns, responds and shows the pattern.
How Do We Keep Track of Power, Water, Gas and Telecoms Connection Applications So the Building Is Not Finished Without Supplies?
Main contractors find utility connections late for handover when applications stall. We build a connections tracker with each utility's steps, owners and dates.
How Do We Make Sure Steel, Windows, Lifts and Other Long-Lead Items Are Ordered Early Enough to Hit the Programme?
Main contractors order long-lead items late and the programme pays. We build a procurement schedule working back from site dates to order deadlines.
How Do We Keep Every Skip and Muck-Away Waste Transfer Note Filed Against the Right Site Without a Paper Folder?
Main contractor waste transfer notes go missing between site and office. We build waste records that capture each ticket, check the carrier and file it by site.
How Do We Stop Scrambling for Local Labour, Apprentice and Spend Figures Every Time a Framework Wants Its Social Value Return?
Main contractors scramble for local labour and spend figures for social value returns. We build a record that gathers them from site and accounts as it happens.
Why Do We Retype the Same Company Details, Policies and Project Examples for Every Pre-Qualification Questionnaire?
Main contractors retype the same company answers for every PQQ and selection questionnaire. We build an answer library that drafts each from approved content.
How Do Our Directors See What Is Happening on Every Live Site Without a Round of Monday Phone Calls?
Main contractor directors ring each site manager to find out how jobs are going. We build a live overview of every site from records your teams already keep.
How Do We Remember Which Subcontractors Performed Well and Which Let Us Down When We Build the Next Tender List?
Main contractors forget which subcontractors performed well by the next tender. We build short end-of-package reviews that feed your approved supply chain.
How Do We Book and Confirm Resident Appointments on an Occupied Refurbishment So Our Trades Are Not Turned Away at the Door?
Main contractors on occupied refurb schemes lose days to residents who are not home. We build resident booking, reminders and a liaison log for every home.