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AI operations for commercial subcontractors

Automation for commercial subcontractors: from bid to pay application without re-keying

Your office keeps typing the same job data into email, spreadsheets and the accounting system. We build the workflows that connect bid invites, change orders, pay application prep and lien waivers, so a number gets entered once and carried forward.

Book a 30-minute operations review

Done-for-you, fixed-price engagements for owner-operated subs doing $1M-$20M. Built around the tools you already use.

The paperwork is where the margin leaks

You sell to general contractors, not homeowners, and every GC has a slightly different process. If this sounds like your office, you are the reason it still works.

  • Bid invites come by email, through three different portals, and as plan-room links. Nobody logs them the same way, so I don't know what we actually passed on.
  • Takeoff is done, the quote is out, and then follow-up with the GC happens when somebody remembers.
  • Change-order requests sit in email threads. Half get billed late. A few never get billed.
  • Every month someone rebuilds the pay application (G702/G703 style) by hand from the schedule of values.
  • Conditional and unconditional lien waivers, COIs and W-9s get chased by email, one GC and one supplier at a time.
  • Retainage lives in a spreadsheet. Release time comes and we find out we forgot.

Four systems we build

Each is scoped to your process and tools. You may need one, or several that feed each other. Results vary by company; these are designed to reduce manual re-entry and missed follow-ups, not to promise a specific saving.

SYSTEM 01

Bid-invite capture and tracker

One log for every invitation, whichever way it arrives, with a clear bid/no-bid status and follow-up reminders.

BeforeInvites are scattered across inboxes and portals. Someone retypes project, GC, due date and contact into a spreadsheet when time allows. Quote follow-up is ad hoc.
AfterInvites forwarded to a shared address are read, key fields are extracted into a tracker, and the estimator reviews and decides. Due-date and post-quote follow-up reminders are sent to the right person.
SYSTEM 02

Change-order intake with approval routing

Every change request becomes a tracked item with an owner, an approval path and a billing status.

BeforeA foreman emails a photo and a sentence. The PM remembers to price it, maybe. The GC's approval is buried in a thread and the work is billed late.
AfterRequests are captured from a simple form or forwarded email, logged against the job, routed to the PM and owner for pricing approval, and flagged until the approved amount is carried into the next pay application.
SYSTEM 03

Pay-application prep from approved schedule-of-values data

A draft pay application assembled from data you already approved, for a person to review before it goes out.

BeforeEach month the office rebuilds a G702/G703-style package by hand: pulling percent complete, stored materials, approved change orders and retainage from different places.
AfterApproved schedule of values, progress inputs, approved change orders and retainage are combined into a draft in your format. Your team checks the numbers and submits. Nothing is sent to a GC without a person approving it.
SYSTEM 04

Lien-waiver and compliance-document chase

Automatic requests, reminders and a status board for waivers, COIs and W-9s, plus retainage tracking.

BeforeThe office emails subs and suppliers for waivers and compliance documents, loses track of who replied, and tracks retainage in a spreadsheet nobody owns.
AfterRequests go out on a schedule tied to the pay cycle, replies are filed to the job folder and checked off, expiring COIs are flagged, and retainage balances and release dates are surfaced before they're missed.
Example only: illustrative workflow, not a client result Illustrative workflow: approved data flows from change order to pay application to waiver and retainage Four boxes connected by arrows: Approved change order, Schedule of values update, Draft pay application for human review, Waiver request and retainage log. Change order approved by PM and GC Schedule of values updated once, no re-keying Draft pay app a person reviews before it is sent Waiver requests + retainage log, with reminders Example structure only. Your actual flow depends on your GCs, contracts and tools.
This diagram shows the kind of connection we design. It is not drawn from a specific client and carries no result or savings figure.

How an engagement works

A short, structured path with a price agreed before any build begins.

  1. 30-minute operations review

    We walk through how bids, change orders, pay apps and waivers move through your office today, and which tools are involved. We confirm what can realistically be connected.

  2. Scoped, fixed-price proposal

    You receive a written scope listing the systems, the tools touched, what is included, and a fixed price. No commitment to proceed.

  3. Build in stages

    We deliver one system at a time so your team can test it against real jobs and give feedback before the next stage starts.

  4. Handoff with documentation

    Written documentation of what was built, how it works, who can change it, and what to do when something looks off. Access is reviewed and handed over.

  5. Short support window

    A defined period after handoff to fix issues and tune the workflows as your team starts using them daily.

Investment

Typical range

$5,000 - $25,000

Engagements typically fall in this range depending on scope and how many systems and tools are involved. A single focused system sits toward the lower end; several connected systems across multiple tools sit higher.

You get a fixed quote in writing after the operations review. We don't publish package tiers or discounts, because the right scope depends on your process. Savings are not guaranteed; the systems are designed to reduce manual work and missed billing steps, and you will see the scope before you decide.

Is this a fit?

We would rather tell you early if this isn't right for you.

Good fit

  • Owner-operated commercial sub (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, drywall, roofing, fire protection, site work or similar).
  • Roughly $1M-$20M in annual revenue, about 10-100 employees.
  • You sell to GCs and bill on monthly pay applications.
  • You already use some accounting or project software, even if it's partly spreadsheets.
  • Someone in the office currently re-keys data between email, spreadsheets and accounting.

Not a fit

  • You want to buy a software product to log into. This is a services engagement.
  • You have no existing process for bids, billing or paperwork. We automate processes; we don't invent them.
  • You're looking for legal or compliance advice on lien rights or waiver forms.
  • Your work is primarily residential or homeowner-facing. This page is written for commercial subcontractors, so the fit may be weaker.

Frequently asked questions

Which tools does this work with?

We work with the kinds of tools most commercial subs already use: email and shared inboxes, spreadsheets, cloud storage, accounting systems, project management software and bid portals.

Whether a specific product can be connected, and how, depends on what it exposes. We confirm compatibility during the 30-minute review rather than assuming it, and we will tell you if something would need a manual step.

How are our data and system access handled?

We ask for the narrowest access that lets a workflow run, preferably through accounts you own and can revoke. Access is listed in the proposal, reviewed at handoff, and removed or transferred to you. We don't need your banking logins. Details of how submitted information is used on this page are in the privacy note below the form.

Who owns the workflows you build?

The intent is that you own what is built for you, and that workflows run in your own accounts wherever the tools allow. Documentation is part of handoff. Ownership terms and any ongoing third-party subscription costs are stated in the written proposal so there are no surprises.

What if the scope turns out larger than quoted?

Work is staged against a fixed-price scope. If we find something outside it, we stop, explain what we found, and send a written change for your approval before any extra work or cost. You can also choose to defer it.

Do you give legal advice on lien waivers?

No. Waiver forms and requirements vary by state and by contract, and your attorney decides which forms to use. We build the request, reminder and tracking workflow around the forms you and your counsel approve. Nothing we build should be treated as legal advice.

Will anything be sent to a GC automatically?

That is your decision. By default, pay applications and anything with money or legal weight are drafted for a person to review and approve before they go out.

Book a 30-minute operations review

Tell us where the paperwork hurts most. We'll use the review to map your bid-to-waiver flow, confirm which tools are involved, and decide whether a fixed-price scope makes sense. If it doesn't, we'll say so.

Or email julien@relaycairn.com

We reply by email to schedule the review. There is no self-serve calendar on this page yet.

Privacy: We use what you submit only to respond to your request, schedule the review and understand your workflow. We don't sell it or add you to unrelated lists. Please don't include passwords, banking details or confidential contract documents. See the privacy policy.

Important: Relaycairn builds workflow automation. We do not provide legal, lien-rights or compliance advice. Your attorney decides which lien waiver and legal forms to use. Outcomes depend on your process, tools and team; figures on this page are not guarantees.