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Tips, updates, and construction industry insights.
Subcontractor Compliance Checklist: What to Collect Before a Sub Starts Work
A practical subcontractor compliance checklist for small general contractors and remodelers. The documents to collect before a sub starts work (W-9, COI, workers' comp, license, agreement), and how to keep them current.
Read more →Free Residential Change Order Template (PDF & Word) + How to Get It Signed
Download a free change order form built for remodelers, in PDF and Word. Plus what every change order should include and how to get clients to sign before the work starts.
Read more →Progress Billing for Remodelers: A Residential Payment Schedule (10/40/30/20) Explained
How remodelers bill homeowners in milestones — a typical 10/40/30/20 payment schedule, how to roll change orders into it, and the mistakes that cause payment fights.
Read more →Joist App Alternative for Remodelers: Joist vs. BuildSuite Invoicing (2026)
Joist is a solid estimating and invoicing app, but change orders and e-signatures live on its higher plans. Here's an honest comparison with BuildSuite Invoicing, including where Joist is still the better fit.
Read more →How to Read a Certificate of Insurance (COI): What Contractors Should Check on a Sub's ACORD 25
A field-by-field guide to the ACORD 25 certificate of insurance for general contractors. What to check on a subcontractor's COI, the red flags, and why "additional insured" on the certificate isn't enough by itself.
Read more →Free Contractor Invoice Template (PDF & Word) + What Every Invoice Should Include
Download a free contractor invoice template in PDF and Word. Plus what to put on a construction invoice so clients pay on time, and the mistakes that slow payment down.
Read more →Free Construction Estimate Template (PDF & Word) for Contractors
Download a free construction estimate template in PDF and Word, with scope of work, line items, a payment schedule, exclusions, and a signature block. Plus how to write an estimate clients say yes to.
Read more →Architectural Plan Scanner — How BuildSuiteScan Turns a LiDAR Scan Into a CAD-Ready Floor Plan
Not every "floor plan app" produces something you can actually use for a bid, a permit, or a CAD drawing. Here's what makes a floor plan architectural-grade, and how BuildSuiteScan gets there from a single phone scan.
Read more →Laser Floor Plan Scanner vs. Handheld Laser Measure — What Contractors Should Know
A laser floor plan scanner and a handheld laser measure both use lasers — but they solve very different problems. Here's how phone-based LiDAR scanning compares to the tape-measure-replacement tool you probably already own.
Read more →Subcontractor COI Tracking Software — How to Stop Chasing Expired Insurance Certificates
Expired Certificates of Insurance are one of the most common compliance failures on construction job sites. Here's how modern COI tracking software solves the problem.
Read more →Floor Plan Scanner App for Contractors — LiDAR vs Manual Entry Explained
Not every iPhone has a LiDAR sensor. Here's how BuildSuiteScan works on both LiDAR and non-LiDAR devices — and which phones and iPads are supported.
Read more →Introducing BuildSuiteScan — Room Scanning for General Contractors
We built a LiDAR-powered room scanning app that turns any space into a floor plan and cost estimate in minutes.
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