Subcontractor Management Software for Australian Main Contractors

Accredited, insured, evaluated, paid on time. Provably.

Onboard and accredit subcontractors with documents that expire visibly, keep progress claims and payments on the same package record, and hold performance history that outlives the people who remember it, across every trade on the job.

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Trusted by construction companies of every size, worldwide

No surprises at the final account

Subcontractor management software for Australian main contractors keeps every trade package on one record: the insurances and accreditations that let a sub start, the progress claims and payments that follow the work, and the performance history that decides the next award. Archdesk tracks certificates to their expiry dates with alerts, keeps progress claims on the same records as payments, retention and variations so the package position always reads current, and scores quality, schedule adherence and safety the same way on every project.

Construction manager in hard hat and hi-vis vest with arms crossed on site

Performance history outlives the people

Quality, schedule adherence and safety are scored the same way on every project, so the evaluation stays attached to the packages that subcontractor actually delivered.

Paid what the record supports

Progress claims reconcile work progress against payments, with earned value, retention and change orders in one position per package.

Insurance cannot lapse silently

Insurance certificates, safety accreditations and qualifications carry expiry dates that trigger notifications, so a lapse surfaces before the sub is on site, not mid-job.

The file completes itself

Contracts, certificates and qualification documents sit in one controlled store with version control, and anything missing is requested automatically.

Paid on time, with proof

Every step of the subcontractor payment cycle sits on an auditable workflow, with progress claims, approvals and retention on the same package record, so the position at the final account is the one the records have shown all along.

Smiling site manager in safety gear with an excavator behind her

Performance Tracking

Score every subcontractor the same way on every project: quality, schedule adherence, safety. The next award decision runs on evidence, not memory.

Quality assessment scoring

Schedule adherence per package

Safety performance metrics

Feedback collected from every project

Subcontractor Database

One record per subcontractor: trades, qualifications and how they performed on past packages. The knowledge stays when the person who held it leaves.

Subcontractors grouped by trade

Qualifications tracked on the record

Ratings and scores across projects

Full project history per subcontractor

Compliance Management

Insurance, certifications and safety requirements are tracked to their expiry dates, with alerts before they lapse. Nothing expires silently mid-job.

Insurance certificates tracked to expiry

Safety certification monitoring

Credentials verified on file

Notifications before anything lapses

Document Control

Contracts, certificates and qualification documents in one controlled store with version control. Missing documents are requested automatically, not chased by email.

Contracts filed with version control

Insurance certificates in one place

Qualification documents on record

Automated requests for missing documents

Cost Value Reconciliation

Reconcile what each subcontractor has built against what they have been paid. The position stays accurate through every change order, all the way to the final account.

Progress vs payment on every package

Earned value calculated automatically

Change orders in the position

Cost-to-complete forecasting

Payment Management

Run the payment cycle on workflows that leave a record: applications, approvals, retention and notices, on time every period.

Payment notices issued on time, with a record

Progress payments tracked per package

Retention managed automatically

Approval workflows and invoice processing

A subcontractor yourself? This page covers managing subcontractors on your jobs. For software to run your own subcontracting business, see Archdesk for Subcontractors and Specialty Contractors.

Questions from your subcontractors stay on the record too: construction RFIs are raised, tracked and answered on the same project.

Want the background first? Browse all subcontractor management guides.

Frequently Asked Questions: Subcontractor Management

What does subcontractor management software do for a main contractor?

It keeps compliance, payments and performance for every subcontracted package on one record: insurance and accreditations tracked to expiry with alerts, progress claims reconciled against payments with retention and change orders included, and performance history that survives staff turnover. The next award decision runs on evidence, not memory.

How does Archdesk stop insurance lapsing mid-job?

Insurance certificates, safety accreditations and qualifications are held on the subcontractor record with expiry dates that trigger notifications before anything lapses. Missing documents are requested automatically instead of being chased by email.

How are subcontractor progress claims and payments handled?

Work progress is valued per package and reconciled against what has been paid, with retention managed and change orders included in the position. Progress claims, approvals and payment notices run on workflows that leave a record, on time every period.

Do subcontractors need an Archdesk license to take part?

No. External collaborators such as subcontractors work through shared forms and documents at no cost, so accreditation submissions, work reports and progress claims flow into the record without the supply chain buying seats.

Is this page for subcontractors themselves?

This page covers managing subcontractors on your jobs as a main contractor. For software to run your own subcontracting business, see the Archdesk for Subcontractors and Specialist Contractors page, which covers pricing work, tracking crews and getting paid as a sub.

How do progress claims and retention fit into paying subcontractors?

In Australian practice, subcontractor payment runs on progress claims under security of payment legislation: the claim, the payment schedule and the certified amount each sit against dates that matter. Documents, approvals and payment records live on the same subcontractor record in Archdesk, so the paper trail sits with the numbers on every package.

How do progress claims from subcontractors fit into the record?

Progress claims sit on the same package records as payments, retention and variations, so what has been claimed, what has been approved and what has been paid read together per subcontract and across the portfolio.

Does Archdesk integrate with Xero?

Yes. Archdesk is a certified Xero partner, so approved subcontractor payments and the ledger stay in step without double entry and finance keeps its own system.