Subcontractor Management Software for Canadian General Contractors

Every sub qualified, every draw supported, every holdback released on time.

Qualify and onboard subcontractors with documents that expire visibly, reconcile progress draws against the work actually in place, and track builders lien holdback per subcontract through to release, so closeout is a formality rather than an investigation.

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Trusted by construction companies of every size, worldwide

Subcontractor risk managed before it reaches the site

Subcontractor management software for Canadian general contractors keeps qualification, payment and performance on one record per sub. Archdesk tracks insurance certificates and safety credentials to their expiry dates with alerts, reconciles progress draws against the work in place with holdback and change orders included, and carries builders lien holdback per subcontract from the first draw to release. Under Canadian construction contracts the holdback runs for the life of the package, so it lives beside the draws it was withheld from, not in a separate spreadsheet. Performance is scored the same way on every project, so the next award runs on evidence.

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

Insurance cannot lapse silently

Insurance certificates and safety credentials carry expiry dates that trigger notifications, so a lapse surfaces before the sub mobilizes, not mid-job.

Draws paid on what is in place

Progress draws reconcile the work in place against what has been paid, with holdback and change orders carried in one position per subcontract.

The file completes itself

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

Performance history outlives the people

Quality, schedule adherence and safety are scored the same way on every project, so the evaluation follows the packages the sub actually delivered.

Holdback tracked to release, not to memory

Builders lien holdback is tracked per subcontract beside the draws it was withheld from, with approvals on an auditable workflow, so release timing at closeout is read off the record instead of reconstructed.

Smiling site manager in safety gear with an excavator behind her

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

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 final billing.

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, holdback and notices, on time every period.

Payment notices issued on time, with a record

Progress payments tracked per package

Holdback managed automatically

Approval workflows and invoice processing

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

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

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

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 general contractor?

It keeps compliance, payments and performance for every subcontracted package on one record: insurance and accreditations tracked to expiry with alerts, progress draws reconciled against payments with holdback 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 draws and payments handled?

Work progress is valued per package and reconciled against what has been paid, with holdback managed and change orders included in the position. Progress draws, 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 draws 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 general contractor. For software to run your own subcontracting business, see the Archdesk for Subcontractors and Specialty Contractors page, which covers pricing work, tracking crews and getting paid as a sub.

How do holdback and lien waivers fit into paying subcontractors?

In Canadian practice, paying a subcontractor runs on the progress draw cycle under provincial lien legislation: holdback is retained and released on statutory timelines, often with lien waivers exchanged along the way. 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 does Archdesk track builders lien holdback on subcontracts?

Holdback is tracked per subcontract alongside progress draws and change orders, so the amount withheld on every package and its release timing stay visible on the same record the payments run on. Under Canadian construction contracts that balance runs for the life of the package, and it stays in view for all of it.

How do progress draws work against subcontractor payments?

Each draw reconciles the work in place against what has been paid on the package, with holdback and approved change orders in the position, so what a sub is owed and what the record supports are the same number.

Does Archdesk integrate with QuickBooks Online?

Yes. Archdesk integrates with QuickBooks Online, so approved subcontractor payments and the ledger stay in step without double entry and finance keeps its own system.

Is subcontractor performance comparable across projects?

Yes. Quality, schedule adherence and safety are scored on the same scale on every project, and the scores aggregate per subcontractor across the portfolio, so bid lists are built on delivered packages rather than memory.