Subcontractor Management Software for UK Main Contractors

Accredited, valued, retained, released. Every package on the record.

Onboard and accredit subcontractors before they reach site, value each subcontract package as the work progresses, and settle applications for payment on records that hold up. Retention is tracked per subcontract through to release, so payment certainty runs both ways: your supply chain knows where it stands, and so do you.

Get Started

Trusted by construction companies of every size, worldwide

Every package under control, from award to retention release

Subcontractor management software for UK main contractors keeps every subcontract package on one record: the accreditations that let a sub start, the valuations that decide what they are paid, and the retention that has to be released long after the package closes. Archdesk tracks insurance and safety accreditations to their expiry dates, reconciles applications for payment from subcontractors against the work valued on site, and carries retention per subcontract through to release. Performance is scored the same way on every job, so the next award decision runs on the packages a subcontractor actually delivered, and the supply chain that performs gets the work.

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

Paid what the valuation supports

Applications for payment from subcontractors are reconciled against the work valued on site, with retention and variations carried in one position per subcontract package.

Insurance cannot lapse silently

Insurance certificates and safety accreditations carry expiry dates with notifications, so a lapse surfaces before the subcontractor reaches site, not halfway through the package.

Performance history outlives the people

Quality, programme adherence and safety are scored the same way on every job, so the record follows the packages a subcontractor actually delivered, not the version someone remembers.

The file completes itself

Subcontract orders, certificates and qualification documents sit in one controlled store with version control, and anything missing is requested automatically rather than chased by email.

Payment certainty, both ways

Valuations, approvals and retention run on workflows that leave an auditable record, so every step of the payment cycle on every subcontract package can be evidenced, from first application to retention release.

Smiling site manager in safety gear with an excavator behind her

Cost Value Reconciliation

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

Progress vs payment on every package

Earned value calculated automatically

Variations 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

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

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 main contractor?

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

Work progress is valued per package and reconciled against what has been paid, with retention managed and variations included in the position. Valuations, 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 valuations 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 payment notices and retention fit into paying subcontractors?

In UK practice, paying a subcontractor runs on the application and certification cycle: a payment notice sets out what will be paid, a pay less notice any difference, and retention is held and released under the subcontract. 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 retention on subcontract packages?

Retention is tracked per subcontract with the rest of the commercial record, so the balance held on every package and its release timing stay visible alongside the valuations. Release stops depending on a spreadsheet someone has to remember when the defects period ends.

Can subcontractors submit applications for payment into Archdesk?

Yes. Subcontractors work through shared forms and documents as external collaborators at no cost, so applications for payment come in against the right package and land on the same record the valuation and approval run on. The supply chain never needs to buy a licence.

Does Archdesk integrate with UK accounting systems?

Yes. Archdesk is a certified Xero partner and integrates with Sage, so subcontractor payments approved in the platform and the ledger stay in step without re-keying, and finance keeps its own system.

Does the subcontractor record work across the whole portfolio?

Yes. Every package a subcontractor has delivered, on any job, sits on one record: accreditations, valuations, retention and performance scores. Award decisions read the whole history at portfolio level, not just the last project someone worked with them on.

Does Archdesk support payless notices under the Construction Act?

Yes. Archdesk runs the payment cycle on workflows that leave a record: applications, approvals, retention and notices, with payless notices issued in line with the Construction Act, on time every period.