Subcontractor Management Software for Irish Main Contractors

Every package accredited, valued and paid, on one record.

Accredit subcontractors before they start, value each subcontract package as it progresses, and settle applications for payment against records that agree. Retention is carried per subcontract through to release, so no package closes with money still hanging in a spreadsheet.

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Trusted by construction companies of every size, worldwide

One record per subcontractor, from award to retention release

Subcontractor management software for Irish main contractors holds the whole life of a subcontract package in one place: accreditation and insurance checked before a sub starts, applications for payment reconciled against the work valued on site, retention tracked per subcontract until it is released, and a performance score that follows the subcontractor to the next tender. Archdesk keeps expiry dates on every certificate with alerts before anything lapses, carries variations in the package position, and scores quality, programme adherence and safety identically on every job, so award decisions run on evidence rather than memory.

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

Paid against the valued work

Applications for payment are reconciled against the valuation of each package, with retention and variations included, so what is certified and what is owed never drift apart.

Performance history outlives the people

Quality, programme adherence and safety are scored identically on every project, so the history behind the next award decision is the packages actually delivered.

Insurance cannot lapse silently

Certificates and safety accreditations are tracked to expiry with alerts, so a lapse is caught before the subcontractor is on site rather than mid-package.

The file completes itself

Subcontract orders, certificates and qualifications live in one controlled store with version control, and missing documents are requested automatically instead of being chased by email.

The payment cycle leaves a record

Applications, approvals and retention run on auditable workflows per subcontract package, so the position presented at the final account is the one the records have shown all along.

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

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

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 Irish practice, paying a subcontractor runs on the application and certification cycle: payment notices set out what will be paid, 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 is retention handled on each subcontract?

Retention is tracked per subcontract beside the valuations it was deducted from, with the balance and release timing visible on the package record. Jobs deep in the defects period stay on the same list as live work, so release is followed through rather than rediscovered.

Can subcontractors send in applications for payment without a licence?

Yes. Subcontractors work through shared forms and documents as external collaborators at no cost, so applications for payment, work records and accreditation documents arrive on the right package without the supply chain buying seats.

Does Archdesk integrate with the accounting systems Irish contractors use?

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

Is subcontractor performance visible across every job?

Yes. Ratings for quality, programme adherence and safety aggregate per subcontractor across the portfolio, so a tender list can be drawn from what the record shows rather than who the estimator happens to remember.