Scope keeps shifting with every site visit. Verbal instructions become disputes. Variations go unrecovered. By the time you see the margin problem, it's too late. TradeControl gives subcontractor directors real-time commercial visibility — so every change is documented, every variation is tracked, and every dollar is defended.
Trusted on 7 active projects · $23.4M portfolio under management · Built from 15+ years in commercial construction
The problem
Where subcontractors lose money
Construction runs on roughly 5% margins. A single unrecovered $50K variation on a $500K contract turns a profitable job into a loss. One in ten variation disputes leads to complete project failure. Subcontractors wait an average of 56 days to see payment — while fronting every cost from day one. The problem is not the work. The problem is that scope changes, verbal instructions, and undocumented variations erode margin invisibly — and by the time a dispute lands, the evidence is gone.
01
Scope drift
Work creeps beyond the contract. No-one documents it. By practical completion, you're carrying costs that were never in the price.
02
Verbal instructions
Site managers follow verbal directions from builders. Weeks later, those instructions become disputes. With no record, there is no defence.
03
Unapproved variations
Changes are instructed. Work is carried out. The variation is never formally approved. The invoice gets rejected or discounted.
04
Back charges
A back charge arrives. The clause it relies on is buried in the SOW. Without a quick, referenced response, most subbies absorb it.
05
No audit trail
Events live in WhatsApp threads, email inboxes, and site managers' heads. When it counts, the record doesn't exist.
06
Directors flying blind
No consolidated view of variations pending, open back charges, or commercial risk across active jobs. Problems surface too late.
How it works
Five steps to commercial control
01
Upload
Upload your SOW and contract documents. The system structures and indexes every clause.
02
Structure
Scope inclusions and exclusions are extracted and linked. Supply vs install responsibilities are clear from day one.
03
Track
Site managers log events in the field. Variations, delays, back charges, and instructions — timestamped and evidenced.
04
Respond
AI drafts structured commercial notices referencing contract clauses. You review and send. Nothing goes without your approval.
05
Protect
A complete, defensible audit trail. Evidence packs ready for disputes, claims, or extension of time submissions.
Features
Built for how subcontractors actually work
Variation tracker
Every change logged, evidenced, tracked to approval
Log variation requests the moment they happen. Attach instructions, emails, and photos. Track dollar value exposure from draft through to approved or rejected — with a full record either way.
Variation Log
VN-0014 — Additional fire stops L3$12,400
VN-0013 — Revised door scheduleApproved
VN-0012 — Concrete amendmentRejected
Evidence pack
One-click defensible documentation
Generate a complete evidence pack — cover page, event summary, per-event pages with photos, and contract references. Ready for dispute resolution, adjudication, or legal proceedings.
Evidence Pack — BP1037
Site photos — 14 Mar 20266 files
Builder notice — BC-0041PDF
SOW clause 7.3.2 extractReferenced
Scope engine
Query your contract in plain English
Site managers ask questions about the scope in plain language and get back the relevant clause — with the exact section reference. No more digging through 200-page PDFs on site.
“Who supplies door hardware — us or the builder?”
Clause 4.2.1(b) — Door hardware is supply-only by builder. Subcontractor responsible for install to manufacturer spec. See also clause 4.2.3 re: lock sets.
Works offline — cached on your phone for use on site
AI response drafting
Structured notices referenced to contract
When a back charge arrives or a site instruction needs a formal response, TradeControl drafts it — referencing specific clauses from your SOW. You review and send.
AI analysis
Back charge BC-0041 references SOW clause 7.3.2 — builder claims drainage remediation “not to spec.” TradeControl found: original spec was met per clause 7.3.2(a). Builder instruction SI-0019 changed the spec on 14 March.
Edit draft
Send notice
AI scope search — no competitor offers this
Evidence packs for disputes — built in, one click
Built for subs — not a builder tool you're forced into
Real scenario
A builder submits a $28,000 back charge for site remediation on a $500K contract — claiming rework was “not to spec.” Without documentation, the subcontractor disputes informally, spends $15,000 on lawyers over 15 months, and recovers $14,000. Net result: a loss. With TradeControl, the original specification is in the Scope Engine, the instruction that created the change is logged in the event timeline, and the clause-referenced response is drafted in minutes — not months.
Pricing
One defended back charge pays for a year
Flat monthly fee. No per-seat charges. No lock-in contracts. Cancel any time.
In internal use, TradeControl delivered over $100,000 in estimated annual value for a single subcontractor — through defended back charges, recovered variations, and commercial time saved. A one-time setup fee covers full onboarding, SOW configuration, and a walkthrough of your first live job.
All plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start. Setup fee is invoiced after trial conversion. No per-seat charges — unlike Procore and PlanGrid, your whole team gets access at one flat price.
Why this exists
Built from running a subcontractor — not from a conference room
TradeControl was born from running a specialist commercial subcontractor. We fought scope creep. We pursued unrecovered variations. We absorbed back charges we could not defend. We watched margin disappear while looking at last month's reports.
Enterprise platforms are built for builders to manage subcontractors. TradeControl is built for subcontractors to protect themselves. That difference is fundamental — and it shapes every feature, every workflow, every decision.
This is not a generic project management tool repackaged for construction. It is a commercial control system built specifically for the subcontractor's position in the contract chain.
Get commercial control. Protect your margin.
Start your 14-day free trial today. No credit card required. Full access from day one.