Resources for small contractor crews
Practical, no-fluff guides on running the office side of a small home-service business — estimating, quoting, invoicing, scheduling, GPS time tracking, payroll and job costing. Written for people who'd rather be on the job site than doing paperwork.
Looking for the tools instead of the guides? See the Contractor CRM, Quoting software, GPS time tracking, Field service management and Job costing software pages.
CRM
Quotes & Estimates
Quote vs estimate for contractors: which one should you send?
The practical difference between a quote and an estimate, when to use each, and what every contractor quote should include.
How to Estimate a Contractor Job (Step by Step)
A practical walkthrough of scoping, measuring, labour hours, materials, subs, overhead, markup and contingency for an accurate estimate.
How to Write a Contractor Estimate That Protects You
The anatomy of a solid contractor estimate document — scope, exclusions, allowances, payment schedule, terms and signature.
Invoicing
How to invoice contractor clients (and actually get paid)
A practical invoicing workflow for small contractor crews — deposits, progress payments, follow-ups and online payment.
How Much Deposit Should a Contractor Charge?
Typical deposit ranges as rules of thumb, why deposits matter, material-heavy vs labour-heavy jobs, and the local rules you need to check.
How to Create a Construction Payment Schedule
Milestone-based vs percentage-based payment schedules, tying payments to real progress, holdback, and final payment with deficiency lists.
Job Costing
Time & Payroll
GPS time tracking for contractors: the honest guide
How GPS time tracking really works on the job site, what geofences do, and how to avoid the common pitfalls.
How to Track Employee Hours on Job Sites
Paper timesheets vs texts vs an app — rounding, breaks, travel time, overtime, approvals and being upfront with your crew about GPS.