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.
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.
Low margins
Subcontractor margins
56 days
Average wait for payment
1 in 10
Variation disputes cause project failure
$100k+
Annual value delivered internally
Built by subcontractors, for subcontractors · Forged from 14 years on the tools in commercial construction
The problem
Where subcontractors lose money
Construction runs on tight 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
Subcontractors 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 people's 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 teams log dayworks, forms, 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
Day Labour Dockets
Submit a signed docket before the crew leaves the gate
Six-step mobile docket — job, labour, materials, hours, photos, sign. Generate a signed PDF and dispatch to the builder before the crew clocks off. The docket lands in the builder's inbox before your team reaches the gate.
DLD-BP1037-20260507-003
4 workers · 32 hrs ordinarySigned
Materials + 3 site photos$3,840
Emailed to builder PM · CA · site superSent
AI Invoice Auto-fill
Photograph an invoice. Claude reads it.
Photograph a supplier invoice. Claude reads the line items, supplier name, and totals — and pre-populates your docket in seconds.
AI extract
Supplier: Dulux Australia — $1,420.00
Back Charge Defence
Clause-referenced response in under a minute
Builder issues a back charge. AI drafts a clause-referenced response in under a minute using your SOW. Director reviews, sends. Most disputes resolved before they escalate.
Every response cites the SOW clause it relies on. Reviewable before sending.
Variation Drafter
Verbal instruction to formal notice
A verbal site instruction becomes a properly formatted, time-bar-aware variation submission — with prior-builder pricing context already loaded from the job register.
Log an Issue
Photo. Clause. Notification.
Photograph a defect on site. AI cross-references your SOW to identify the obligation clause and the responsible party. Builder is notified automatically with the clause attached.
Variations
Pre-filled from your job register
AI pre-fills variation notices from backend job data — job code, builder contacts, contract details. No re-keying. One tap to generate the PDF.
Material Orders
Order from site, no admin call
Request materials on site. AI fills the order: supplier name, your ABN, and delivery address from the project. Drafted ready for one-tap send to your approved supplier list.
SOW Query
Plain-English answers, clause cited
Ask a question about your scope in plain English. Get a clause-referenced answer in seconds. “Do we supply the fixings for FD30s?” — answered from your actual SOW document.
Answers cite SOW clauses. Confirm against the contract before relying on them.
PDF + Email Dispatch
Branded, routed, automatic
Every docket, variation, and notice generates a branded PDF and dispatches to the right contacts — builder PM, contract admin, site super — automatically from the project register.
Director Dashboard
Every active job. Every variation. Every open back charge. One screen.
Pending notices. SOW exposure. Day labour cost across every project. No spreadsheet. No status meetings. The single view of commercial risk that no per-job tool can give you.
AI scope search — purpose-built for subcontractor scope
Evidence packs for disputes — built in, one click
Built for subs — not a builder tool you're forced into
AI-generated drafts are commercial documentation only. Review before sending. TradeControl does not provide legal advice.
For the team on the ground
Run the site without admin nights
Site Crew is the docket-and-forms layer. Built for the foreman, not the back office. 14-day free trial, no credit card required to look around.
Dayworks Dockets — unlimited
Six-step mobile docket. Branded PDF dispatched before the crew clocks off.
Job, labour, materials, hours, photos, sign. The branded PDF lands in the builder's inbox before your crew clocks off — not the morning after.
AI invoice OCR
Photograph a supplier invoice. Materials auto-fill in seconds.
Claude reads line items, supplier, and totals — your docket pre-populates in seconds. No retyping. No back-office relay.
Site forms suite
Pre-Start, Toolbox Talk, Site Report, Test & Tag, Incident.
All mobile-first. All under a minute. All branded, signed, and auto-emailed to the builder.
Photos and signatures, captured on site
Multi-photo capture. Inline signature pad. Embedded in the PDF.
Photos and attendee signatures sit inside the docket or form, not as a separate attachment. One file, one record, one click.
Auto-emailed to your builder
PM, contract admin, site super — all in the loop automatically.
Every docket and form lands in the right inboxes — pulled from the project register. No CC roulette, no copy-paste relay.
Works offline. Syncs when you're back.
Out of signal? Forms, photos, and signatures queue locally.
Sync the moment you reconnect. No re-keying, no lost dockets, no coverage-dependent admin.
Up to 5 site users · No setup fees · 14-day free trial
I built TradeControl because I was the director. 17 active jobs. $12M in subcontracts. Every variation disputed, every docket chased, every back charge a 3-hour fight. I needed software that understood how subcontracting actually works — not how PMs wish it worked.
— Steve, Director (Carpentry & Joinery, Victoria)
5 min
Average time to submit a signed day labour docket
$23.4M
Portfolio managed in beta across 7 active projects
2 hrs
Saved per week chasing builder acknowledgements
Currently in pilot with subcontractors across carpentry, fitout, and joinery in Victoria.
CarpentryElectricalPlumbingFitoutGlazingConcrete
Pricing
One defended back charge pays for a year
Flat monthly fee. No per-seat charges. No setup fees. No lock-in contracts.
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.
Most directors start on Director. Site Crew is the trial-only entry tier for crews whose director hasn't bought in yet — easy to upgrade when they do.
Founding 50 — limited to the first 50 Director / Group subscribers
Lock in $29/mo for life on Director. No price increases ever.
47 of 50 spots remaining · Site Crew is not part of Founding 50
Direct line to Cal (founder) for product feedback
First access to new features
Influence on the product roadmap
Site Crew
$29
per month
For the team on the ground. 14-day free trial · No Founding 50 lock.
Day Labour Dockets — unlimited
Site forms — Pre-Start, Toolbox, Site Report, Test & Tag, Incident
AI invoice OCR — photograph an invoice, materials auto-fill
14-day free trial on Site Crew and Director. Card at signup. Cancel anytime before day 14, no charge. No per-seat charges — your whole team gets access at one flat price. No setup fees on any tier.
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.
FAQ
Common questions
Is there a setup fee?
No setup fees on any tier.
What's the Founding 50?
The first 50 subcontractors to subscribe to Director or Group lock in $29/mo for life on Director. No price increases ever. You also get a direct line to the founder, first access to new features, and influence on the product roadmap. Site Crew is not part of Founding 50 — it's our trial-only entry tier.
What's included in the trial?
14-day free trial on Site Crew and Director. Card at signup. Cancel anytime before day 14, no charge.
What's the difference between Site Crew and Director?
Site Crew is for the team submitting dockets and forms on the ground. Director adds the commercial control layer — variation tracker, back charge defence, SOW Query, evidence packs, director dashboard. If your director is the one chasing variations, you need Director.
Does this work offline on site?
Yes. TradeControl is a PWA. Dockets, photos, and forms queue locally when you're out of signal and sync when you're back online.
Can I export evidence packs as PDF?
Yes. Every event, variation, back charge, and notice is one click away from a branded, multi-page PDF — built for handing to a lawyer, builder, or insurer.
What happens to our data if we cancel?
Your data is yours. Export everything to PDF and CSV before cancellation. We retain backups for 30 days post-cancellation in case you change your mind, then permanently delete.
Where is the data hosted?
Australian region. Supabase Postgres with row-level security. We can provide region and security details on request.
Can I upgrade later?
Yes. Upgrade or downgrade any time from the billing page. Pro-rated.
Do you charge per user?
No. Flat monthly fee per organisation. Your whole team gets access at one price.
Ready to lock your Founding 50 spot?
Founding 50 is for Director and Group. Site Crew has its own free trial.