Guides for trade businesses
Practical, no-fluff guides on staffing, compliance, pricing, and accountability — written for contractors.
How to Find and Vet Subcontractors: A Contractor's Checklist
A practical checklist for finding and vetting subcontractors: where to look, what to verify (license, COI, references, capacity), red flags, and how to lock the deal.
Read guideSubcontractor vs. Independent Contractor vs. Employee: What's the Difference?
A plain-English guide for contractors on subcontractor vs. independent contractor vs. employee — the control test, who supplies tools, and why misclassification is risky.
Read guideThe Construction Labor Shortage Is Really an Allocation Problem
Construction's labor problem isn't a raw shortage — it's uneven distribution across time, geography, and trade. Here's how to cover gaps and monetize crew downtime.
Read guideChange Orders in Construction: How to Handle Scope Changes Without Losing Money
A plain-spoken guide to construction change orders: what they are, why verbal changes kill margin, what to put in writing, and a simple repeatable process.
Read guideWhat Is Retainage? How Retention Works in Construction Contracts
Retainage is a percentage of each payment held back until a job is done. Learn how construction retention works, why owners hold it, and how subs manage it.
Read guideWhat Is a Certificate of Insurance (COI)? A Contractor's Guide
A plain-English guide for contractors on what a Certificate of Insurance (COI) is, what's on it, why GCs require it, what additional insured means, and how to keep it current.
Read guideConstruction Payment Terms Explained: Net 30, Pay-When-Paid, and Getting Paid Faster
Net 15/30, pay-when-paid vs pay-if-paid, progress billing, and retainage explained — plus practical ways trade businesses get paid faster and cut payment risk.
Read guideHow to Fill Last-Minute Crew Gaps Without Lowballing the Trade
A practical playbook for covering a sudden labor gap fast — using structured offers, floors and caps, vetting, and accountability — without undercutting fair pricing.
Read guideHow to Price a Construction Job: Estimating, Markup, and Margin
A plain-English guide for contractors on pricing a job: estimating loaded labor and materials, markup vs. margin, overhead, and protecting profit after the bid.
Read guideSubcontractor Agreements: What Every Trade Business Should Lock In
What to put in writing for a trade-to-trade subcontractor agreement: scope, rate, schedule, insurance, change handling, and why an immutable record protects you.
Read guideHourly, Flat-Rate, or Bid: How to Price Trade Labor Fairly
Compare hourly, flat-rate, and bid pricing for trade labor. Learn when each model fits, how to protect your margins, and how guardrails keep pricing fair.
Read guideStop chasing crews. Start filling gaps.
Join the businesses getting early access to SKILLS. 3 months free, then $99/year.