How Do You Feel About Work Orders And Purchase Orders??

kdub1777

Especially the GC's. Do you send out work orders and purchase orders to all subs and vendors before they do any work? If not what is your process? I do not like all of the work orders, purchase orders, etc. for every little detail. It is a full time job just doing work orders and purchase orders and takes a long time and always messes up the schedule when dealing with them.

What do you do??

Mike Finley

The paperwork shouldn't mess up anything. When used properly it should help avoid messing up things.

POs always for purchases to vendors for materials. We don't do open POs meaning we don't say.

(1) toilet K9820
(1) faucet X9392

Instead we do

(1) toilet K9820 $450.00
(1) faucet X9392 $229.00

That avoids a ton of issues with your supply houses.

Change orders, sub contractor agreements are all your friend, will make you money and save you money.

DaVinciRemodel

We have the suppier/vendor/subcontactor send us a proposal. Once signed by us it is a work order/puchase order.

We give the vendor a list of what we need. Subcontractors must visit the jobsite before submitting a proposal.

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kdub1777

Thank you guys. I am looking at all types of systems to lighten the paper load. I think some of it is not needed.

Anyone else use Work Orders or Purchase Orders?

Zinsco

On a semi related topic, I modified a proposal template in Quickbooks with some language making it a contract. So first I send the customer a proposal, if they want to authorize the work I then take the same proposal and open it in the "Contract" template, save it as a PDF and email it to them.

Here in California the contract requirements for "Prime home improvement contracts" are very detailed and lengthy so my little Quickbooks contract can't be used for that, but for business to business purposes on small jobs it is adequate and saves time.

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72chevy4x4

are you by chance referring to 'estimate' and 'invoices' in QB's? If not, where is the proposal template.

Zinsco

Yeah, you're right, that's what I meant.
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AtlRemodeling

Does anyone have a good work order form they use with their subs? I looked in the 'forms' thread but and found 2 but they were both geared more as a work order between contractor and client.

Previously we did everything we could in house but are using more and more subs and I would really like to make sure we do not run into pricing snags as we expand. I have searched a lot of document sites but again come up with mostly contractor to client.

Thanks!

Mike Finley

You want a sub-contractor agreement not a work order. It's a contract. Do a search for that, there are a lot of companies that sell good versions if you can't find one for free.

AtlRemodeling

Thanks Mike. We have a sub contractor agreement that was provided by our lawyer. Unfortunately, the damn thing is too lengthy and cumbersome. My thoughts are to have this as a "Master Agreement" signed on file in our office. Then for each job have a work order that has details specific to that job (materials, unit price, labor, etc). This form could then reference the "Master Agreement".

I slapped together this form this morning but plan to tweak it. Maybe have one specific to each trade with common items (ie tile will have lines for sf of floor tile, sf of wall tile, lf of accents, etc) as well as blank lines for additional items.

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated.

Attached Files

Work Order.xls (134.5 KB, 75 views)

Mike Finley

I think that concept could work. I think as long as there is vebiage in the short form refering back to the long form sub-contractor agreement you should be fine. - I'd check with your attorney to be sure.

brooklynite

I have been a general contractor, or been with a general contractor for 16+ years and I have heard the same story over and over. Frustration over mismatched and incorrect paperwork and the lengthy process of training every single subcontractor is the reason we are in business and help general contractors and their subcontractors save loads of money by getting their change orders, proposals and work orders all streamlined through an outside business so they can focus on their own trade. Have you considered outsourcing your paperwork? You should look into it.

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