SealedScope
Process Guide

Subcontractor Disputes? Cover Every Link in the Chain.

The sub says it wasn't in their scope. The homeowner thinks it was in your bid. You're stuck in the middle paying for work that nobody agreed to cover. Sound familiar?

Where GC-Sub Disputes Start

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Scope Gaps

The plumber thinks the GC is handling the drywall patch. The GC thinks it was in the plumber's bid. The gap costs money, and the argument costs time.

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Verbal Agreements

β€œI told him to add the extra run.” Without a signed change order, that phone call is worthless. The sub can deny it or inflate the price after the fact.

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Pass-Through Costs

The homeowner approves a change, but the GC forgets to flow it down to the sub with a matching change order. Now the sub's bill doesn't match the client's approval.

Two-Layer Change Orders: GC to Client, GC to Sub

1

When extra work is needed, create a change order from you (the GC) to the homeowner with the total cost including markup

2

Simultaneously create a matching change order from you to the subcontractor with their portion of the work and agreed rate

3

Get both signed before any additional work begins. No exceptions

4

Both documents reference the same scope, so there's no confusion about who does what and who pays whom

5

Store both in SealedScope so you have a complete audit trail linking the client approval to the sub agreement

Keep Every Link in the Chain Covered

Mirror Every Change

Every client-facing change order should have a matching sub-facing change order. If the scope changes up, it changes down. No orphaned approvals.

Define Boundaries

Be explicit about where one sub's scope ends and another's begins. The electrician pulls wire to the box. The HVAC sub connects from the box to the unit. No gaps.

No Verbal Add-Ons

If a sub asks you on-site to approve extra work, create a change order on the spot from your phone. SealedScope makes it take less than two minutes.

Stop Playing Telephone With Your Subs.

SealedScope lets you create matching change orders for clients and subcontractors in minutes. Every link in the chain gets a signed document.

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