Every Sub, Contract, W9, and Payment
in One Place
Sub profiles with trades and contacts, W-9s collected through a link, insurance and license tracking, bid requests with automatic reminders, and lien waivers that follow the payments.
Subcontractor management is included on Starter at $29/mo; cost tracking and lien waivers on Pro at $79/mo. 10-day free trial of every Pro feature. Add a card at signup - cancel before day 10 and you won't be charged.
Your subs are professionals - your sub paperwork shouldn't be a junk drawer
The folder-and-spreadsheet system
- • W-9s requested by text, delivered as blurry photos
- • Insurance certificates expired months ago - nobody noticed
- • Bid requests scattered across calls and email threads
- • No record of which sub was asked, who answered, or who was awarded
- • Payments logged in one place, lien waivers (maybe) in another
- • 1099 season means digging through email attachments
With SpecNook
- One profile per sub: trade, contacts, docs, history
- W-9s collected through a link the sub fills out
- COI and license tracking that flags expirations
- Bid requests with automatic reminder nudges
- Bids compared side by side, awarded on the record
- Payments logged with lien waivers generated to match
How SpecNook manages subcontractors
From the first W-9 to the final lien waiver - the whole working relationship, on the record.
Sub Profiles
One profile per subcontractor: trade, contact details, documents, project assignments, and payment history. When someone asks which electrician did that job, the answer is one search away.
W-9 Collection by Link
Send a secure form link and the sub fills out their own W-9 - no account, no paper, no retyping. The completed form lands on their profile, and stale W-9s get flagged.
Insurance and License Tracking
License numbers, insurance expiry dates, and certificates of insurance with an additional-insured attestation. Expired coverage is flagged so it can't hide until something goes wrong.
Bid Requests and Awards
Send scoped bid requests to chosen subs, who respond through a link. SpecNook nudges non-responders automatically; you compare bids side by side and award the work - all documented. Included with subcontractor management.
Contracts and Documents
Sub contracts and signed documents live on the sub and the project, not in an inbox. When a dispute surfaces two years later, the signed agreement is right where you left it.
Payments and Lien Waivers
Log payments per sub and per project. Each payment can generate its matching lien waiver, and sub costs roll into your job costing. Cost tracking and lien waivers are Pro features.
From new sub to paid sub in 3 steps
Build the profile
Add the sub with their trade and contacts, send the W-9 link, and record their license and insurance. Five minutes of setup, and the compliance chasing is done.
Put them to work
Assign subs to projects. When work needs pricing, send a scoped bid request - SpecNook reminds slow responders, and you compare the bids and award. Contracts and signed documents attach to the job.
Pay and protect
Log each payment as you make it and generate the matching lien waiver on the spot. Payment history builds per sub and per project, and sub costs feed your job cost picture.
Frequently asked questions about subcontractor management
What is subcontractor management software?
Subcontractor management software keeps everything about the subs you work with in one system: their trades and contact info, tax paperwork like W-9s, insurance and license status, which projects they're assigned to, the contracts they've signed, and what they've been paid. It replaces the folder-and-spreadsheet system that falls apart the day you need a W-9 at 4pm on a Friday.
How does W-9 collection work?
You send each sub a secure form link - no account or app required on their end. The sub fills out their W-9 information themselves, and the completed W-9 lands on their profile in SpecNook. No chasing paper forms, no scanning, no retyping tax IDs, and SpecNook flags when a W-9 has gone stale.
Can I track insurance and licenses?
Yes. Each sub's profile carries their license number and insurance expiry date, and you can record certificates of insurance with an additional-insured attestation and expiry - SpecNook shows you when a COI has expired, so nobody is on your site with lapsed coverage without you knowing.
How do bid requests (RFPs) work?
Create a scoped bid request for a project and send it to the subs you choose. Each sub gets a link to submit their bid - again, no account needed. SpecNook automatically nudges subs who haven't responded, and when the bids are in you compare them side by side and award the work.
What about lien waivers?
When you log a subcontractor payment, SpecNook generates the matching lien waiver - conditional or unconditional, progress or final - so waivers stay in step with the money instead of being an afterthought at closeout. Lien waivers are a Pro feature.
Which plan includes subcontractor management, and is there a trial?
Subcontractor management - profiles, W-9 collection, insurance and license tracking, project assignment, and bid requests - is included on Starter ($29/mo) and up. Subcontractor cost tracking (contracts and payments feeding your job costs) and lien waivers are Pro features at $79/mo. SpecNook has a 10-day free trial of every Pro feature. Add a card at signup - cancel before day 10 and you won't be charged.
Get your sub paperwork out of the junk drawer
Profiles, W-9s, insurance, bids, contracts, and payments - organized once, findable forever.
Start your free trialSubcontractor management from $29/mo (Starter); cost tracking and lien waivers on Pro at $79/mo. 10-day free trial of every Pro feature. Add a card at signup - cancel before day 10 and you won't be charged.