If you are a General Contractor doing between $1M and $15M a year, your truck dashboard probably looks like a filing cabinet exploded.
Between the rolled-up 24x36 sets in the backseat, the permit cards fading in the sun, and the endless stream of PDF revisions in your email inbox, managing construction documents is often harder than the actual construction.
But the real cost isn’t the mess. The real cost is the mistake.
It’s the framer working off “Revision 2” when the architect sent “Revision 3” last Tuesday. It’s the failed inspection because the permit card wasn’t on-site when the city official showed up. It’s the wasted hours digging through Dropbox folders trying to find the signed spec sheet.
You don’t need a complex Enterprise Document Management System (EDMS). You just need a single source of truth. Here is how to manage your permits and plans without the chaos.
The biggest mistake small to mid-sized GCs make is having files in too many places.
To stop the bleeding, you need one rule: If it isn’t in the cloud portal, it doesn’t exist.
By using a tool like Bid Bench, you create a central hub for every project. When a new set of plans comes in, it gets uploaded to the project folder immediately. That link becomes the only link that matters.
Email is where version control goes to die. When you email a PDF to a plumber, you have lost control of that document. If the plans change tomorrow, that plumber is now carrying a “digital landmine”—an old plan that looks exactly like the new one.
Instead of attaching files, share links.
When you use Bid Bench, you invite your subcontractors to view the budget and the documents in one place. If you update the plan in Bid Bench, the sub sees the new plan the next time they log in. You don’t need to send a “PLEASE IGNORE PREVIOUS EMAIL” blast.
We all know the physical permit box is legally required on-site. But reliance on that physical box is dangerous. Rain, wind, and theft happen.
You should maintain a “Digital Permit Box” for every project. This is a dedicated folder in your project management software containing:
If an inspector shows up and the physical card is damaged or missing, pulling up the digital version on an iPad can often save the inspection (or at least prove you have your ducks in a row).
Most GCs keep their budgets in Excel and their plans in Dropbox. The problem? They don’t talk to each other.
When you are building a budget, you want the specific page of the plan to be right next to the line item. If you are budgeting for “Electrical Fixtures,” you should be able to click one button and see the electrical schedule.
Bid Bench bridges this gap. Since we handle your budgeting, bid invitations, and file storage in one platform, your documents are always context-aware. You aren’t just storing a PDF; you are connecting it to the project’s financial reality.
If you can only access your plans from the office desktop, you are already behind. Construction happens in the field.
Your file storage needs to be cloud-native. You, your foreman, and your subs need to be able to pull up the detail 4/A-101 on a phone while standing in the mud. If they have to drive back to the job trailer or call the office to get a dimension, you are losing money.
You are growing out of Excel and email. You don’t need to jump all the way to complex, expensive software like Procore just to keep your files organized.
You need a simple, centralized place to hold your budget, your bids, and your blueprints.
Ready to clean up the chaos? Try Bid Bench today and keep your plans, permits, and proposals in one secure place.