A decision guide for General Contractor
Practical AI and automation workflows for General Contractors
Pick the general contractor task in front of you. Each workflow is labeled by what actually does the work: an AI agent, AI assisting you, or conventional software.
6 workflows · Workflow guides; no independent tool testing claimed
Start here
Start with the task that costs you the most time each week, and try it on a small, non-confidential sample first.
Which workflow fits?
Flag risky contract and spec clauses with AI before legal review
AI document review tools built for construction flag risk in contracts and project documents.
AI assists Not legal advice. Have counsel review.
Open the workflow →Flag scope gaps in drawings and specs with AI before bid day
Pre-construction AI reviews drawings, specs and contracts to surface risks and scope gaps.
AI assists Tools miss things. Your team still owns the scope review.
Open the workflow →Invite subs and level bids in a bid management platform
Bid management platforms connect GCs with subcontractor networks and track bid invitations and responses.
Conventional automation Leveling needs a person who knows the scope. AI misses unstated exclusions.
Open the workflow →Find projects to bid earlier with construction lead databases
Project lead databases and AI pursuit tools surface upcoming projects and help prioritize them.
Conventional automation Lead data can be incomplete. Confirm with the owner or bid documents.
Open the workflow →Pull newly issued building permits from city open data into a weekly lead list
Many cities publish issued permits through open data APIs. A short script pulls the last 7 days, filters by work type and job cost, and writes a CSV you can sort for bidding or outreach.
Conventional automation Permit data usually has no phone or email. Follow privacy and anti-spam rules for any outreach.
Open the workflow →Track subcontractor insurance certificates and licenses before anything expires
A shared sheet stores each sub's required documents and expiration dates, flags anything within 30 days, and acts as a hard gate: nothing expired gets scheduled or paid. A weekly reminder email does the chasing.
Conventional automation A current certificate is not proof of coverage. Endorsement wording and limits need a person, and sometimes a broker, to confirm. This is not legal or insurance advice.
Open the workflow →
Get ready once
- Tool access and a confirmed license.
- A sample project file you are allowed to share.
- A reviewer for anything that leaves your desk.
Know when to stop
- Stop if inputs, units or code editions are unclear.
- AI output and clean software reports do not establish adequacy; the professional of record is responsible.
A practical sequence
- Pick one workflow.
- Run it on a sample.
- Check the result against the source.
- Adopt it on a live project with review.
All General Contractor workflows
- Flag risky contract and spec clauses with AI before legal review
- Flag scope gaps in drawings and specs with AI before bid day
- Invite subs and level bids in a bid management platform
- Find projects to bid earlier with construction lead databases
- Pull newly issued building permits from city open data into a weekly lead list
- Track subcontractor insurance certificates and licenses before anything expires