Back office help for specialty trade subcontractors
Outrigger Back Office prepares the pay apps, lien waivers, change orders and GC paperwork that small specialty trade subcontractors need to get paid on commercial and residential jobs. We work remotely with subs anywhere in the U.S., and you review and sign everything yourself.
Why specialty trade subcontractors call us
When you work under a general contractor, getting paid is not just about doing good work. It is about turning in the right paperwork, in the right format, by the GC's cutoff date. Miss the pay app deadline and your billing slides a whole month. Send it without a lien waiver or with an expired COI and it can sit in someone's inbox until you notice.
We built this service in the office of a working sitework company that bills GCs every month, so we know how that cycle goes. We set up your schedule of values for each job, prepare your pay app and waiver for you to sign, track retainage, and keep your document packet current so the GC has nothing to send back.
What usually falls behind
Missed pay app cutoffs
The GC's billing deadline lands in the middle of a busy week, the pay app goes in late, and the payment shifts to next month's cycle.
Paperwork sent back
A missing lien waiver, a wrong waiver type or an expired COI gets the whole pay app returned, and nobody tells you until you ask where the check is.
Extra work never billed
The superintendent asks for something extra in the field. Nobody writes it up, and at closeout there is no paper trail for it.
Retainage forgotten
Retainage from finished jobs sits uncollected because nobody tracked what was held back or asked for it when the work was done.
What the office looks like for a specialty sub
A specialty sub might be electrical, plumbing, mechanical, framing, drywall, roofing, fencing, striping or any other trade that works inside someone else's project. The office side is shaped by the GCs you work for. Each one has its own pay app form or portal, its own cutoff date, its own lien waiver requirements and its own prequalification paperwork. Some want an AIA-style G702 and G703, some want their own spreadsheet, and some want everything uploaded to a portal by the 20th.
Then there is the money held back. Retainage is a percentage kept from each payment until the end of the job, and on a long project it adds up to real money that is easy to forget about. Add in change orders for extra work the field was told to do, your own lower-tier subs and suppliers who need to send you waivers and COIs, and several jobs billing at once, and the office becomes a calendar of deadlines.
How we handle it
- Pay apps prepared for your signature. We set up your schedule of values per job, prepare each monthly pay app on the GC's form, and send it to you to review and sign before the cutoff.
- Waivers and documents in the package. We prepare the lien waiver paperwork you send with each pay app, collect waivers from your subs and suppliers, and keep your COI and W-9 current in your GC packet.
- Change orders in writing. Text or email us the GC, project, scope, price and payment terms. We write it up the same day if received by 2 pm, you reply APPROVED, and it goes to the GC from your billing email.
- Retainage on the list. Retainage held on every job is tracked in your tracker and shows up in your Monday update, so it gets requested when the job wraps up.
Where we start
Pay Apps & Lien Waivers
We set up your schedule of values, prepare monthly pay applications for you to sign, track retainage, and prepare and collect the lien waivers that go with each payment.
Learn moreChange Orders
Text or email us 5 details from the field. We write the change order the same day, you reply APPROVED, and it goes to the GC from your billing email.
Learn moreCompliance & Documents
We keep your company's COI, W-9, licenses and registrations on file, remind you before anything lapses, and send your GC packet whenever a GC asks for it.
Learn moreSpecialty Trade Subcontractors FAQ
Can you do my AIA pay apps every month?
Yes, we prepare your monthly pay applications on AIA-style G702 and G703 forms or on the GC's own form, based on the schedule of values we set up for each job. You review the percent complete and sign. Pay apps are included in the Standard and Full Office plans. If the GC uses an online portal, we prepare the paperwork so it is ready for you to upload.
Do you work with subcontractors outside Georgia?
Yes, we work with specialty trade subs anywhere in the U.S. We are based in Georgia, and the work is fully remote by phone, text, email and shared Google folders. Lien waiver forms and rules vary by state, and some states require specific waiver forms, so your attorney should confirm which forms you use. We then prepare and track them.
Which plan is best for a sub who bills GCs with pay apps?
Most subs who bill with pay apps fit Standard or Full Office, because pay apps are included in those plans. Standard covers up to 20 invoices and 8 change orders a month, with up to 5 GC packets. Full Office adds more volume, unlimited GC packets and prequalification tracking. Plans start at $699 a month, and the Plans page has every detail.
Will you file a lien if the GC does not pay me?
No, we do not file liens or lien notices, and we do not give advice about lien rights. That is a legal matter for an attorney in your state, because deadlines and rules vary. What we do is keep your billing, change orders, waivers and payment history organized so that if you need an attorney, you can hand them a clean file.