EGRET · FLORIDA CONTRACTOR INTELLIGENCE

Florida General Contractor Workflow: A Field-to-Office Command Center

Published October 23, 2026

A contractor’s command center should give the field and office one repeatable way to answer four questions: What was promised? What is happening now? What needs a decision? What needs follow-up?

The workflow below is an internal operating framework. Adapt the stages, roles, and records to your company and each project.

1. Start Every Opportunity With a Complete Intake Record

Before estimating, create one record containing:

  • Customer and project contacts
  • Project address
  • Requested scope
  • Plans, photos, and customer-provided files
  • Site-visit notes
  • Target dates discussed with the customer
  • Assumptions requiring confirmation
  • Person responsible for the next action
  • Next-action date

Decision point: Is the opportunity ready to estimate?

Move it forward only when the estimator has enough information to define the proposed scope and document assumptions. If information is missing, assign a specific follow-up rather than leaving the opportunity in a general lead list.

2. Build the Estimate From Documented Scope

Use a consistent estimating checklist:

  • Confirm the customer and project information
  • Break the work into understandable scope sections
  • Record exclusions and assumptions
  • Attach the supporting plans, photos, or notes
  • Review pricing and scope internally
  • Identify optional items separately
  • Record the estimate version and sent date
  • Assign ownership for follow-up

Decision point: What happened after sending?

Use one of these statuses:

  • Awaiting customer decision
  • Revision requested
  • Approved
  • Rejected
  • On hold

Do not overwrite an earlier version when the scope changes. Keep the history clear enough for the office and field team to identify which version was approved.

Egret raises an “estimate aging” alert for an estimate that was sent three or more days ago and is neither approved nor rejected, and the alert shows the estimate amount.

3. Convert Approval Into a Field-Ready Handoff

An approval should trigger a structured handoff rather than an informal message. The handoff package should include:

  • Approved estimate and scope version
  • Customer selections received to date
  • Current plans and supporting files
  • Known exclusions and assumptions
  • Project contacts
  • Site-access information supplied by the customer
  • Initial schedule or sequencing notes
  • Purchasing needs
  • Open questions
  • Person responsible for each open item

Handoff meeting checklist

The estimator, project lead, and office coordinator should review:

  1. What is included?
  2. What is excluded?
  3. Which assumptions still need confirmation?
  4. Which customer decisions are still open?
  5. Which materials or subcontracted work need coordination?
  6. What information must reach the field before work begins?
  7. Who owns each next action?

Decision point: Is the project ready for field coordination?

If the approved scope, current files, access information, or ownership of open items is unclear, keep the project in a handoff status. Record the blocker and assign the next action.

4. Run Daily Field-to-Office Reporting

Use a standard field update so the office does not have to reconstruct project conditions from calls and text threads.

Field update checklist

  • Date and project
  • Crew or subcontractors present
  • Work completed
  • Work planned next
  • Photos tied to the relevant work area
  • Material or equipment needs
  • Customer conversations affecting scope or sequence
  • Delays, blockers, or site concerns
  • Questions requiring an office decision
  • Person responsible for each follow-up

A useful update separates observations from decisions. The field records what happened; the responsible manager records what will happen next.

Decision point: Does the update require action?

Classify each issue as:

  • Information only
  • Field action required
  • Office action required
  • Customer decision required
  • Pricing or scope review required
  • Schedule review required

Every actionable item should have an owner and a visible status.

5. Control Scope Changes Before Work Proceeds

When requested work differs from the approved scope, create a scope-change record containing:

  • Who requested the change
  • Date of the request
  • Description of the requested work
  • Photos, sketches, or files
  • Pricing information
  • Expected effect on sequencing or scheduling
  • Customer decision status
  • Internal owner

Decision point: Is the request only a clarification?

Compare the request with the approved scope and assumptions.

  • If it is already included, document the clarification and notify the field.
  • If it changes the scope, route it for pricing and a customer decision.
  • If the impact is unclear, pause the affected decision internally and assign a scope review.

Keep the current approved scope distinguishable from proposed changes so the field team knows which work has been authorized by the customer.

6. Connect Progress Records to Billing Follow-Up

Before preparing an invoice, review:

  • Approved scope and accepted changes
  • Relevant field progress records
  • Prior invoices
  • Customer information
  • Amount being invoiced
  • Invoice status
  • Responsible follow-up person

After sending, use explicit statuses such as sent, paid, partially paid, disputed, or follow-up required. Record customer questions and assign them to a named owner.

Egret raises an “invoice overdue” alert for a sent invoice whose due date has passed, and the alert shows the invoice amount.

7. Separate Customer-Facing and Internal Information

Decide whether each file, note, photo, or update is:

  • Internal only
  • Customer-visible
  • Waiting for review before sharing

Internal job costs, margins, staff discussions, and draft decisions should remain separate from customer-facing information.

Egret provides a customer portal reached through a private link. It shows only project information and files marked customer-visible, and it does not expose internal job costs or margins.

8. Hold a Short Daily Operations Review

Review work by exception rather than reading every project record.

Daily review queue

  • New opportunities without an owner
  • Estimates awaiting a decision
  • Approved work awaiting handoff
  • Projects with unresolved field blockers
  • Customer decisions still open
  • Scope changes awaiting review
  • Invoices requiring follow-up
  • Tasks without an owner or next action

For every item, record:

  1. Current status
  2. Blocking issue
  3. Next action
  4. Owner
  5. Follow-up date

9. Use a Weekly Project Health Review

For each active project, ask:

  • Is the field working from the current scope and files?
  • Are open customer decisions documented?
  • Are field updates complete enough for office action?
  • Are scope changes separated from approved work?
  • Are purchasing and coordination items assigned?
  • Are billing questions documented and owned?
  • Does every blocker have a next action?

Use three internal health labels:

  • Clear: no unresolved blocker
  • Attention: a decision or follow-up is needed
  • Blocked: progress depends on unresolved information or action

The label should lead to an action, not replace one.

Command-Center Record Structure

A practical project record can be organized into these sections:

  1. Contacts and project summary
  2. Estimate versions and customer decision
  3. Approved scope and assumptions
  4. Current plans, photos, and files
  5. Schedule and coordination notes
  6. Field updates
  7. Customer decisions
  8. Scope-change records
  9. Invoices and payment follow-up
  10. Open tasks, owners, and next actions

The operating rule is simple: if an item can affect scope, sequencing, customer communication, or payment follow-up, record it in the project workflow and assign responsibility for what happens next.