A Builders & Trades Alliance newsletter · Presented by TradeOwed
The Punch List
The paperwork, payment and business side of the trades, for subcontractors and the GCs who hire them. Five minutes, every other Tuesday.
What's in every issue
The Lead
One problem from the business side of the trades, explained start to finish.
Field Fix
One thing you can do this week, in under fifteen minutes.
Paperwork Check
A certificate, license or W-9 detail that trips people up. Presented by TradeOwed.
Ask the Alliance
A reader's question, answered. Names and companies are never printed.
On the Board
Quick hits: rule changes, deadlines and news worth knowing.
Change Orders
Articles written by readers, who pay by length to run them. Marked as paid. Submit yours.
Coming up
What the next issues cover, roughly in the order the year hands you the problems. Past issues
- 01NOV 10 2026FOR SUBS
The certificate that's holding your check
Why an expired certificate of insurance can freeze a pay app, and what a GC actually checks on an ACORD 25.
- 02NOV 24 2026BOTH
“Additional insured,” in plain English
Ongoing vs. completed operations endorsements, and the exact request to send your agent.
- 03DEC 8 2026FOR SUBS
Beat the January 1 renewal pileup
Policies that renew at year-end, and how to get new certificates to every GC before they ask.
- 04DEC 22 2026BOTH
W-9 and 1099 season, minus the scramble
Collect and send W-9s now so 1099-NEC filing doesn't stall in January.
- 05JAN 5 2027FOR SUBS
Read the insurance exhibit before you sign
The clauses in a subcontract that decide what you carry: limits, endorsements, indemnity and flow-downs.
- 06JAN 19 2027BOTH
Pay apps that clear the first time
The schedule of values, the backup, and the missing attachments that send a pay app back.
- 07FEB 2 2027FOR SUBS
Lien waivers: conditional vs. unconditional
What each one gives up, and when it's safe to sign.
- 08FEB 16 2027BOTH
Pay-when-paid vs. pay-if-paid
Two clauses that sound alike and shift risk very differently.
- 09MAR 2 2027FOR SUBS
Getting your retainage back
The closeout paperwork that releases the last payment on a job.
- 10MAR 16 2027FOR GCs
The GC's sub compliance file
What to collect from every sub, how to track expirations, and what an auditor looks for.
- 11MAR 30 2027BOTH
Licenses, bonds and the other paperwork that lapses
Beyond the COI: state and local licenses, workers' comp and the dates to watch.
- 12APR 13 2027FOR GCs
Premium audit season
How subs without valid certificates can raise your own workers' comp and GL bill.
Lineup can shift when something in the industry needs covering sooner.
Presented by
TradeOwed
Every certificate, on grade.
TradeOwed keeps a subcontractor's certificates of insurance, license copies and W-9s in one place, sends them to every GC that asks, and reminds you before anything expires, so a lapsed certificate doesn't hold up a payment.
No card needed for the trial. TradeOwed supports The Punch List; the Alliance writes every story, and sponsors don't review them before they run.
Ask the Alliance
Stuck on a pay app, a cert request or a clause in a sub agreement? Send it in. We answer one reader question every issue and never print your name or company.
Email your questionWho is it for?
Owners and office managers at subcontracting firms first, and the general contractors who hire them. If you send or collect certificates, pay apps or lien waivers, it's for you.
How often does it come out?
Every other Tuesday morning, starting November 10, 2026. Each issue is a five-minute read.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's general information. Lien deadlines, waiver forms and payment rules vary by state and by contract, so check with your attorney, insurance agent or accountant before acting.
Can my company advertise?
Yes. Suppliers, lenders, insurers, software makers, trades and anyone else serving the builder world can book a slot in any upcoming issue. TradeOwed is the presenting sponsor; the Alliance writes every story.