# Keeping clients and subs updated without project management software

By James Grokman, CEO, TapeAndFloat · 2026-10-25 · Canonical: https://gc.tapeandfloat.com/guides/client-sub-updates-without-pm-software.html

**Keeping clients and subs updated means a short, regular status message: what happened, what is next, and what you need from them. Big platforms sell client portals for this; Buildertrend says on its [pricing page](https://buildertrend.com/pricing/) it was built for builders who oversee 5+ projects a year, and many small firms run fewer.**

## A weekly client update in five lines

```
Job: 412 Oak St kitchen
Done this week: cabinets set, electrical rough inspection passed
Next week: countertops template Tue, tile starts Thu
Decisions needed: faucet choice by Friday
Open change orders: CO-3 pantry shelving, awaiting your signature
```

Same day each week, by email. Clients mostly want to know it is moving and what they owe a decision on.

## A sub look-ahead

Each Friday, send each sub a two-week look-ahead: their dates, the trade before them and anything they need on site. A missed handoff between trades costs more than any software.

## Keep one source of truth

A shared Google Sheet with one tab per job (schedule, decisions, change orders) is enough for most small builders. The hard part is keeping it current.

## Where an assistant helps

TapeAndFloat drafts the weekly client update and sub look-ahead from your Sheet and recent emails, for you to edit and send.

**Free 60-day pilot:** forward your job emails to the assistant, keep working in your own Sheet, and get a short daily list of what is slipping. No new app, no card. [Request a pilot spot](../#pilot).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do small builders need a client portal?

Not necessarily. A consistent weekly email and a shared sheet cover what most clients ask for.

### How often should I update clients?

Weekly on a fixed day, plus right away when a decision or change order needs their signature.

### What should a sub look-ahead include?

Their start and finish dates, the trade before them, site access and any materials or decisions they depend on.

### Can the assistant send updates automatically?

It drafts them; you approve and send.