TapeAndFloat.com for small builders & GCsScheduling subs and inspections without a PM app
A 2-week lookahead is one list of every task, sub and inspection planned on each job for the next two weeks, with start dates, who is confirmed and which inspections are requested. Small builders can run it with texts and one sheet: no project management app needed, as long as someone keeps the sheet current.
Free download: 2-week lookahead: subs & inspections schedule (Excel). One row per job per task; it works out confirm-by dates from your settings, sorts rows into Now, Week 1, Week 2 and Later, and flags subs not confirmed, inspections not requested, failed inspections with no re-inspection date, the same sub on two jobs at once, rows with no sub, and tasks starting before what they depend on. No email required.
1. One sheet, one row per job per task
Each row is one piece of work or one inspection on one job: job or address, task, type (sub work, inspection, delivery, other), the sub or crew and their phone, start date and end date. Every job lives on the same sheet, so you can see when one crew is needed in two places.
2. Look two weeks ahead, not two months
Plans further out change too often to confirm. Two weeks is far enough to line up subs, order materials and request inspections, and close enough that dates are real. Filter the sheet to this week and next week, review it at the same time each day, and push anything further out to a later row.
3. Confirm every sub by a set date
Pick how many days before a start you want each sub confirmed, and write that confirm-by date on the row. A text is enough: "Hi Luis, confirming your crew for drywall hang at 412 Oak on Tuesday and Wednesday. Can you reply yes?" When they answer, mark the row confirmed. A start coming up that is still not confirmed is the first thing to chase each day.
4. Request inspections early and log the result
Add each inspection as its own row on the day you need it. Your local inspection office sets its own rules for how and when to request, so put your own lead time in the sheet and mark the row once you have asked. When the result comes in, write pass, fail or partial. A failed or partial inspection needs a re-inspection date right away, because the tasks after it are waiting.
5. Write down what each task depends on
Some work cannot start until something else is done: insulation after the rough-in inspection, drywall after insulation, paint after finish. Put the task it depends on in the row. If a predecessor slips, you can see which subs to move before they show up to a job that is not ready.
6. Catch double-booked subs
Small subs often work for several builders. If the same crew is on two of your jobs on the same day, one of them will not show. Sort by sub and start date, or let the sheet flag overlaps, and fix the dates before the week starts.
7. Send each sub their dates by text
Once the two weeks look right, text each sub the rows that are theirs: job, task, dates and anything they need to know about access. Keep replies with the job; when dates change, update the sheet first and then text the sub. For client updates, see keeping clients and subs updated without a PM tool.
8. Review the lookahead every day
- Starts coming up that are not confirmed.
- Inspections coming up that are not requested.
- Failed or partial inspections with no re-inspection date.
- The same sub on two jobs at the same time.
- Rows with no sub, no start date, or a start before the task they depend on ends.
This is general information about running an office, not legal or code advice. Follow your local inspection office's rules.
Where an assistant helps
Schedule changes arrive as texts, calls and emails from many subs. During the pilot, TapeAndFloat sets up, one piece at a time, a list of who is on which job plus inspection reminders, built from the messages you forward and kept in your own Google Sheet. We draft the confirmation texts and reminders; you approve before anything goes out, and a real person reviews everything.
Free 60-day pilot: forward your job emails to the assistant, keep working in your own Sheet, and we flag what is slipping. During the pilot we set it up one piece at a time and a real person reviews everything. No new app, no card. Request a pilot spot.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a 2-week lookahead schedule?
A short list of every task, sub and inspection planned on each job for the next two weeks, with start dates, who is confirmed and which inspections are requested. It is reviewed often and updated as dates change.
Do I need project management software to schedule subs?
No. A small builder can schedule with texts and one shared sheet, as long as someone keeps the sheet current and confirms each sub before their start date.
How far ahead should I confirm a sub?
Pick a set number of days before each start and write that confirm-by date on the row. The right number depends on your subs and your work; what matters is that the date is written down and checked.
How far ahead should I request an inspection?
It depends on your local inspection office, which sets its own request rules and lead times. Check with them, put that lead time in your sheet, and mark each inspection once it is requested.
Want this tracked for you? Join the free pilot.