More starts.
Fewer holdups.
Permits, schedules, draws and closeout for licensed builders growing across Hampton Roads, so you can build more without adding office staff.
How it works for builders
Two minutes on how we work with licensed GCs: who handles the paperwork, how draws get packaged, and how you get paid.
Or call (757) 349-6750
Most small GCs don’t lose money in the field. They lose it waiting.
Draws kicked back
Missing waivers or photos that don’t match the draw line hold your money for weeks.
Change orders signed late
Work done before the paper is signed hands the owner the negotiation.
Closeout nobody finishes
Punch lists, warranties, and lien waivers drag on and hold your final payment.
Paperwork at 10 p.m.
The owner does the admin at night, or pays someone who doesn’t know what a lender reject.
Investors don’t leave good contractors because of the work, they leave because the paperwork can’t keep pace. Foundation First’s back office is built to fix that side of the relationship.
Staying retail or moving into development: what each one needs
Moving into development
New builds, lots, small subdivisions
RISKS
- You own the budget risk and carrying cost
- Lenders underwrite harder after the rate hike
- Draws, lender packages, and reporting multiply
OPPORTUNITIES
- Earn the developer margin, not just the fee
- Control the product and the schedule
- Build a portfolio you keep
Where we fit: lender-ready packages, draw management, development support, and our investor and lender relationships.
Funding your own builds? We keep the budget and schedule tight so your cash turns faster.
Four ways to work with Foundation First
PROJECT WORK
Project work
As owner-side projects come through our New Build Rescue and investor work, we invite vetted builders to bid. Deposits and draw structures are set before you mobilize, and we never ask you to finance the job.
PERMITS
Permit management
Packages built to each city’s checklist, submitted and tracked as your authorized agent, reviewer comments answered, inspections scheduled. You stay the builder of record.
GC BACK OFFICE
Project controls
Draws, lien waivers, change orders, client updates, and closeout run inside your JobTread, for a flat monthly fee.
SETUP
JobTread and AI
Account build, templates, and AI automations so daily logs and draw packages take minutes, not evenings.
Need construction accounting or bookkeeping? We’ll introduce you to a specialist accounting partner.
How the back office runs
01
Your JobTread
We work inside your account, so the records stay yours.
02
Our team
An operations specialist plus AI tools handle the volume.
03
Weekly rhythm
Draws prepared, waivers chased, change orders logged, client updates sent.
04
Job-health report
One page a week: what’s billed, what’s held, what’s at risk.
WHAT YOU GET
Draws submitted clean and on time. Conditional and unconditional waivers tracked for every sub and supplier. Change orders priced and signed before work starts. Closeout binders your owners can hand to their next lender.
WHAT WE DON’T DO
Accounting, bookkeeping, WIP reporting, or your field work. You run the job; we run the file. We don’t pull permits under our own license. You stay the builder of record.
Every pain point, and what we do about it
What hurts today |
What changes |
|---|---|
|
Permits stuck in review across five city portals |
One team runs every permit in every city, with a weekly status |
|
Draws kicked back |
Draw packages built to what the inspector checks |
|
Change orders signed late |
Priced and signed before work starts |
|
Waiting on draws while payroll runs every 14 days |
Deposits and draw schedules set before you mobilize on our projects |
|
Closeout drags, final payment held |
Closeout binder and lien waivers built as the job runs |
|
Paperwork at 10 p.m. |
An operations specialist and AI handle it; you review |
|
Feast-or-famine pipeline |
As owner-side projects come through our New Build Rescue and investor work, we invite vetted builders to bid |
Who we partner with: licensed for the work you perform, insured (general liability and workers’ comp), crew capacity to match the job, and ready to provide lien waivers.
Flat monthly pricing, built around your active jobs
Starter
$1,500/mo
Up to 3 active homes
Permit management + project controls
Standard
$2,500/mo
4–6 active homes
Permit management + project controls
Plus
$3,000/mo
7–9 active homes
Permit management + project controls
Growth
$3,500/mo
10–12 active homes
Permit management + project controls
More than 12 active homes: +$300/mo per active home above 12.
3-month minimum · $750 setup · billed monthly in advance · active = permit submitted through certificate of occupancy. Not on JobTread yet? Setup with AI automations from $2,500.
The national squeeze, and strong regional demand
82%
Of contractors had payment delays over 30 days (Rabbet, 2024)
65 hrs
A month GCs lose to payment admin (Rabbet, 2025)
349,000
Net new workers the construction industry must attract in 2026 (ABC, Jan 2026)
0.5%
Projected remodeling spending growth by early 2027, below inflation (Harvard JCHS, May 2026)
Most payment delay is document friction, not missing cash, a process problem with a fix. 38% of commercial contractors now report measurable business impact from AI, up from 17% in 2025 (ServiceTitan, March 2026).
OPPORTUNITIES
- $76.6B in Navy submarine contracts (July 2026); Newport News Shipbuilding delivers six of the nine Virginia-class boats
- LS Cable’s $689M manufacturing campus in Chesapeake (announced 2026)
- $310M federal loan (June 2026) for the I-64 Express Lanes, including the I-64/I-464 interchange
- Virginia ADUs by-right statewide July 1, 2027, with a $500 permit cap
RISKS
- Shipyards and defense manufacturers competing for the same electricians and trades
- Federal civilian cuts weighed on the regional economy in 2025
- The September 2026 rate hike makes lenders stricter on draws and budgets
- Coastal flooding and storms raise insurance and repair exposure
Let’s talk about your pipeline and your paperwork.
A 30-minute builder partner call: where your jobs get stuck, what we’d fix first, and whether our project work fits your crew.
