Plain answers to the questions contractor owners and CFOs ask about their records, their contracts, their bonding and licensing their job history. Every guide cites its sources.
How long should a contractor keep project records?Most contractors should keep project records for the state statute of repose plus 3 years. Here's how long to keep job cost, change orders, RFIs, payroll and tax records, and what to do with the archive after.Construction statute of repose by stateThe construction statute of repose in all 50 states and DC: how many years, when the clock starts, extensions, and the statute citation, for MEP contractors and engineers.Who owns your construction job cost data?An MEP subcontractor generally owns the job cost data, estimates and records it creates. Here's what AIA A201, ConsensusDocs, subcontract confidentiality clauses and Procore, Trimble, Autodesk and ServiceTitan terms say.How do you get your full job history out of Procore, Viewpoint or ServiceTitan?What a full export from Procore, Trimble Viewpoint, ServiceTitan and Autodesk Construction Cloud includes and leaves out, what each vendor's terms say about your data and AI, and how to plan the export before your contract ends.How do sureties calculate bonding capacity?Sureties size a contractor's bond program at roughly 10 to 20 times the lesser of adjusted working capital or net worth. Here's what underwriters adjust, how single and aggregate limits work, and how to raise capacity.Can AI do construction estimating?AI takeoff tools now count and measure from drawings in minutes. Here's what they do well, where they fall short on commercial MEP bids, what they cost, and what to ask a vendor before you buy.Can a contractor license its project records to AI companies?Yes, in most cases, if your contracts, software agreements and privacy obligations allow it. What MEP contractors need to check, what gets excluded, how de-identification works and what a data license covers.What happens to project records when a contractor retires, sells or closes?In a stock sale your project records go with the company. In an asset sale the purchase agreement decides. Here's who keeps what, how long exposure lasts after you close, and what buyers review.