Construction back office and admin automation for tradesmen and contractors

In detail

Back office, in detail.

Nexley handles enquiries, quotes, jobs and invoices in one place and takes the evening admin off you: one WhatsApp conversation, linked to Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. It runs the office side of a contracting business: enquiries answered when they arrive, jobs scheduled, RAMS and job packs filed where they can be found, invoices raised and chased, and customers kept informed — around the clock, not just when you are at a desk. It is the admin capacity of an office person, on tap, without the salary or the recruitment.

• Enquiries answered 24/7
• Paperwork filed, not lost
• Chasing done politely

The owner is the office — and that is the ceiling

In most smaller contracting firms there is no back office. There is the owner, after dinner, doing quotes, invoices, emails, scheduling and the school-run diary of three live sites — then getting up to run those sites. The business cannot take on more work because every extra job adds admin, and all the admin runs through one exhausted person. Growth stalls not for lack of demand but for lack of evenings.

Hiring an office manager fixes it — eventually, at a full salary, if you find someone good who understands construction paperwork. Most firms sit below the size where that hire pays for itself, which is precisely why they stay below it. That trap has a longer write-up in our guides.

Want to win some evenings back first? Our guide to admin for tradesmen gives 7 ways to stop doing paperwork at 9pm.

Construction office admin, done for you

Most construction admin is the same jobs every week: answer the enquiry, book the job, file the paperwork, send the invoice, chase the money. Nexley does them as they come in. Here's what that covers.

• Enquiries answered properly, at any hour. The 7pm “are you free to look at a job?” message gets a professional reply, the details captured, and a survey slot offered — while your competitor's voicemail is still taking messages.
• Scheduling that survives contact with reality. Jobs booked, teams and dates lined up, and the ripple effects of a rained-off day or a late delivery re-planned instead of re-argued.
• Documents filed and findable. RAMS, job sheets, certificates, photos, delivery notes — attached to the right job, so the answer to “have we got the paperwork for that?” is yes, in seconds, even a year later.
• Money admin and bookkeeping done on time. Invoices raised when work completes, payments chased courteously, receipts coded to the right job and the bank feed matched, so the bookkeeping stays current through the Xero, QuickBooks and Sage connection rather than a shoebox of receipts.
• Customers kept informed without you typing. Start dates confirmed, progress updates sent, and the small courtesies handled — the things you always meant to do and never had time for. Customers can also follow their job through a client portal.

Does Nexley chase quotes and unpaid invoices?

Yes. Nexley follows up quotes that go quiet and sends reminders on invoices that go unpaid, on a schedule and in your tone of voice. The follow-ups stop the moment the customer replies, and you approve every message before it goes.

Here's how a job runs, from quote to paid:

Chasing is the job everyone puts off, because it feels like pestering. A reminder that goes out on time, every time, means the money isn't left to chance, and you don't have to make the awkward phone call. Rather do it by hand? Our guide on how to chase an unpaid invoice has messages you can copy. If the customer is a business, you may also be able to add late payment interest.

What should a small trade business look for in admin software?

If you're comparing back office software, check these eight things. Each one comes with how Nexley does it, so you can hold us to it.

Two more to check with any supplier: that it works with Making Tax Digital software, and that it keeps your customers' data safe under UK GDPR. Our guide to what to look for in admin automation software covers both, plus the questions to ask before you pay and the warning signs.

What stays yours

Nexley does not price risk, negotiate a final account, or decide which jobs are worth taking — judgement stays with you, and anything commercial goes out only with your say-so. What changes is where your hours go: on the tools, in front of customers, and occasionally at home by 6pm, instead of underneath a pile of admin. All of it is included in the single Nexley subscription, starting with a 7-day free trial.