Forward the instruction.
Get the draft notice.
Keep the variation moving.
VariationGuard helps subcontractors turn builder emails, site instructions and verbal directions into structured draft variation notices, evidence checklists, cost workbooks and a live variation register.
Capture instructions onsite, let the office review and price them later, then copy and send the final wording yourself.
Built for subcontractors who want cleaner variation records before final account.
Private beta — access is by invitation. See pricing
Draft commercial administration support only. Not legal advice. No notices are sent automatically.
Example workflow. All outputs are drafts for your review. Nothing is sent automatically.
The work gets done. The paperwork gets missed.
A builder emails a revised drawing, gives a verbal direction onsite, or asks for a quick change while the job is moving.
The work gets done.
But if the instruction is not captured, the notice is late, the evidence is thin, or the price is left until final account, the variation becomes harder to support.
Most subbies do not lose variation value because the work was not real. They lose it because the paperwork was late, incomplete or forgotten until final account.
Don’t wait until final account.
- Verbal directions get forgotten
- Builder emails get buried
- Office finds out too late
- Pricing is rushed
- Registers become messy
- Evidence goes cold
Built for how subbies actually work
Site captures the instruction. Office reviews it. The business decides what to send.
Field capture onsite
Record a verbal direction, site request or builder instruction from your phone while the details are fresh.
Office review in the project
Captured items appear in the project's Instructions register, so your admin, partner or office team can triage them in context before anything is used.
Cost and prepare
Build the price with labour, materials, plant, subcontractors, overhead, profit and GST.
Copy and send manually
VariationGuard prepares draft wording for review. You edit, copy and send it yourself.
Nothing is sent automatically
The workflow — from instruction to review item
Paste, forward or capture the instruction. Review the draft. Track the item. Price it properly.
Field capture from your phone
Capture a builder instruction, verbal direction or site request while the details are fresh. Save it for office review — not sent, not submitted, just ready for review.
Capture or forward the instruction
Paste a builder email, forward a direction, or record a verbal instruction from site.
Review the possible variation assessment
VariationGuard helps assess whether the instruction may be a likely variation, possible variation, clarification or within-scope item.
Check the draft notice wording
Get cautious draft wording for review, including possible variation notice wording or verbal direction confirmation wording.
Add evidence and track the register
Keep the item in a live register with evidence prompts and status tracking.
Price the work
Use the cost workbook to build up labour, materials, plant, subcontractors, other costs, overhead, profit and GST.
Submit manually
Review, edit, copy and send the final wording yourself.
Capture the instruction before the details go cold.
Use VariationGuard to turn a site instruction into a review item, draft notice, evidence checklist and register entry.
What you get from one captured instruction
Draft variation notice
Cautious, professional draft wording that says the instruction may constitute a variation, subject to your subcontract and the project facts.
Verbal direction confirmation
For verbal site instructions, create draft confirmation wording while the details are still fresh.
Covering email
A short, ready-to-edit email to accompany the draft notice or submission.
Evidence checklist
Prompts for the records to collect now — instruction, drawings, photos, timesheets, dockets, labour, plant and materials.
Potential notice deadline
A calculated reminder based on the subcontract notice settings you configure, for review only.
Register item
Every captured instruction can be tracked in a live register so it does not disappear before final account.
Price the variation without losing the breakdown.
A variation is easier to review when the cost build-up is clear.
VariationGuard’s cost workbook helps you build the price using labour, materials, plant, subcontractors, other costs, overhead, profit and GST.
- Labour, materials, plant and subcontractor rows
- Overhead, profit and GST
- Subtotals and totals
- CSV export
- Costed submission wording for review
The cost workbook is a calculation aid and commercial admin tool, not accounting, tax, QS or legal advice.
Variation cost workbook
| Labour | — |
| Materials | — |
| Plant | — |
| Subcontractors | — |
| Other costs | — |
| Overhead | — |
| Profit | — |
| GST | — |
| Total | — |
Example layout. Figures you enter stay editable and exportable.
Start free. Stay low-cost.
Try VariationGuard on real instructions for 30 days. Then keep using it from $19/month.
Basic
Self-serve$19/month
For sole traders and small subcontractors.
- 30-day free trial
- Up to 3 active projects
- Manual paste and field capture
- Limited inbound forwarding
- Draft variation notices
- Verbal direction confirmation
- Potential notice deadline tracking
- Evidence checklist
- Cost workbook
- Variation register
- CSV export
Private beta — access is by invitation.
Pro
Private beta$199/month
Assisted onboarding for growing trade businesses with multiple projects and users. We help you get set up during private beta.
- Higher-volume fair use
- More active projects
- Project inbound aliases (beta)
- Owner, admin and field user roles (rolling out)
- Office review workflow (beta)
- More instruction assessments
- More draft notices
- Cost workbooks and registers
- Priority support (planned)
Private beta — access is by invitation.
One missed variation can cost thousands. Basic starts at less than $5 a week.
Feature limits may be adjusted during private beta. All outputs are drafts for review. See full pricing
You stay in control.
VariationGuard helps with commercial administration. It does not replace your judgement, your subcontract review or professional advice.
Not legal advice
VariationGuard helps you organise information and prepare drafts. Whether something is a variation depends on your subcontract and the project facts.
Not auto-send
Every output is a draft. You review, edit, copy and send manually. VariationGuard does not email the builder for you.
Not a guarantee
It does not promise payment, approval or entitlement. It helps you create cleaner, earlier, better-supported commercial records.
Not a dispute tool
It is built to help subcontractors communicate clearly and keep records, not to pick fights with builders.
Private beta now open for Australian subcontractors
We are looking for subcontractors who want a simpler way to capture builder instructions, draft notices, price variations and keep a cleaner register.
- Trade business owners onsite during the day
- Small teams with office/admin support
- Subcontractors dealing with verbal directions, builder emails and site instructions
- Businesses that want to stop leaving variation admin until final account
Private beta — access is by invitation.
Questions, answered straight
Is VariationGuard legal advice?
No. VariationGuard provides draft commercial administration support only. It does not provide legal advice or determine your legal rights.
Does VariationGuard send notices automatically?
No. Nothing is sent automatically. You review, edit, copy and send manually.
Does it guarantee I will be paid?
No. VariationGuard does not guarantee entitlement, payment or builder approval. It helps you capture information earlier and keep cleaner commercial records.
Who is it for?
VariationGuard is built for subcontractors and trade contractors, especially small to medium businesses that need a simple way to capture, draft, price and track variations.
Can I use it from site?
Yes. VariationGuard is designed for mobile-friendly field capture, so instructions can be recorded while they are fresh.
Can my admin or partner review items later?
Yes. The workflow is designed for field-to-office review. Site captures the instruction. Office/admin reviews, prices and prepares the submission.
What trades can use it?
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire, ceilings, partitions, plasterboard, joinery, waterproofing, roofing, flooring, tiling, painting, glazing, civil, landscaping, steel, fitout and remedial contractors.
Can I enter my subcontract notice period?
Yes. VariationGuard can store subcontract notice requirements and use them to flag potential notice deadlines for review.
What happens after the trial?
After the 30-day free trial, you can keep using VariationGuard from $19/month.