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OpsForTrades: The Software Playbook for Commercial Contractors

Most contractors didn’t start their business because they love software. They just want crews to show up, jobs to run smooth, and numbers to make sense. The problem is, the tools built for “everyone” rarely fit the chaos of real jobsites.

OpsForTrades exists to fix that. We help commercial contractors choose the right mix of ops, payroll, and HR tools so they stop bleeding time, margin, and sanity.

Built for Commercial Trades, Not Tech Startups

If your world is commercial roofing, paving, HVAC, concrete, electrical, or other trades, this site is for you. Everything here is written from the perspective of actual field work, not a software company marketing deck.

  • Crews in trucks, not at desks

  • Jobs spread across multiple sites and cities

  • Overtime, change orders, and schedule chaos

  • Payroll that has to work every week, no excuses

Our goal is simple: help you build a tech stack that supports the way your crews already work instead of fighting it.

Start With the Right Stack for Your Trade

The “best” software stack depends on what you do and how big you are. Start by picking the trade that fits you best.

Stacks by Trade

  • Ops Stack for Commercial Roofers

  • Ops Stack for Commercial Paving Contractors

  • Ops Stack for Commercial HVAC & Mechanical

  • Ops Stack for Concrete & Masonry Contractors

On each stack page, you’ll see a recommended mix of tools for time tracking, scheduling, payroll, HR, job costing, and communication, based on the size and style of your business.

Compare the Tools Before You Commit

There are more tools than ever promising to “streamline your operations.” Some are great. Some are awful. Some are fine but totally wrong for your situation.

Tool Reviews and Comparisons

  • Deep-dive reviews of time tracking, payroll, and HR tools built for construction

  • Side-by-side comparisons like “Gusto vs. [Construction Payroll Tool]”

  • Honest breakdowns of who a tool is actually good for and who should skip it

We focus less on features and more on one question: will this make your life in the field easier or harder?

Playbooks You Can Actually Use With Your Team

Choosing software is only half the battle. Getting your crews to actually use it is where most rollouts die.

Step-By-Step Playbooks

  • Moving from paper timecards to a crew app without mutiny

  • Setting up time tracking so job costing finally makes sense

  • Cleaning up your payroll and job codes so every job tells a true story

  • Onboarding new hires without drowning your office staff

Each playbook is written so you can hand it to an office manager or foreman and say, “Let’s do it like this.”

Who’s Behind OpsForTrades?

OpsForTrades is run by Koda August, who spends his days helping commercial contractors grow by getting their sales, marketing, and operations dialed in. After years in the commercial roofing and trades world, one pattern kept showing up: the wrong tools, glued together badly, causing constant friction.

This site is the guide Koda wished existed for owners, office managers, and ops leads who are tired of guessing their way through software decisions.

Where to Go Next

  • If you’re a commercial roofer, start with the “Ops Stack for Commercial Roofers” page.

  • If you’re in another trade, pick your trade on the “Stacks by Trade” page.

  • If you’re shopping a specific tool, head over to “Tool Reviews” and see if we’ve covered it yet.

Your crews don’t need more apps. They need the right ones, working together. OpsForTrades will help you figure out what that looks like for your business.