Why do Subcontractors use Clearstory

Clearstory offers an all-in-one Change Order solution that accelerates your process by automating manual tasks, streamlining organization and improving customer communication.

Do you offer a free pilot period?

Yes! Schedule a demo with our sales team and we can set you up with a free, full-access pilot to try out all of the Clearstory software features on any current project.

Doesn’t my job costing or accounting software do this?

Clearstory is not a replacement for your internal job costing or accounting software. Through our API or existing integrations we connect with your internal system and help you supercharge workflows and communication that happen outside those systems.

What if my General Contractor isn’t using Clearstory

Clearstory is designed to be used by Specialty Contractors independently of their GCs. Invite your GC to a project so they can add review comments, and sign T&M Tags, but they are not required to create an account.

Real-Time Allowance Tracking for General Contractors

Allowance Tracking Shouldn’t Be a Side Hustle

Allowance overages are one of the fastest ways budgets go sideways. Most teams still track them in spreadsheets or emails, so updates lag and reconciliations fall behind. By the time everyone catches up, it’s already too late.

Surprise costs throw off forecasts

Manual logs = no real-time audit trail

Lost time chasing down updates

Live Dashboard: See What’s Used and See What’s Left

Get instant visibility into each project's balances based on draws from every individual COR. See how much has been used and what’s remaining across all categories. View by project or across the portfolio. Share with execs or owners in just a few clicks.

Instant Clarity for Every Allowance Dollar Spent

Track every allowance in real time to stay ahead of cost drift

Prevent surprises with live visibility into usage and exposure by trade and project

Keep teams and owners aligned with instant, audit-ready reporting

What Contractors are Saying About Clearstory Allowances

“We’re going to use this in our monthly report to the client — it’s already way better than the Excel version.”

Jack Braswell

Project Manager Gilbane

“This mirrors our internal process really well. We can actually track what’s in review, approved, and pending billing.”

Claire Bremehr

Project Engineer Turner

“This is going to save us hours of time. We’re not maintaining a massive spreadsheet anymore.”

Jerome Rodgers

Senior Project Engineer Barton Malow

FAQs

Can I start using Clearstory Allowances right away?

Yes: if you're on Clearstory's Professional plan, Allowances are ready to go. Just open the Allowance Log and create your buckets. Not on Professional yet? This feature alone is worth the upgrade for real-time tracking, clean documentation, and faster closeouts.

What if I already track allowances in a spreadsheet?

Then you already know the pain. Clearstory keeps every dollar tied to real scope, pricing, and backup, live. No more reconciling mismatched logs or chasing updates. Just clean, trackable data that makes billing and forecasting a breeze.

Do I have to change how we create CORs to use this?

Nope. Allowances slot right into your existing workflow. Just tag your COR to an Allowance bucket as you go. Same process, but with way more visibility.

Can owners see what's happening in real time too?

Absolutely. When you package CORs to send upstream, Clearstory automatically deducts from the owner allowance bucket. That means they get clean reports, accurate logs, and fewer surprises.