You started this business to build. Now you're the builder, the estimator, the billing department, and the customer service rep — all before 7am. When one person carries all of that, the business can't grow past them. Cartwheel gives you a dedicated front office — backed by a full specialist team — that handles calls, estimates, follow-up, and billing. So you can stop being the bottleneck and get back to the work only you can do.
Not missing calls. Not being disorganized. Specific, calculable leaks — that most contractors don't see because the pain is spread too thin to notice.
The average contractor follows up on a bid once — maybe twice. Research consistently shows 80% of jobs go to whoever follows up the most. The bid you sent and forgot about? Someone else called back three times and got the job. Systematic follow-up alone closes more work without adding a single new lead.
The average contractor invoices 5–10 days after the job is done. On $50K/month in revenue, that's $8,000–$16,000 sitting idle every single month. Money you've earned, work you've already done — just sitting in a pile because invoicing is always the last thing anyone gets to.
Without consistent follow-up on outstanding invoices, the average contractor collects 20–30 days slower than they should. On $600K in annual revenue, that delay means you're carrying ~$33,000 in earned-but-uncollected money at any given time. That's working capital you're lending to your clients — interest-free.
Took about two weeks before they really had the hang of how I quote. One estimate went out slightly off — we fixed it, no damage done. After that it just worked. I closed three jobs in month two that I would have lost because the estimates went out fast and the follow-ups actually happened.
I used to do invoices after the kids went to bed. Every night. My wife noticed I stopped before I consciously registered it. You don't realize how much it was weighing on you until someone else just handles it.
Tried two VAs before this. The second one misquoted a scope to a homeowner over the phone — cost me a $12,000 job. After that, nobody talked to my clients. Changed my mind here because they spend a week learning how you operate before anyone touches a call. That's not what the other guys do.
I was invoicing 10, sometimes 15 days after finishing a job. Just kept piling up because I hated doing it. First month with Cartwheel, every invoice went out within 24 hours of wrapping. My cash position changed almost overnight.
I'm in attics and crawl spaces all day. I was missing four or five calls a week and getting back to most of them after 7pm. By then they'd already called three other guys. Now I climb out of a crawl space and there's a new appointment already on my calendar.
Won a $40K commercial bid last month because I was the first to turn around a clean estimate. The GC told me directly that responsiveness won it. Six months ago mine would have been late. That job alone justifies this for a long time.
The thing I didn't expect was the monthly close. I'd never had clean books at the end of a month — thought that was just how it was. Getting a real P&L in the first week of the following month changed how I make decisions.
One of my regulars — a client I've done three jobs for over eight years — told me I seemed more organized lately. She had no idea anything changed. Just noticed the estimates came back faster and her calls got returned the same day.
Took about two weeks before they really had the hang of how I quote. One estimate went out slightly off — we fixed it, no damage done. After that it just worked. I closed three jobs in month two that I would have lost because the estimates went out fast and the follow-ups actually happened.
I used to do invoices after the kids went to bed. Every night. My wife noticed I stopped before I consciously registered it. You don't realize how much it was weighing on you until someone else just handles it.
Tried two VAs before this. The second one misquoted a scope to a homeowner over the phone — cost me a $12,000 job. After that, nobody talked to my clients. Changed my mind here because they spend a week learning how you operate before anyone touches a call. That's not what the other guys do.
I was invoicing 10, sometimes 15 days after finishing a job. Just kept piling up because I hated doing it. First month with Cartwheel, every invoice went out within 24 hours of wrapping. My cash position changed almost overnight.
I'm in attics and crawl spaces all day. I was missing four or five calls a week and getting back to most of them after 7pm. By then they'd already called three other guys. Now I climb out of a crawl space and there's a new appointment already on my calendar.
Won a $40K commercial bid last month because I was the first to turn around a clean estimate. The GC told me directly that responsiveness won it. Six months ago mine would have been late. That job alone justifies this for a long time.
The thing I didn't expect was the monthly close. I'd never had clean books at the end of a month — thought that was just how it was. Getting a real P&L in the first week of the following month changed how I make decisions.
One of my regulars — a client I've done three jobs for over eight years — told me I seemed more organized lately. She had no idea anything changed. Just noticed the estimates came back faster and her calls got returned the same day.
You're managing jobs, directing crew, sourcing materials, and somewhere between yesterday morning and right now — two leads called and went to voicemail. You don't know who they were. You don't know what they needed. You don't know how much it cost you.
That's the part nobody warns you about. The work is the easy part.
You're not hiring a generalist and hoping they figure it out. Cartwheel assigns you one dedicated manager as your single point of contact — backed by specialists in estimating, bookkeeping, customer coordination, and more. You get the depth of a full office operation. You manage none of it.
No complicated onboarding. No long contracts. We get you set up fast and stay out of your way.
We learn your business — how you work, what you use, where you're losing time. No pitch. Just a real conversation.
We configure your phone, templates, and workflows. You approve everything before we touch a single client.
Your office manager starts handling calls, estimates, and admin. You focus on running jobs.
Weekly check-ins, monthly reporting, and one point of contact for everything. Your business runs better — without you managing it.
Most contractors who've tried outsourcing tell us the same thing: the person didn't know construction, and it cost them.
A homeowner calls asking for a rough ballpark before anyone's seen the job. A VA gives them a number. Now you're walking into the site with an expectation you never set. A client calls upset about a change order — the answering service reads them a script. The call ends badly and the relationship is on thin ice. A GC needs proof of insurance before the week's out. Nobody knows where the certificate is or what it needs to say.
That's not a staffing problem. It's a knowledge problem.
Before your manager touches a single client interaction, they learn your business — your pricing structure, your typical job types, your active clients by name, and how you like to communicate. They know how to qualify a lead without quoting a number. They know what a change order is and why a homeowner might be upset about one. They know when to escalate to you and when to handle it themselves. They know what a GC needs before you even have to ask.
Not a call center. Not a VA. Someone who knows your trade — and answers like they've worked for you for a year.
"My regular client told me I seemed more organized lately. She had no idea anything changed — just noticed things were faster and more responsive. That's exactly what I needed to hear."
— Brian W., Harborview Contracting, Seattle WAThe question we hear most: "What if they say something wrong to my best client?" It's the right question. A contractor's business runs on relationships — one bad interaction with a long-term client can cost $40K in repeat work. We built the onboarding process specifically around that fear.
Your manager doesn't touch a client interaction until they've completed a full onboarding on your business. Not a generic checklist. Your business specifically.
How you quote, what your typical jobs look like, what's negotiable and what isn't. Your manager never gives a number — but they know exactly how to handle the conversation until you can.
Who your regulars are, any ongoing job context, who to handle carefully and why. By the time your manager takes their first call, they know your client list better than most employees would after a month.
How you like to talk to clients. Formal or casual. How you handle complaints. What to escalate to you immediately vs. what to resolve directly. Your manager reflects your voice, not ours.
If a client interaction ever goes sideways, we fix it — at our cost, not yours. We stand behind every call, every estimate, every client touchpoint. That's not a marketing line. It's in the agreement.
Every plan includes a dedicated office manager backed by a specialist team. Pick how much of your back office you want us to run.
Good fit if you already have a bookkeeper
Less than a full-time hire. No HR, no training, no risk.
For contractors who want to see exactly where the money goes on every job
If something's not answered here, just ask us directly — we respond same day.
Ask a QuestionIn 30 minutes, we'll walk through your current setup and tell you exactly where you're losing time and money. Calls going to voicemail. Estimates sitting in a queue. Invoices going out a week late. We'll show you the leaks — and what fixing them is worth. No obligation. If it's not the right fit, we'll tell you that straight.
30 minutes. No sales script. Just an honest look at your numbers.
You talk to someone who knows contracting — not a sales script. Tell us about your business. We'll tell you exactly what we'd do, what it costs, and whether it makes sense. If it's not the right fit, we'll tell you that too.
Month-to-month · Cancel anytime · Up and running in 5 days · No setup fees