Construction SOPs: Step-by-Step Guide & Best Practices [2025]

What Are Construction SOPs?

Construction SOPs document detailed instructions or workflows for specific tasks or processes. It’s a step-by-step guide for performing certain activities, including who’s responsible and how to ensure alignment with quality standards. 

For example, a construction project SOP may contain a plumbing checklist for techs to inspect all installed pipes or an SOP for installing them while adhering to quality and industry standards. It also identifies the people responsible and what step to execute next.

Creating construction SOPs helps project managers enforce compliance with industry standards, ensure consistency on quality benchmarks between teams, and coordinate all stakeholders.

Why Are Construction Standard Operating Procedures Important?

Creating SOPs can be time-consuming, as you work to document the exact procedures for performing the various tasks involved in a construction project.

However, doing so offers some advantages. 

For starters, it simplifies onboarding new employees and familiarizes them with the project’s quality and safety standards. It also helps you replace unavailable employees due to unexpected events like illness or job loss. 

In a webinar tailored for construction professionals, Kathy Nielsen, owner of a consulting firm for the trades, says, “I believe every task with a company should (be) in writing.

“How do they do that task? When do they do that task? So that on any given day, somebody could sit down and do that if they had to,” she adds.

Detailed and comprehensive construction SOPs help you:

• Boost efficiency: Creating SOPs helps construction companies identify and remove inefficiencies associated with specific tasks. This way, crews can deliver tasks on time without skirting regulatory guidelines.

• Assist with quality control: SOPs make maintaining quality standards on the construction site easier by giving crews the exact steps for performing specific tasks, especially when the supervisor isn’t around. This minimizes the need for corrective actions later and positions the construction company as credible. 

• Ensure compliance with safety standards: SOPs provide clear instructions to employees on safety and emergency protocols.  This prevents work accidents and keeps the project compliant with OSHA’s safety regulations. 

• Facilitate delegation: By documenting the process for performing certain tasks, project managers can delegate tasks to any crew member and be assured of their ability to do them successfully. This also communicates the project manager’s expectations to employees, mitigating disputes caused by miscommunication.

• Enable performance tracking: SOPs define the benchmarks project managers can use to track the performance of their crews.

Next, let’s learn how to create a construction SOP.

How Do You Create Construction SOPs?

Help employees perform their tasks effectively by creating detailed construction SOPs:

Identify core tasks

First, take stock of all tasks or activities critical to the project’s success with defined quality standards. These tasks should also include any with potential issues, such as:

• The delivery timeline varies depending on who performs the task. This means some employees may unintentionally add extra steps, which can become inefficiencies and delay the delivery.

• Only one or two employees are capable of performing these critical tasks. When such employees are unavailable, the project comes to a standstill.

• The quality standard between the deliverables from different people differs due to varying employee skill levels and other factors.

Once you’ve identified the tasks, begin defining the objectives.

Define the objectives

What is the end goal of each task? Is it to reduce the time spent on safety checks? Improve invoicing accuracy? Or to shorten project deadlines?

Whatever the case, outline it in clear terms. Remember: your objective should align with the task inefficiencies.

Document the procedures

Evaluate the consistent steps required to accomplish the specific task or activity for your SOP. Record the proven steps you’ve found effective through past execution of the process.

Next, convert these processes into systems—a collection of the processes, technologies, inter-team interactions, and people needed to execute the procedures.

Once that’s done, you can digitize them using ServiceTitan Forms. Technicians can also use the forms to tag specific jobs or tasks that are not completed yet because they’re waiting on a part. The manager can then expedite the delivery of the part so the project isn’t delayed.

Additionally, managers can set triggers to pop up a form after specific events, such as when the tech arrives at the job site, creates an invoice, closes out a job, etc. When the technician fills out the form, ServiceTitan’s system pings the manager, allowing them to track the tech’s progress without setting foot in the field.

Assign responsibilities

Assign people to each task and define their exact role in executing it. This will ensure accountability and support performance tracking.

Here’s a breakdown of the roles and responsibilities of the key personnel in construction projects:

• Project manager: This person oversees the entire project and ensures it’s completed successfully within the set budget, scope, and timeline. They’re also responsible for assembling the project team and tracking their progress. 

• Site foreman: Assigns daily responsibilities to site workers. They also manage all resources (manpower and materials) and submit daily progress reports to the project manager.

• Technicians: Executes tasks assigned to them in line with established guidelines.

• Safety officer: Ensures all workers obey safety protocols such as wearing the right PPE and maintaining equipment.

• Accounts manager: Gathers all relevant project details from the manager and communicates them to the client. They also cultivate relationships with customers during the project’s duration.

• Procurement officer: Acquires all materials and tools required for the project. They work closely with the warehouse manager to safeguard all resources and maintain healthy stock levels.

Train your team

Finally, teach team members how to implement the SOP document. Ensure they understand and can follow the instructions in high-pressure situations.

Rather than creating training materials from the ground up, direct your employees to ServiceTitan’s Knowledge Base Resources, which offer articles, podcasts, and webinars on the latest processes and safety protocols.

What Are the Best Practices for Creating and Implementing Construction SOPs?

Here are some best practices to take note of when creating SOPs.

Keep it simple and clear

The primary goal of an SOP is to help employees execute tasks with ease. Therefore, the document should be straightforward and clear, leaving no room for confusion.

Use only acronyms and wordings understood by the intended audience, and try to define those they’re unfamiliar with. You should also involve those who will be using the SOP in the creation process and run pilot tests with a small group before launching it.

Leverage technology

Using technology helps you create, distribute, and manage SOPs. Features such as revision tracking, data centralization, performance tracking, and real-time collaboration streamline the entire SOP process from start to finish.

Before selecting any construction SOP software, evaluate the features available in all options. Choose the one that best meets your team’s requirements and allows integration with other software so you can automate workflows and seamlessly transfer data between platforms.

For example, ServiceTitan has a Zapier integration that allows you to integrate with digital task managers, payroll processors, and calendars with little to no programming.

To create a zap (a workflow used to automate a specific process), log into your Zapier account and specify the event you want to automate and the trigger that initiates it. This will redirect to your ServiceTitan account, where you can accept the required permissions.

In a recent webinar, Pam Duffy, co-founder of PowerHouse Consulting Group explained how the company used Zapier to automate multiple tasks, saving time and boosting efficiency.

“....the benefits of automation are just too great to ignore,” Duffy says. “Zapier does just an amazing job at simplifying things for you and really making it accessible. Zapier is all about being ‘no code,’ which means you don't need to be a computer programmer to use Zapier.”

Duffy also provides some powerful Zaps she created for service businesses. They include:

• Pre-Install Checklist: Once an install job is scheduled in ServiceTitan, the zap automatically fetches the required permits, schedules inspections, and creates onboarding materials for the customer.

• Automated Review Response: Notifies team members of five-star Google reviews and automatically responds with an AI-written response.

• Website Form Submission Handling: Instantly add web form requests to your booking or task management system.

• Post-Job Follow-up: After an install job is completed, the zap immediately alerts the service manager to call and request feedback from the customer.

To set up these automations, sign up to ServiceTitan and contact us to help you set it up.

Engage your team

When employees participate in creating the SOPs, they’re more likely to utilize them. Additionally, their first-hand experience of the tasks being documented makes it easier to identify potential issues and create procedures that accurately depict what’s obtainable in the real world.

When creating or revising SOPs, seek the input of the end users and those affected by them. Encourage them to identify any roadblocks to implementation, and make the necessary changes to demonstrate you value their opinions.

Finally, consider empowering employees with our Mobile App’s barcode scanning feature that helps users track inventory locations and quantities in real time.

This will help them comply with the SOP by ensuring that the resources required for each procedure are always available in the correct quantity.

Regularly review and update

The procedure that works today may become inefficient tomorrow due to variables such as increased workloads, changing regulations, new industry standards, and evolving customer expectations. 

That’s why SOPs are not set in stone and need to be revised periodically to reflect the current landscape. Ask your team for positive and negative feedback on using your SOP, and conduct team meetings where they can share these issues and suggest improvements to the SOP document.

ServiceTitan’s Field Reporting software provides insights into employee performance and project progress. Employees can also create project reports using the PDFs they already use or templates saved on the platform.

How Can Technology Help in Creating and Managing Construction SOPs?

Manually creating SOP documents increases the possibility of mistakes and makes it hard to track changes made to the document over time. It’s the same if you use static documents such as PDF templates or  spreadsheets.

Regardless of how detailed your SOP is, inefficiencies will always exist if you don’t use a digital tool to execute the procedures and automate workflows.

Technological tools simplify the collaborative creation and tracking of SOPs. They also facilitate SOP implementation by automating workflows and delivering real-time insights about potential improvements.

ServiceTitan features to support SOPs

Many construction companies use ServiceTitan to optimize and implement their SOPs. The software consolidates data related to construction financial processing, progress reporting, crew management, and inventory monitoring into one place.

Here’s a roundup of the platform’s key features that support SOP implementation: 

1. Project tracking

Just one external or internal factor can throw a construction project off course. A subcontractor may forget to implement a specification, employees may fail to work the required hours, or a delay in one task may cascade into others and cause project failure.

That’s why projects require constant monitoring, which you can do with ServiceTitan’s Project Tracking software.

The software centralizes information related to a specific project into a single dashboard containing details such as:

• Contract dates and timelines

• Assigned and open tasks

• Project description

The dashboard also has extra clickable elements that redirect you to other pages containing detailed information about the project’s financials, jobs, estimates, purchase orders, and audit trail.

For example, clicking the hyperlink labeled “Financials” opens a summary table that provides a detailed breakdown of all financial data related to the project. From here, the “Project Costing” button at the top right side of the screen leads to a table that compares actual versus budgeted costs. 

You can also click further on the table to access a breakdown of all your expenses, including their source (the technician that billed for those hours, the vendor or purchase order tied to the material expense item, etc.).

These dashboards enable you to monitor every facet of your project in real time, ensuring you complete each procedure on time and within budget. 

They also help you know where your project stands on an ongoing basis.

Jessica Groat, the CFO of Bill Howe Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, says ServiceTitan allows the company to grasp the financial status of every project.

“I know it's silly, but it is as simple as having the invoices come over in a timely fashion and having it be at the invoice amount,” she says. “We know that we offer coupons. We know that we have refunds. We know that we have discounts and we have write-offs for bad debt. We know these things, but on a cash basis, you really have no clue because you're only getting the net.”

“[with ServiceTitan], I was able to target the fact that we write on average $20,000 a month between discounts and coupons and write-offs. That is a significant number, right? But before, we had no access to that number.”

Check out a detailed breakdown of how construction companies use ServiceTitan to manage projects

2. Asset tracking

Picture this: Marco, an electrician, is assigned the task of installing junction boxes for an electrical project involving the installation of a new lighting system in a high-rise building.

However, when he arrives at the job site the next day, he discovers that the ¾ EMT conduit, needed for a step in the installation checklist, is not in the warehouse. So, he has to place an expedited order and wait for it to be delivered, which delays the task.

Such scenarios are common in construction companies that still track inventory using manual counts and clipboards. However, companies that use ServiceTitan’s Inventory Management software eliminate such issues entirely.

The software allows you to track each inventory item's exact location and quantity and presents all the information using an intuitive dashboard.

Project and warehouse managers can use the Mobile Inventory App to perform three key types of inventory counts:

• A cycle count reveals the quantities of all items in an inventory location (e.g., a truck, warehouse, etc.).

• Item count reveals the quantities of one or multiple items in more than one inventory location.

• Full inventory count reveals the quantity of various items at an inventory location.

The app can also be used to scan barcodes, receive stock into inventory, and pick transfer items—all without paper documents and spreadsheets. 

Since it’s all digital, every transaction recorded with the app automatically updates your inventory records in real time. This enables project and warehouse managers to procure tools and materials early, so technicians always have the tools and materials required to perform procedures outlined in SOPs.

3. Accounts Receivable and Invoicing

Cashflow is essential for construction projects due to the substantial material, labor, and equipment costs involved. Construction firms require prompt payments to manage these expenses. Failure to receive timely payments may lead to cost overruns, delays, or even project failures.

ServiceTitan’s Receivables Summary report describes all outstanding payments for the multiple projects in play. The report shows each client’s outstanding invoices for the last:

• 0 to 30 days

• 31 to 60 days

• 61 to 90 days

• 91 to 120 days

• 121 days and above

This helps you follow up on clients early to prevent bad debts and maintain a stable cashflow to preserve the project’s momentum.

Additionally, you can prevent late payments by using ServiceTitan to streamline the billing process, prevent payment disputes, and send invoices early. This way, customers can pay early, so the project isn’t disrupted because there’s no cash to implement a step in an SOP.

From the platform, you can create a pay application continuation sheet for a progress payment. The sheet is automatically filled out using details from the original estimate, after which it can be delivered directly to the client for review.

When the client accepts the pay application, you can create an invoice for that progress payment and email it directly from the platform or print it out. This helps you request payments early before it becomes an overdue invoice.

4. WIP reports

ServiceTitan enables you to create work-in-progress reports, which summarize all costs (revenues and expenses) and show the percentage of work completed. This makes it easier to track your project’s financials, ensure you’re still operating within the limits of the preset budget, and track profitability.

All the features we’ve covered above are a fragment of ServiceTitan's offerings. Our tool also helps you manage payroll, invoice clients on the field, process payments, create and complete checklists, and so on. Schedule a call today to get a live, personalized walkthrough of how ServiceTitan can help you manage projects and implement SOPs.

Over to you

Construction SOPs are critical for ensuring employees abide by safety and quality standards across all projects. They also help onboard new employees and empower all crew members to execute their assigned tasks.

When writing SOPs, remember the intended audience and tailor them accordingly. You don’t want to spend time writing an SOP that your team just ignores.

Finally, invest in comprehensive construction software like ServiceTitan to implement your SOPs and improve your employees’ productivity.

ServiceTitan is a comprehensive software solution that helps construction companies streamline their SOP implementation. Our comprehensive, cloud-based platform is used by thousands of electrical, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, and irrigation contractors across the country.