Why do construction clients keep calling for updates?
Usually they need an answer that is hard to find: what changed on the job, what happens next, whether a decision is waiting on them, or what an invoice covers. A client portal can put those answers in one job-specific place. It will not replace a conversation about a delay, a disputed change, or a sensitive decision, and it only helps when the project team keeps the information current.
This is a general contractor's evaluation guide, not a promise that software will eliminate calls. Opsite publishes it and offers a client portal, so test our workflow against another option on the same sample job.
What should a GC's client portal show?
Start with the questions your clients already ask. During a demo, have the vendor sign in as a client on a phone and show the following for one representative job:
- Current status and next milestone. Can the client see a dated update, the next planned task, and who owns an open decision? Ask how the team corrects an outdated update.
- Photos and documents. Can a client find the latest relevant photo, contract, selection, or approved document without seeing internal notes or another client's job? Check who can upload, hide, and remove an item.
- Schedule changes. Move a milestone in the sample job. Show what the client sees, whether a notice is sent, and whether the prior date remains in the history.
- Change orders. Draft one scope change with its cost and schedule effect. Show the client's review and approval path, the resulting record, and what happens if they decline or ask a question. Do not assume an e-signature is available on every plan.
- Invoices and draws. Open an invoice from the client view. Check the amount, due date, linked milestone, payment status, and supporting documents. Keep internal job costs and subcontractor rates private unless you deliberately choose to share them.
A branded view and a link that works on a phone may be convenient, but they are not substitutes for correct permissions, current job data, and a clear owner for each update.
A 20-minute client-portal demo test
Bring one real workflow with names and sensitive details removed. Ask each vendor to complete the same steps while you watch:
- Show the job as a project manager and as a client. Confirm the client cannot reach another job or internal-only information.
- Add a dated progress note and photo. Confirm what appears in the client view and whether the client receives a notification.
- Move a schedule milestone and create a priced change order. Follow the client's response back to the project record.
- Open the draw or invoice related to that work. Ask where approval, payment status, and a dispute appear.
- Test access from a phone, then revoke the client link or account. Ask what the client can still see and how the project history is exported if you leave the platform.
Record what you observed, what the salesperson described but did not show, and which features require another plan or add-on. The free GC software scorecard lets you compare up to three vendors on the same job without sending your notes to Opsite.
Where Opsite fits, and what to verify
Opsite's feature page describes link-based client and subcontractor portals, and its current pricing page lists the Client Portal on Professional and Enterprise. Starter lists core job management but not the Client Portal. Confirm the quoted plan before assuming a portal is included.
In an Opsite demo, use the five-part test above. Ask us to show exactly which progress notes, photos, schedule items, change orders, and financial records can be shared with a client; who approves publication; how the client responds; and what audit history remains. Feature-page descriptions alone do not prove every workflow works for your company or that it reduces your call volume.
If the main reason you need software is same-day field-service dispatch or a standalone homeowner messaging app, a construction job portal may be more than you need. The AI contractor software guide separates residential GC, commercial, estimating, and service workflows before you shortlist vendors.
How to tell whether a portal actually helps
For four weeks, count client status calls, unanswered questions, and the time between a project change and the client seeing a clear update. Then pilot the portal on a comparable job. Review those same measures along with portal usage and client feedback. A lower call count is useful only if clients are actually better informed and your team is not spending more time feeding the portal than it saves.
Client portal questions before you buy
Will a client portal stop clients calling?
No vendor can promise that. A portal gives clients another place to find answers, but important changes and disputes still need direct communication. Measure your own call and response pattern during a pilot.
Should clients see job costs and subcontractor information?
Only what your contract and communication plan call for. In a demo, verify role permissions using both a client and an internal account. Ask the vendor to show how a mistaken share is removed and recorded.
Is Opsite's client portal included in Starter?
The current Opsite pricing page lists Client Portal on Professional and Enterprise, not Starter. Check the live plan details and have the team demonstrate the workflow you would buy.
Ready to compare this on your own job? Request a contractor workflow fit review. Tell us which client question you most want the portal to answer, and we will use that as the demo test.