Summary
Sharing & Visibility Rules define who can see what inside BuilderPal—across projects, documents, tasks, and communication. BuilderPal keeps each team’s internal work private while surfacing only the information required for collaboration between General Contractors (GCs) and Subcontractors.
Why It Matters
The problem: Construction teams need structured collaboration, not oversharing. GCs must coordinate multiple trades, while subcontractors must protect their internal workflows and documents.
The benefit: BuilderPal creates a clean separation between teams while automatically surfacing the information needed to work together—reducing confusion, preventing oversharing, and keeping every team in control of its own work.
How It Works
1. Project Ownership
BuilderPal uses project ownership to determine what each team can see.
GC-Owned Projects
The GC’s team can see:
All GC-owned projects
All tasks, documents, schedules, and job chats within those projects
All subcontractor surface-level documents (not the sub’s full project)
Subcontractor-Owned Projects
Created automatically when the GC awards a subcontract.
GC teams:
Cannot open the subcontractor’s project
Only see surfaced information relevant to the subcontracted scope
Cannot see the sub’s schedule, internal tasks, or documents not uploaded by the sub
Subcontractor teams:
Do not see the GC’s full project
Only see the tasks and documents that the GC assigns or shares
2. What Subcontractors Can See
Subs can see:
Tasks assigned to them by the GC
Tasks created inside their subcontractor project
Files the GC shares downward
Their private GC↔Sub job chat
The optional general project chat (if they choose to join)
Subs cannot see:
The GC’s project
Other subcontractors
GC internal schedules, documents, or communication
The GC’s team members unless shared on an action
3. What the GC Can See From Subcontractors
GCs cannot access the subcontractor’s actual project.
Instead, BuilderPal surfaces the subcontractor’s uploads into:
A. GC Project → Subcontractors Page → Documents Module
Shows:
Files uploaded by the subcontractor into their own project
Files the GC has shared with them
B. GC Project → Documents → Subcontractors Folder
One folder per subcontractor, containing:
All documents the sub uploaded (surfaced)
Any GC-shared documents
GCs cannot see:
The subcontractor’s internal tasks
The subcontractor’s project schedule
The subcontractor’s internal documents unless uploaded through their project
4. Document Sharing Rules
When Subs Upload Documents
Subs upload into their subcontractor project, not into the GC’s folders.
BuilderPal then automatically mirrors their documents upstream into:
GC Project → Subcontractors module
GC Project → Documents → Subcontractors folder
Subs never upload into:
“Shared From Contractor” (this is read-only for GC-shared files)
GC project folders
When GCs Share Documents
GC files shared downward appear in the subcontractor’s project in:
Shared From Contractor (read-only)
5. Schedule Visibility
Subcontractors See:
Only tasks assigned to them
Tasks they’ve created inside their subcontractor project
Subs do not see:
GC’s full schedule
Other trades
GC sequencing unless manually exported and shared
GC Sees:
All GC tasks
All tasks assigned to subcontractors
Any sub-created tasks that fall within their subcontractor project scope
6. Job Chat Visibility
Each subcontractor has:
A. A private GC ↔ Sub chat channel
Exclusive to the GC team and that subcontractor’s team
Used for scope-specific questions, updates, files
B. A general project chat channel (optional for everyone)
No one is auto-added
GC team and subs may join if they choose
Subs cannot access:
GC-only channels
Other subcontractor channels
7. Task & Activity Visibility
Subcontractors Can See:
Tasks assigned by the GC
Tasks they create themselves
GCs Can See:
All GC tasks
Tasks assigned to subcontractors
Tasks subcontractors create as part of their subcontracted work
GCs cannot see:
Internal subcontractor tasks inside the subcontractor project unless surfaced
8. My Tasks Workspace Visibility
The My Tasks Workspace is personal to each user.
Belongs to the user, not the team
GC Admins cannot see anyone else’s My Tasks Workspace
Subcontractors cannot see GC workspaces
Only tasks assigned to you or created by you appear here
It functions as a personal organizational dashboard—completely private unless you choose to invite someone.
Real-World Example
A GC awards a plumbing subcontract.
BuilderPal creates a Plumber Subcontractor Project (owned by the plumber).
The GC assigns tasks to the plumber.
The plumber uploads drawings → they surface automatically into the GC’s subcontractor folders.
The GC shares updated site drawings → they appear in the plumber’s Shared From Contractor folder.
Both teams communicate in the private GC↔Plumber chat channel.
No team sees information unrelated to their scope.
When to Use This Article
Use these rules when you need to understand:
Why subcontractors cannot see the full project
Why GC cannot open subcontractor projects
Where subcontractor files show up for the GC
How tasks and schedules stay separated yet coordinated
How job chat channels are structured
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