Give the client a project portal

In the portal, switch on the panels the client should have, progress, valuations and the shared document set, and leave off anything internal such as your cost or margin. Set it once and they get a read-only view that keeps itself up to date.

Why: A client with their own live view stops phoning round for updates and stops guessing. Controlling exactly what is shared keeps your cost and internal correspondence private while the job still looks open.

Publish the certified payment position to the portal, what has been applied for, what is approved and what is due, so the client sees the same figure you do. Only the agreed numbers go out, not draft workings.

Why: Payment arguments usually start from two different spreadsheets. One approved figure both sides can see heads off the dispute and gets the invoice paid on time.

Generate the client progress pack, photos, percent complete and the period summary, and publish it straight to the portal on the same day each month. The client reads it in their own time.

Why: A dated pack the client pulls for themselves is proof the job was reported, on time, every period. It replaces the monthly meeting that never quite covers everything and is never written down.