You finish the work. Someone else controls the money.
Drywall sits in the middle of a construction project. You mobilize after framing, finish before painting, and invoice when the walls are done. The GC holds 10% on every draw. Your taping sub hits $500 in payments faster than a T5018 ever crossed your mind. CRA deadlines land on the same week you are chasing three overdue invoices.
Markup does not replace your accountant. It makes sure CRA and your GC never have a technical reason to delay what you are legally owed.
Four problems. One app.
Quote without the spreadsheet
Describe the scope in plain language. Markup AI suggests a starting point with labour and material line items common to drywall work. You review every line before it leaves your phone.
- AI-assisted line items for framing, board, taping, mudding, and finishing
- Labour rate and markup floor per category
- Change orders for unexpected scope: level 5 upgrade, popcorn removal, extra coats
- Branded PDF quote the GC or homeowner can sign in the client portal
- You approve every line. Markup does not send anything without your review.
Track every progress draw
Every Markup invoice is formatted to qualify as a proper invoice under s.6.1 of the Ontario Construction Act, which starts the 28-day payment clock. Holdback is split out automatically so you always see net receivable versus retained amount.
- Proper invoice format: period of work, authorized recipient, all required fields
- 28-day payment clock starts the moment you send
- Holdback split: 10% shown as a separate retained line on every draw
- Late-payment reminders fire automatically at day 7 and day 14
- Lien deadline tracked from your last supply date on each project
T5018 you can hand to a CPA
Every payment to a taper, mudder, finishing crew, or incorporated subcontractor is tracked against the $500 CRA threshold. When a sub crosses it, Markup flags them. At year-end, export a clean CSV for your accountant.
- Threshold alert when a sub passes $500 in the calendar year
- Year-end CSV export with all required T5018 fields
- Tracks incorporated companies and sole props equally
- Deadline alert ahead of the June 30 filing date
- Covers ALL subcontractors: taping crews, texture crews, scaffold rental subs
Built for a job site, not an office
Drywall work happens on site, not at a desk. Markup runs in the browser on any phone. Click to mark a draw paid, log an expense, or check a lien deadline from the lift.
- Invoice and quote actions in two clicks on a phone
- Mark a progress draw paid or send a reminder on the spot
- Expense entry with category (materials, tools, rental, fuel)
- Lien deadline countdown visible on every project card
- No app install required, works on any browser
Your taping crew is probably already over $500.
Drywall contractors use more subcontractors than most trades. Board hangers, tapers, mudders, finishers, popcorn-removal crews, texture applicators. They come in for a phase and move on. It is easy to lose track of cumulative payments across a season.
CRA requires a T5018 for every subcontractor paid $500 or more in a year for construction or renovation work. The penalty for failure to file can reach 200% of the tax avoided. The deadline is 6 months after your fiscal year end: June 30 of the following year if you file on the calendar year.
Markup does not decide whether the Quick Method or the regular HST method is better for your business. That is a question for your accountant. What Markup does is make sure the sub-payment data your accountant needs is accurate and ready when they need it.
Know exactly what the GC owes you and when your lien right expires.
On any Ontario job, the GC is required by the Construction Act to hold 10% of each progress payment. That holdback is not theirs to keep. It is yours to collect once the holdback period expires after substantial performance. Markup shows the holdback amount as a separate line on every invoice so you always know the net due now versus the retained amount pending.
Your lien right is a separate, time-limited protection. In Ontario you have 60 calendar days from the last day you supplied labour or materials to register a construction lien on title. In BC the window is 45 days. In Alberta it is 60 days. Miss the deadline and the right is gone, by statute, with no equitable extension.
Markup tracks the lien deadline from the last invoice date on each project and sends an alert before the window closes. It does not register liens; you need a lawyer for that. But it will not let the deadline sneak up on you.
The numbers behind the compliance.
Spreadsheets do not know about the Construction Act.
Drywall contractor FAQ
Questions about T5018, holdback, change orders for drywall scope, and what Markup does not do.
Do I need to file T5018 for my taping and mudding crews?+
How does the 10% holdback work on a drywall contract in Ontario?+
What is the lien deadline for drywall work in Ontario, BC, and Alberta?+
How do I handle a GC asking for a level 5 finish mid-project?+
Can Markup invoice qualify as a proper invoice under the Construction Act?+
Does Markup handle GST plus PST for drywall jobs in BC or Manitoba?+
Does Markup do takeoff from drawings or material estimating from plans?+
Useful whether you sign up or not.
Ontario and BC 10% statutory holdback math on any draw amount.
Try free →Enter your last supply date, get the exact lien preservation deadline by province.
Try free →Stay ahead of every GST/HST filing. Personalized to your province and remittance frequency.
Try free →Province-correct HST, GST, and PST on any invoice amount.
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