10 ways to use ChatGPT in a trade business (and 3 ways not to)

Most trade business owners have tried ChatGPT once or twice. Fewer use it every day, usually because nobody showed them what to actually ask it. Here are ten jobs it does well in a subcontracting business, with prompts you can copy, and three it shouldn't be trusted with.

Everything here works the same in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. Use whichever one your business already pays for. Before you paste in contracts or customer details, read our privacy guide and check your settings.

The one rule that makes every prompt better: tell it who it is, who it's writing for, and what you want back. "You're the office manager of an electrical subcontractor. Write to a site supervisor. Keep it under 120 words." beats "write an email" every time.

1. Make a blunt email polite (without going soft)

The classic. You've typed what you actually think about the builder's latest request. Paste it in and ask:

Rewrite this email to a builder's project manager so it's polite and professional but still firm. Keep every fact and date. Don't apologise for anything we haven't done wrong. Australian English, under 150 words. [paste your draft]

2. Summarise a subcontract before you sign it

Upload the PDF and ask:

I'm a subcontractor about to sign this. Summarise in plain English: the scope inclusions and exclusions, how variations must be requested and approved, any written notice requirements and time limits, payment terms, retention, liquidated damages and defects liability period. Quote the clause number for each point. Flag anything unusual or one-sided.

Then check each clause it quotes against the document itself. It's a fast way to find what matters, not a replacement for a lawyer on a big contract.

3. Find the variation and notice clauses on a live job

When a builder asks for something extra, you want to know quickly what the contract says. Upload the subcontract and ask: "What does this contract require for a variation to be valid? Who has to direct it, does it need to be in writing, and how many days do I have to give notice?" Our guide to what counts as a variation explains why this matters.

4. Turn voice notes and scribbles into a tidy job report

Most phones can transcribe a voice note. Paste the transcript in:

Turn this into a daily site report with headings: work completed, issues, instructions received from the builder (who, what, when), materials needed for tomorrow. Don't add anything that isn't in the notes. [paste transcript]

That last line matters. Without it, the AI will helpfully fill gaps with things that didn't happen.

5. Draft a SWMS or toolbox talk to edit

Ask for a draft SWMS for a specific task ("installing a sub-board in an occupied commercial building, working at heights under 2m, with an isolated supply") and then edit it properly. It's a good starting structure. It is not a substitute for someone competent checking the hazards and controls for your actual site, and you're still responsible for what's in it.

6. Write a job ad that gets applicants

Write a job ad for a second-year electrical apprentice in [suburb]. We do commercial fitouts. Mention: [ute / tools / hours / pay range / what makes us good to work for]. Plain, friendly tone. No buzzwords. Under 200 words, plus a 3-line version for Facebook.

7. Reply to a tricky customer review or complaint

Paste the complaint and the facts, and ask for a calm reply that acknowledges their frustration without admitting fault for things that weren't your fault. Read it out loud before you send it.

8. Explain a technical decision in plain English

Clients and builders often push back because they don't understand why something costs more. "Explain to a homeowner, in under 100 words and without jargon, why their old switchboard needs replacing before we can add a circuit for a heat pump." Saves a phone call.

9. Clean up a messy price list

Paste a supplier price list or your own rate card and ask it to put it in a consistent table: item, unit, rate, notes. Ask it to flag duplicates and items with missing units. This is often the first step to getting your pricing into any software, AI or not.

10. Prepare for a hard conversation

Chasing an overdue payment claim, pushing back on a back-charge, or telling a builder you can't make their new date. Ask it to play the other side: "You're a builder's PM who doesn't want to pay this variation. Give me the five objections you'd raise, and how I could answer each." You'll walk in better prepared.

3 things not to use ChatGPT for

1. Pricing your work

Ask a chatbot what it costs to run 20 metres of conduit and it'll give you a number. It doesn't know your labour rate, your supplier, your margin or the site. If you want AI to help with pricing, the prices must come from your rate card. The AI should only pick the items and quantities, and someone should check them. That's how we built Variation Capture, and it's the question to ask any tool that claims to price work.

2. Anything legal you'll rely on without checking

It's good at finding and summarising clauses. It can also misread them, or confidently describe a clause that isn't there. Always check the clause in the actual document, and get proper advice when real money or a dispute is involved.

3. Things that need to happen every time, automatically

A chat tool only works when someone sits down and uses it. If a task needs to happen every time something occurs on site (a variation, a defect, a safety issue), relying on someone remembering to open ChatGPT means it'll get missed when things are busy. That's the gap between a chat tool and a purpose-built AI agent.

Where to go from here

Pick two or three of the prompts above and use them every day for a week. Once someone in your office is comfortable, read AI for tradies: where to start for the next steps beyond the chat window.