Many contractors reach a point where the office manager who "handles the computers" cannot keep up. Crews have grown, projects are spread across several counties, and the accounting system, project software and email all depend on technology nobody is formally responsible for. That is when owners start shopping for managed IT. The proposals that come back often look similar and are hard to compare. This guide explains what a good agreement should actually say.
Scope: what is and is not included
A managed IT agreement should list, in plain language, what the provider supports. Push for specifics rather than "all IT needs."
- Help desk for office and field staff, including phones, tablets and rugged laptops.
- Servers, networks, Wi-Fi, firewalls and internet circuits at offices and yards.
- Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration.
- Support for line-of-business software, with clarity on where the provider's role ends and the software vendor's begins. Procore, Sage and Viewpoint issues often straddle that line.
- Jobsite connectivity such as LTE or 5G routers and trailer setups.
- Projects: office moves, new site setups, migrations. Are they included, or billed separately?
Ask for a list of exclusions too. Surprises usually hide there.
Service levels that match how you work
Construction does not run 8 to 5 in an office. Crews start early, and a dead tablet at 6 a.m. costs real money. Ask for:
- Support hours that cover your earliest and latest shifts.
- Response targets by severity. A site that cannot connect is not the same as a request for a new monitor.
- An after-hours path for true emergencies and what it costs.
- Clear ways to submit requests, whether phone, email, chat or portal, and whether a field supervisor can call without navigating a menu.
Response time is when someone starts working on your issue. Resolution time depends on the problem. Make sure the agreement is clear about which one it promises.
Security should be in the base agreement
For contractors and energy firms, cybersecurity is not an add-on. Payment fraud, ransomware and stolen email credentials all target this industry. A solid agreement should state which of these are covered:
- Multi-factor authentication for email and remote access.
- Managed endpoint protection with someone watching the alerts.
- Email filtering and impersonation protection.
- Patching for operating systems and common applications.
- Backups with tested restores.
- Security awareness training for office and field staff.
- Incident response: who you call, how fast they engage, and whether response work is included or hourly.
If you work on defense contracts or utility projects, ask about compliance support as well, such as help with NIST SP 800-171 or customer security questionnaires.
Pricing models
Most providers charge per user, per device, or a blended flat fee. Compare on total monthly cost for your real headcount, including seasonal and field workers. Ask how pricing changes when you add a crew, how shared tablets are counted, and what happens with part-time staff. Avoid agreements where every phone call is billable unless that is clearly what you want.
Ownership, documentation and exit terms
Questions that feel awkward at signing become critical later.
- Who owns the administrative credentials? You should always have your own copy.
- Will the provider maintain current documentation of your network, licenses and passwords?
- Who owns the Microsoft 365 tenant and domain registration? It should be you.
- What is the contract term, and how do you leave? Look for reasonable notice periods and a defined handoff process.
Questions to ask every provider
- Who will I actually talk to, and are they employees or subcontractors?
- How do you handle a ransomware event at 2 a.m. on a Saturday?
- Can you show me a sample monthly report?
- What do you need from me to succeed?
A final thought
The cheapest proposal is rarely the least expensive in practice. Look for clear scope, honest limits, and a team that understands that a crew waiting on a login is lost labor. Ironfield Cyber provides managed IT built for contractors and energy companies, and we are happy to review any proposal you have received against this checklist.