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Can job files be stored legally digitally

CaliforniaRetainage

Hi we are a budding electrician contractor in Northern California. We exploded over the summer and are having growth pains. That being said I am the office manager and there is some confusion on job files: what has to be kept and can it be kept in digital format or do we need to keep all paper copy files too? Is it 7 or 10 years ? Thank you

1 reply

Dec 28, 2020
It’s ok to store your job files digitally, although I still recommend that you keep the original signed contract and the original preliminary notice and certified mail signed green cards in case there’s ever a lawsuit or you need to foreclose your lien. I recommend that you keep your records for 13 years. There’s a 10 year statute of limitations for latent defects, and you can be sued for indemnity for up to 3 years after that if you were a sub or supplier. The IRS generally says 7 years but that’s not long enough in the construction world.
 
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