Importing Bills from Subcontractors

User Question: Some of my subcontractors are on the Caltrans iEWB/iCAS system and I'm using EWBills only. I'm trying to import bills but the import is blank; it's not showing up on the worksheet or when I use the envelope to Import Subcontractor Bills. The subs send me their EWB Summaries and/or the Caltrans Extra Work Detail Report so I know that they did their part.

1. A prime contractor using EWBills can only import bills from a subcontractor that is using EWBills.

2. As a prime contractor you cannot avoid using Caltrans iEWB/iCAS system - to check on status and payments.

Coverage of setup and file transferring of bills is covered in this link and at the beginning of the July 2017 webinar.

Additional response on this topic to this user that might be helpful for clarification:

1. The Caltrans iEWB system is a closed system – so we cannot link into the Caltrans system. The most they allow us to do is to drop a billing submittal file (.DAT) onto their FTP server for the iEWB system to inspect it and either import in our information or spit back out an error log file (.TXT) to reject the bill before it is even in iEWB.

2. Yes bills from a subcontractor can only be fed to you only if they have EWBills. Not possible otherwise.

3. When you subcontractor enters their bills into iEWB – you need to log in and review then push it on to submit it officially to Caltrans.

4. When you subcontractor enters their bills into iEWB – you need to create a bill and enter the charges in yourself or plug a total to log it into EWBills to track.

5. To have access to iEWB for your jobs – you must do this thru Caltrans specifically the District Administrator. One to be trained and receive an login credential for a personal account and Two to make sure you are added as a prime contractor user for the specific Caltrans Contract.

6. The java issue is really there because Caltrans is using an old version of java because of their Oracle development/current program. It has nothing to do with EWBills. So if you obtain the two things in item #5 above and still cannot setup the iEWB access (make sure you try to load the java runtime for version 6 build 35 or 45 from their systems requirements web page) – then we will be happy to help you thru that but you need those two things first. Caltrans should also be able to help you with that but we also know how to make it work – use Internet Explorer and be careful of the choices along the way and do have Java upgrade remove the V6B35or45 version. You will also have to uninstall any java version before putting in the Caltrans version.