Guides and free forms

Free forms you can fill in on your phone and print, and plain answers to the problems that come up on real jobs, each one starting from a real story.

Free forms

• Change order formA free construction change order form you fill in on your phone or computer. The new contract total adds itself up. Print it or save it as a PDF to sign.
• What is a change order?A change order is a written change to a construction contract, agreed before the work. What it covers, when you need one, and how to ask for it.
• Punch list templateA free construction punch list template you fill in on your phone during the walkthrough. Add rows, tick items off, print it or save it as a PDF.
• Remodeling contract checklistA checklist of what a remodeling contract should cover: scope, price, draws, dates, changes, sign-offs and warranty. Tick it off on your phone or print it.

For contractors

• Client won't sign the change orderYour client wants the extra work but won't sign the change order. What to do before you touch it, what to say, and how to stop it happening on the next job.
• Scope creep on a remodelWhat scope creep looks like on a remodel, why the small verbal changes cost more than the big ones, and a simple habit that stops it.
• Client won't pay the final paymentThe job is done but the client holds the whole final payment over small items or vague complaints. What to do now, and how to set up the next job.
• Client went silent after the final invoiceThe walkthrough went fine, you sent the final invoice, and now nothing. A step-by-step from a friendly reminder to a formal demand, small claims or a lien.
• Progress paymentsHow to structure progress payments on a remodel so you're never working ahead of the money, and how to ask for each draw without it feeling awkward.
• Hidden damage found mid-jobYou opened the wall and found rot, bad wiring or a cut joist. How to show the client, price it, and get a decision before you go on, so it isn't a fight later.
• Allowance overagesWhat a construction allowance is, why overages end up as a shock on the final bill, and how to price each selection when it's made instead.
• Client-supplied materialsClients who want to buy their own materials: what it does to your margin, who's responsible when the wrong thing shows up, and what to put in the contract.
• Client cancelled after materials were orderedThe client backed out after you spent the deposit on special-order materials. What you can ask for, what to do with the materials, and what to change next time.
• Client ran out of money mid-jobYour client is stalling on payments partway through the job. When to stop work, how to do it without being blamed for the delay, and how to protect what you're owed.
• Client wants a discount after the jobThe work is finished and accepted, and now the client wants money off. How to answer without losing the client or the money.
• Client filed a chargebackA client disputed a card payment after the work was done. How the chargeback process works, what evidence the card company looks at, and how to answer in time.
• Before and after photosThe photos that settle disputes: what to shoot before you start, during the job and at each sign-off, and how to keep them where you can find them.
• Small claims evidenceWhat a judge wants to see when a contractor sues for an unpaid bill, whether you can sue without a written contract, and how to put the evidence in order.
• Subcontractor not paid by the GCThe GC is holding your money: pay-when-paid, retainage, a stalled pay application or a final inspection that's months away. What the terms mean and what you can do.
• Subcontract scope and exclusionsThe subcontract that ignores your quote's exclusions, start dates nobody can give you, back charges with no notice. What subs can ask for before they sign.

For homeowners

• Contractor is past the finish dateYour remodel is weeks late and the contractor barely answers. How to get a real date without blowing up the job, and what you can do if they still don't finish.
• Surprise charges on the invoiceA new invoice for more, overhead on the bill, markups without receipts. How to check what you actually owe and push back in writing.
• Different materials than the contractYou found a substitute where the contract named something else. How to check, what to ask for, and when you can insist on what you paid for.
• Contractor won't come backThe job is nearly done but the contractor won't return for the last items, or won't honor the warranty. How to get it finished, and what you can hold back.
• Contractor wants paid before finishingYour contractor is asking for the balance while work is still left. Why to hold off, how to say it, and how to agree a payment that matches what's done.
• Contractor took the deposit and vanishedYou paid a deposit and the contractor stopped answering. How to tell delay from abandonment, how to get money back, and the state recovery funds few people know.

The basics: liens, permits, cancelling, insurance

• Mechanics liens for homeownersHow a subcontractor or supplier can put a lien on your house after you paid your contractor in full, and how lien waivers and notices protect you.
• Who pulls the building permitWho is responsible for building permits on a remodel, what happens when the contractor never pulled one, and how to check before work starts.
• Cancelling a home improvement contractSigned on the spot after a sales pitch at home? How the FTC Cooling-Off Rule and state rules may let you cancel within three business days, and how to do it.
• Insurance claim repairsWhy your insurance check names your mortgage company, how to pay a contractor from it, and why every upgrade beyond the claim needs a written agreement.

This is general information, not legal advice. States differ on what a home improvement contract and its changes must contain. Check with your state’s contractor licensing board or an attorney.