Questions to Ask a Contractor Before You Sign, and While the Work Is Under Way
Always simple. Never easy.
What a remodel contract should answer before you sign it, and what to ask once the work starts: scope, allowances, payments, permits, changes, protection, the schedule, what done means and what you should have at the end.
By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Oct 17, 2026Updated Oct 17, 2026
Ask before you sign, and ask in writing. A good remodel contract already answers most of these: what is included and excluded, what the allowances cover, what makes each payment due, who pulls the permits, how changes are priced, how the house is protected and what counts as finished. The ones it does not answer are the ones to ask.
Contractors: this is the list to answer in your proposal before a client asks. The contractor view shows what to have ready.
Before you sign
What exactly is included, and what is left out?
Scope and exclusions: put it in writing before they ask
Ask for a room-by-room scope that says what gets removed, replaced, repaired and left alone, and a written list of what is excluded. Ask which parts are assumptions the contractor cannot confirm until the work is open. A clear scope is the document every later change, invoice and dispute is measured against.
Write the scope room by room: removed, replaced, repaired, left alone. List the exclusions in their own section and name the assumptions you are pricing on until demo. This is the list every change order is measured against, so it protects you as much as the customer.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can you walk me through what gets removed, replaced, repaired and left alone?
What is excluded from this price?
Which parts are assumptions you can't confirm until the work is open?
Can we attach the scope and exclusions so we're working from the same list?
A useful answer includes
A room-by-room scope
A written exclusions list
Photos of existing conditions
The assumptions the price depends on
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We're covering what we talked about.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The exact work limits and the assumptions behind the price.
Ask for: The scope and exclusions in writing, attached to the proposal.
Give instead: The scope room by room, the exclusions list, and the assumptions you priced on.
Which items are allowances, and what do they cover?
Allowances: say what they buy and how they reconcile
Ask which items are carried as allowances and whether each one covers materials only or the installed cost, including tax, delivery and markup. Ask how overages and unused amounts are settled and when you need to choose the products. An allowance with no stated basis is a number nobody can check.
List every allowance with its basis: material only or installed, with or without tax, delivery and markup. State how overages and credits reconcile and the date each selection is needed. A representative product for each allowance tells the customer what the number actually buys.
Before signingBefore orders are placedGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which items carry allowances, and how much is each?
Is each allowance for materials only or the installed cost?
Does it include tax, delivery and your markup?
How do overages and unused amounts get settled?
When do you need our selections?
A useful answer includes
An allowance schedule
The cost basis for each allowance
A representative product for each
The reconciliation terms
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“You've got $3,000 for fixtures.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: What the number includes and how it reconciles.
Ask for: The allowance schedule with its cost basis and reconciliation terms.
Give instead: Each allowance with what it includes, a sample product, and how overages and credits work.
Who are we contracting with, and what licenses and insurance apply?
Contracting party, license and insurance: send them before they ask
Ask which company is the contracting party and what licenses, registrations and insurance apply to this work where you live, including the subcontractors. Then check the license or registration yourself with the state or local board. A certificate of insurance shows a policy existed; ask the agent if you need to know what it covers.
Name the legal entity on the contract, list the license or registration that applies to this work where the job is, and send current insurance evidence with the agent's contact. Say which subcontractors carry their own coverage. Sending it unasked removes a question that otherwise reads as suspicion.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which company is the contracting party?
What license or registration applies to this work here?
What insurance do you carry, and who is your agent?
Which subcontractors carry their own insurance?
A useful answer includes
The legal entity name
License or registration verification where required
Insurance evidence and the agent's contact
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We're licensed and insured.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The specific entity, the license that applies, and what the insurance covers.
Ask for: The license or registration number and insurance evidence.
Give instead: The entity name, the license number and the insurance certificate with the agent's contact.
What contract terms and cancellation rights apply here?
Contract and cancellation terms: use the agreement that fits this job
Ask which written-contract, notice and cancellation requirements apply to this agreement where the job is, and where the cancellation instructions are. The rules depend on the state, the contract amount and how the sale was made. A standard form is fine if it fits this transaction; ask where it covers the notices that apply.
Use an agreement that fits the job's location and how the sale was made, with the notices and cancellation instructions that apply there. Point the customer at them. Clamp does not write terms; your own terms and attachments carry them.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which notices and cancellation rights apply to this agreement?
Where are the cancellation instructions in the contract?
Is this agreement written for this state and this kind of sale?
A useful answer includes
The agreement and the notices that apply
The cancellation instructions
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“It's our standard contract. Everyone signs it.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the form fits this jurisdiction and transaction.
Ask for: Where the notices and cancellation instructions are in the agreement.
Give instead: The agreement with the notices that apply here, and where each one is.
What is the deposit, and what makes each later payment due?
Deposit and payments: tie each one to an event
Ask what deposit is allowed where you live, and what work or delivery makes each later payment due. Deposit limits vary by state and sometimes by what is being ordered. Each payment should name an event you can see, such as rough-in passing inspection, rather than a calendar date alone.
Set a deposit that is allowed where the job is and tie every later payment to an event the customer can see: an inspection passed, a delivery received, a stage complete. Say how materials ordered early are treated. A schedule built on events gets paid on time.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What deposit is allowed here, and what does it cover?
What event makes each later payment due?
How are materials ordered early handled in the payment schedule?
How will we verify each stage before paying?
A useful answer includes
A payment schedule with amounts and triggers
How early material orders are treated
The evidence for each trigger
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We take half up front on every job.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether that deposit is allowed here and what it is for.
Ask for: The payment schedule with each trigger and the deposit rule that applies.
Give instead: A deposit that fits the rules where the job is, and a schedule tied to visible events.
What lien notices and releases apply, and who collects them?
Lien notices and releases: name the process up front
Ask what lien notices or releases apply where the job is, who collects them from the suppliers and subcontractors, and at which payments. Paying the contractor does not by itself show that everyone below them was paid. Releases come in conditional and unconditional forms; ask which one goes with which payment.
Say which notices and releases apply where the job is, who collects them from suppliers and subs, and which form goes with which payment. Treat it as a standard document request on every job so it never reads as a suspicion.
Before signingBefore final paymentGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What lien notices or releases apply here?
Who collects releases from the suppliers and subcontractors?
Which release goes with which payment?
A useful answer includes
The notices that apply here
The release process by payment stage
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Once you pay me, you're covered.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which claimants have rights and how releases are handled.
Ask for: The release process by payment, and who collects each one.
Give instead: The notices that apply and which release comes with each payment.
Which permits and inspections apply, and who handles them?
Permits and inspections: say who pulls them and when
Ask which permits and inspections apply to this work, who obtains them, who pays the fees and who schedules the inspections. If the contractor says none are needed, ask what that is based on. The building department decides, so a written answer that names the permits is better than an assurance.
List the permits and inspections, say who pulls them and pays the fees, and where they fall in the schedule. If you believe none apply, say what that is based on. A permit plan in the proposal answers the question before it becomes a worry.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which permits and inspections apply to this work?
Who obtains the permits and pays the fees?
Who schedules the inspections and handles corrections?
If no permit is needed, what is that based on?
A useful answer includes
The permit scope and responsible party
The inspection sequence
Inspection records as the job goes
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“It's just a remodel. We shouldn't need permits.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The building department's determination and who is responsible.
Ask for: The permits and inspections that apply, or the basis for none.
Give instead: The permit list, who pulls each, and where the inspections fall.
How are changes priced and approved?
Changes: state the process before the first one
Ask how changes you request and conditions found during the work are priced and approved, who can approve them, and what happens when urgent protective work is needed. A change should be written and approved before the changed work is done, with its price or pricing basis and any effect on the schedule.
Put the change process in the proposal: how you price a change, who approves it, how credits work, and the narrow case for urgent protective work. A written change before the work is the habit that gets every change paid.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
How will a change be priced, and how will we approve it?
Who can approve a change on our side?
What happens if you find damage once walls are open?
What urgent work would you do before we approve it?
A useful answer includes
A written change procedure
The pricing basis for changes
The urgent-work rule
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll keep track and settle up at the end.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The pricing basis, who approves, and the effect on schedule.
Ask for: The change procedure in writing.
Give instead: A change order priced and signed before the changed work, every time.
When does the work start, and when will rooms or utilities be out?
Schedule and outages: name the days, not just the weeks
Ask what has to happen before the work starts, what could move the finish date, and which rooms or utilities will be unusable and for how long. A kitchen or the only bathroom being out is the part of a remodel that changes daily life. A target date is not a promise; ask how changes to it are reported.
Give the start conditions, the sequence, the long-lead items and the days the kitchen, the bathroom, the water or the power will be out. Say what stands in for each. Separate a target from a commitment, and say how you report a slip.
Before signingBefore demoGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What has to happen before you start?
What could move the finish date?
Which rooms or utilities will be out, and for how long?
What stands in while the kitchen or bathroom is out?
How will you tell us if the schedule changes?
A useful answer includes
Start conditions and sequence
Outage windows and what stands in
Long-lead items
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Plan on around a month.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The sequence, the outages and what moves the date.
Ask for: The outage days and the sequence.
Give instead: The sequence with outage windows, what stands in for each, and how slips are reported.
Who runs the job day to day, and when are people in the house?
Site lead, hours and access: name the person and the plan
Ask who supervises the trades day to day, what hours people will be in the house, and how keys, deliveries, parking and pets are handled. Knowing who to call, and when to expect someone at the door, removes most of the friction of living in a job.
Name the lead, the working hours and the days. Say how keys, deliveries, parking and pets are handled and who the customer calls when something comes up. One page of this prevents most daily friction.
Before demoGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Who supervises the job day to day?
What hours will people be here?
How are keys, deliveries and parking handled?
What do you need from us about pets or kids?
A useful answer includes
A named site lead
Working hours
An access plan
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“One of my guys will be here.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Who is responsible on site and when.
Ask for: The lead's name, the hours and the access plan.
Give instead: The lead, the hours, and how keys, deliveries, parking and pets are handled.
How will the rest of the house be protected, and are there regulated materials?
Protection and regulated materials: show the plan
Ask where containment goes, how occupied rooms, belongings and the heating and cooling system are protected from dust, and how the work area is cleaned. In older homes, ask whether lead paint or other regulated materials may be disturbed and what precautions apply. Lead-safe rules for older housing depend on the age of the home and the work.
Show where containment goes, how floors, belongings and the HVAC returns are protected, and how the area is cleaned. On older homes, say whether lead paint or other regulated materials may be disturbed and what you do about it. Required safety is never an upgrade.
Before demoGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Where will containment go?
How will you protect the rooms we're living in and the HVAC?
Could this work disturb lead paint or other regulated materials?
How is the work area cleaned each day?
A useful answer includes
A protection plan
Baseline photos
Testing or qualifications where they apply
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll hang plastic and keep the dust down.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The containment boundary, the cleaning standard and any lead-safe requirements.
Ask for: The protection plan and, on an older home, the lead-safe approach.
Give instead: The containment line, the HVAC protection, the cleaning method and the lead-safe approach if it applies.
What gets cleaned each day, and what are we keeping?
Cleanup, debris and salvage: agree it before demo
Ask what condition the house is left in at the end of each day, who removes debris and where the dumpster goes, and which cabinets, fixtures or materials are being saved and where they are stored. Daily cleanup and salvage are easy to agree before demo and hard to argue about after.
Say what is cleaned each day versus at completion, where the dumpster goes, who hauls debris, and which items are being saved, labeled and stored where. A salvage list with photos settles it.
Before demoGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What gets cleaned each day, and what at the end?
Where does the dumpster go, and who hauls debris?
Which items are we keeping, and where will they be stored?
A useful answer includes
A cleanup schedule
The disposal plan
A labeled salvage list
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll keep it reasonably clean.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The daily standard, disposal and what is being saved.
Ask for: The cleanup schedule and the salvage list.
Give instead: Daily and final cleanup, the dumpster location and a labeled salvage list.
How will we get updates, and who can approve decisions?
Updates and decision authority: set the channel
Ask how often you will get updates, where questions and approvals should go, who can approve choices on both sides, and how quickly decisions are needed. Agreeing where decisions are recorded keeps a text thread from becoming the contract, and naming one person on each side who can approve a choice stops two people answering the same question differently.
Set the update cadence, the channel for questions and approvals, who can approve on each side, and how quickly you need answers. Say where decisions are recorded so nothing important lives only in a text thread.
Before demoGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
How often will we get updates?
Where should questions and approvals go?
Who can approve decisions on each side?
How quickly do you need our decisions?
A useful answer includes
An update cadence
The approval channel
Named decision-makers
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Just text me whenever.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The response expectations and where agreements are recorded.
Ask for: The update cadence and where decisions are recorded.
Give instead: A cadence, one channel for approvals, and who can decide on each side.
What counts as finished, and what releases the final payment?
Completion: define it before you start
Ask what counts as substantially complete and what counts as finished, how unfinished items are handled, and what has to happen before the final payment. A punch list walk against the agreed scope, the final inspection and the documents you receive are the usual parts of finishing.
Define substantially complete and complete, how the punch list works, which inspection closes the job, and what the customer receives at closeout. Tie the final payment to that definition, not to a feeling.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What counts as substantially complete, and what as finished?
How are unfinished items handled?
What has to happen before the final payment?
What documents do we receive at the end?
A useful answer includes
Completion criteria
The punch list process
The final inspection
The closeout list
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“You'll know when it's done.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The acceptance criteria and what triggers the final payment.
Ask for: The written completion criteria.
Give instead: Completion criteria, the punch process and the closeout list, tied to the final payment.
What are we buying ourselves, and who handles it?
Owner-supplied items: agree who checks, receives and replaces
Ask which items you are buying yourself, who checks that they fit the plan, who receives and inspects them, where they are stored, and who pays if one arrives damaged or late. Owner-supplied fixtures and appliances are common and fine when these questions are settled before ordering.
List what the customer is buying, who checks compatibility, who receives and inspects deliveries, where items are stored, and who covers damage, missing parts and delays. Model numbers before rough-in prevent most of the trouble.
Before orders are placedBefore rough-inGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What are we buying separately?
Who checks that our items fit the plan?
Who receives and inspects deliveries, and where are they stored?
Who pays if something arrives damaged or late?
A useful answer includes
An owner-supply list with model numbers
Delivery dates
Handling and labor terms
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“You can buy the faucet yourself.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Compatibility, receiving, warranty and delay responsibility.
Ask for: The owner-supply list with who handles each step.
Give instead: The list with model numbers, who receives, and who covers damage and delays.
Where does the work stop, and how close a match is acceptable?
Repair boundaries and matching: show the line
Ask where the new work meets the old, which existing paint, floor, tile or trim can realistically be matched, and what happens if the match is visibly different. On a partial remodel, the boundary and an agreed standard for the match are what keep the finished room from feeling patched.
Mark where new meets old, say what can and cannot be matched, and show a sample. Offer the alternative of refinishing a full surface. A boundary agreed before the work is the difference between a clean transition and a dispute.
Before orders are placedGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Where does the new work stop?
Which existing finishes can you match?
What happens if the match is visibly different?
Would refinishing a whole surface avoid a visible line?
A useful answer includes
Photos and samples
The exact transition locations
The matching limits in writing
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll blend it into what's there.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The match quality and the repair extent.
Ask for: Samples and the marked boundary.
Give instead: Samples, the transition locations, and the full-surface alternative with its price.
What can't be known until the work is open, and how is that priced?
Investigation: say what you can't know yet and how you'll find out
Ask what can be inspected now, whether a limited opening or a paid investigation would reduce uncertainty, and what remains unknown until demolition. An honest answer often includes things nobody can see yet. What matters is that the unknowns are named and the way they will be priced is agreed.
Name what you can inspect now, what a limited opening or paid investigation would settle, and what stays unknown until demo. Price the investigation in a design agreement, or carry the unknowns as stated assumptions with the change process behind them.
Before signingGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
What can you inspect before we sign?
Would a limited opening or a paid investigation reduce uncertainty?
What can't be known until demo?
How will what you find be priced?
A useful answer includes
The investigation scope
Authorization for any opening
The findings
The assumptions the price depends on
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We won't know the framing condition until the wall is open.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: How the findings will be priced and what was assumed.
Ask for: The assumptions in writing and how findings are priced.
Give instead: The investigation scope and fee, or the assumptions with the change process behind them.
Can we see past jobs like ours, and how many jobs run at once?
Past work and workload: show jobs like this one
Ask to see finished jobs like yours and to speak with past clients who have agreed to be contacted. A contractor who does this work regularly can show it. Ask how the job will be staffed and supervised alongside the other work they are running, and who covers it when the owner is on another site.
Keep a short list of comparable jobs with photos you have permission to show, and references who agreed to take a call. Say how this job will be staffed and supervised alongside the rest of your work, and who leads it day to day. An honest capacity answer up front beats a stalled job later.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Have you done jobs like this one, and can we see one?
Can we speak with past clients who agreed to be contacted?
How will our job be staffed alongside your other work?
Who covers our job when you're not here?
A useful answer includes
Photos of comparable jobs, shared with permission
References who agreed to be contacted
The staffing plan alongside the contractor's other work
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We've done lots of these.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which jobs, how recent, and whether the owners would say the same.
Ask for: Comparable jobs and references, shared with permission.
Give instead: Two or three comparable jobs with photos and owners who agreed to a call.
During the job and closeout
Something changed. What happens before the changed work is done?
A change: write it before the work
Ask what changed from the approved scope, what the proposed work is, what it costs or how it will be priced, what it does to the schedule, and who has to approve it. Damage found behind a wall is common; the change order is what turns it from a surprise into an agreed decision.
When something changes or turns up, write it before doing it: what changed, the photos, the remedy and any alternatives, the price or pricing basis, the time effect, and who signs. Urgent protective work is the narrow exception your proposal already defines.
Before changed workGoes on a change order
Ask
Be ready to answer
What changed from the approved scope?
What does it cost, or how will it be priced?
What does it do to the schedule?
Are there alternatives, including leaving the original scope?
A useful answer includes
A written change order
Photos of what was found
Alternatives where they exist
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“It's a small extra. We'll add it to the bill.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The scope, cost, time and approval.
Ask for: A change order before the work.
Give instead: A change order with photos, price and schedule effect, signed before the work.
What do you need us to decide, and by when?
A customer decision: give the date and what it holds up
Ask exactly what needs choosing, the price of each option, the date it is needed, and what that date is holding up. A selection that is late can hold up an order or a trade, so the date should come from a real dependency. Silence should never count as an answer.
Ask for the decision with the options, their price differences, the date, and the order or trade it holds up. A date tied to a real dependency gets answered; a reminder with no reason does not.
Before orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
What exactly do you need us to choose?
What does each option cost?
When do you need it, and what does that date hold up?
Is this within the allowance?
A useful answer includes
The options with prices
The date and the dependency
Who can decide
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We need your tile choice soon.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The actual deadline and what a late answer costs.
Ask for: The date and what it holds up.
Give instead: The options with prices, the date, and the order or trade it blocks.
The schedule moved. What changed, and what happens now?
A schedule change: say what, why and what's next
Ask what moved, what caused it, what the revised sequence is, who owns the next step and when the next update will come. A slip is normal on a remodel; not knowing about it is what makes it stressful. A changed target date does not by itself change the contract.
Report the slip with the cause, the revised sequence, the next action and when you'll update again. Keep it separate from contract dates; a target that moves is a report, not an amendment.
At closeoutGoes on a milestone record
Ask
Be ready to answer
What moved, and why?
What is the revised sequence?
Who owns the next step?
When will we hear from you again?
A useful answer includes
Updated milestones
The dependency that moved
The next update date
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We're waiting on another trade.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The affected dates and the recovery plan.
Ask for: The revised sequence and the next update date.
Give instead: What moved, why, the new sequence and when you'll update next.
Which checks apply before work gets covered, and have they happened?
Cover-up checkpoints: list what applies, show each result
Ask which inspections, tests and contractor checks apply to this job at each cover-up point: under-slab work and footings before the pour, trade rough-ins and framing before they are concealed, insulation before drywall, and the shower waterproofing before tile. For each one that applies, ask to see the result and any corrections before the work is covered.
List the checkpoints that apply here and mark each one passed, corrections open, not applicable or awaiting result: pre-pour and below-grade, trade rough-ins and framing, insulation, the shower waterproofing test for the selected assembly. Before covering, show the record where one exists and labeled photos where it does not.
Before the pourBefore walls closeBefore tileGoes on a milestone record
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which inspections, tests and checks apply to this job, and in what order?
What gets checked before the pour, including work buried under the slab?
Are the rough-ins and framing signed off before they're concealed?
What test does our shower assembly use, and was it done before tile?
Can we see each result and the photos before covering?
A useful answer includes
The checkpoints that apply, each marked passed, open, not applicable or awaiting result
Closed corrections
Labeled photos of concealed work
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The inspector came by.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which checkpoint that covered, the result, and whether corrections were required.
Ask for: The result for each applicable checkpoint and any corrections.
Give instead: The checkpoint list with each status, the records and labeled photos before covering.
A product is being substituted. How does it compare?
A substitution: show the comparison before buying
Ask what is changing and why, and how the substitute compares on fit, appearance, performance, warranty, price and timing. Substitutions happen when products are backordered; the comparison and your approval should come before the substitute is bought or installed. You can also ask whether waiting for the original is an option.
Before buying a substitute, show what is changing and why, and compare fit, look, performance, warranty, price and timing. Get the approval first, and a change order where the price or scope moves.
Before orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
What is changing, and why?
How does it compare on fit, look and performance?
Does the warranty or price change?
Can we keep the original if we wait?
A useful answer includes
A product comparison
The manufacturer's data
A change order if price or scope changes
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“This one is basically the same.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether it is truly equivalent and what it changes.
Ask for: The side-by-side comparison.
Give instead: The comparison, the reason, and the option to wait for the original.
What is left to finish or fix, and when will it be done?
Punch list: walk it against the scope
Ask to walk the work against the agreed scope and list what is incomplete or needs correction, with a location, a photo, who is responsible and a date for each item. New requests found on the walk are separate from the punch list and get their own price.
Walk it with the customer against the agreed scope. Each item gets a location, a photo, an owner and a date, and is marked incomplete, disputed, warranty or new request. New requests go to a change order.
Before final paymentGoes on the punch list
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can we walk the work against the agreed scope?
What's incomplete or needs correcting?
Who handles each item, and by when?
Which items are new requests rather than contract work?
A useful answer includes
An itemized list with locations and photos
A responsible party and date for each
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“There are a few trim touchups left.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Who handles each item and by when.
Ask for: The itemized list with dates.
Give instead: A walked list with photos, owners and dates, and new requests split out.
Does the final invoice match the contract and the approved changes?
Final invoice: reconcile it on one page
Ask how the balance reconciles to the contract price, the signed change orders, allowance adjustments, credits and payments already made, and what lien releases apply at this stage. The final invoice is not the place where unapproved extras appear for the first time, and paying it does not by itself approve them.
Show the reconciliation on one page: contract price, signed changes, allowance adjustments, credits, payments made, balance. Include the releases that apply at final payment. Nothing new should first appear on the final invoice.
Before final paymentGoes on the invoice
Ask
Be ready to answer
How does the balance reconcile to the contract?
Which change orders and allowance adjustments are included?
What payments and credits are already applied?
What lien releases come with the final payment?
A useful answer includes
A contract-to-invoice reconciliation
The releases that apply
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That's the balance my bookkeeper has.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The arithmetic and the authorization behind it.
Ask for: The reconciliation and the releases.
Give instead: A one-page reconciliation and the release that goes with the final payment.
What warranty applies, and who handles a problem later?
Warranty: write the terms and the contact
Ask what written workmanship coverage applies, when it starts, which manufacturer warranties come with the products, what maintenance or exclusions matter, and who you contact if something goes wrong. A warranty you agree to does not replace any rights you have under the law where you live.
Put the workmanship terms in the proposal, hand over the manufacturer warranties at the end, and give one service contact. Say what maintenance keeps the coverage in place. Registration responsibilities should be clear.
Before signingAt closeoutGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What workmanship coverage do you provide, and for how long?
When does it start?
Which manufacturer warranties come with the products?
Who do we contact if something goes wrong?
A useful answer includes
Written warranty terms
Manufacturer documents
A service contact
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Call me if anything happens.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The coverage, the duration and the exclusions.
Ask for: The warranty terms in writing.
Give instead: Written terms, the manufacturer documents and one service contact.
What should we have when the job closes out?
Closeout: one organized set
Ask for the permit close-out, the manuals and warranty cards, the paint colors and finish codes, the photos of what is behind the walls, and any care instructions. Ask what remains your responsibility, such as registering a product or a first maintenance date, and keep it all in one place.
Hand over one organized set: final approvals, manuals and serial numbers, paint and finish codes, photos of concealed work, keys, and the maintenance tasks that are now the customer's.
At closeoutGoes on a milestone record
Ask
Be ready to answer
Do we have the final inspection and permit close-out?
Where are the manuals, paint codes and finish details?
Can we have the photos of what's behind the walls?
What is ours to do now?
Which equipment manuals, settings and service schedules come with the house?
A useful answer includes
Final approvals
Manuals and finish codes
Photos of concealed work
Remaining responsibilities
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Everything's in a folder somewhere.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether it is complete and where it is.
Ask for: One organized closeout set.
Give instead: An index of approvals, manuals, finish codes and photos, and the owner's next tasks.
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Rules on contracts, deposits, permits and building codes vary by state and town. Where an answer depends on where you live, the page says to ask what applies there.