Small builders & GCs hub · By James Grokman, CEO, TapeAndFloat · Published October 25, 2026 · Updated October 25, 2026

Contract-to-start handoff checklist for small builders

A contract-to-start handoff checklist is the short list of items that must be done between a signed contract and day one on site: deposit, permits, selections, materials, schedule, sub confirmations, paperwork, site access and a kickoff note to the client, each with one owner and a due date.

Free download: Pre-start checklist (Excel). One row per job per item with owner, due date, status, done date and a proof link. It reads each job's start date and flags items still open on or past the start date, items with no owner or no due date, items due after the start date, overdue items, items marked done with no proof or no done date, and open items when the start is coming up. A Start Here sheet counts it all. The example rows are labeled; delete them before you start. No email required.

1. Why the handoff is where jobs slip

The contract gets signed and everyone relaxes. Then the first week goes sideways: the permit is not back, the client has not picked the tile, the windows have a long lead time, the framer thought it was next Monday. None of these are hard problems on their own. They pile up because nobody owned the list between the sale and the start.

2. The checklist, one row per job per item

Copy the same list onto every new job the day the contract is signed:

Contract signed by both sides, with the copy filed on the job.
Deposit received. The amount and timing are set by your contract, and some states and cities have their own rules for home improvement deposits; check them or ask an attorney. Log the date it cleared and keep the receipt; see getting paid faster on draws.
Permits applied for, then issued. Which permits the job needs, and whether work can start before they are issued, is set by your city or county permit office; check with them. Track them in your permit and inspection log.
Selections finalized with the client's sign-off in writing; see tracking allowances and selections.
Materials ordered and long lead times confirmed in writing; see material orders and backorders.
Schedule set: the start date and the first two weeks in your 2-week lookahead.
Subs confirmed in writing with dates, not just "we'll be there."
COIs and W-9s on file for every sub before they set foot on site; see chasing sub paperwork and W-9s and 1099-NEC for subs.
Site access and utilities: keys or lockbox, power and water, dumpster, portable toilet, where crews park.
Client kickoff note sent: start date, who to call, working hours, what to expect the first week and how changes are handled.

3. One owner and one due date per item

"The office" is not an owner. Put one name on each row and a date it must be done by, counted back from the start date. A permit may need weeks, a kickoff note a day or two. The spreadsheet's Settings sheet holds example days-before-start for each item; change them to fit how you work.

4. Done means proof

For each item, keep a link to the proof: the signed contract, the deposit receipt, the permit, the sub's written confirmation, the COI file, the photo of the lockbox. When a client or sub later says "nobody told me," the proof is one click away. A checked box with nothing behind it is a memory, not a record.

5. Check it before the start date, not on it

A week before the start, review every open item on the job. If something will not be ready (permit not issued, selection not made), move the start date or tell the client in writing now, not on day one. If the start does move, log it like any other delay; see documenting delays.

6. Hand it to the field

On day one, the site lead should know the scope, the selections, the sub dates, the access details and who the client contact is. Start the daily log that day. Any scope change from here on goes on a change order, and the same habits carry through to final payment and retainage.

7. A ten-minute weekly review

Once a week, sort the checklist by start date and look at: items open past the start date, items with no owner or no due date, items due after the start, and items marked done with no proof. Fix the first job on the list before moving to the next.

Where an assistant helps

The hard part is keeping the list current while you are selling the next job. During the pilot, checklist items still open past the start date get flagged, and it drafts the follow-up (to the sub, the supplier or the client) for you to approve. Nothing is sent on its own, and during the pilot a real person reviews everything.

Free 60-day pilot: keep working in your own phone, email and Google Sheet. Request a pilot spot.

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Frequently asked questions

What should be on a pre-construction start checklist?

Contract signed, deposit received, permits applied for and issued, selections finalized in writing, materials ordered with lead times confirmed, schedule set, subs confirmed in writing with dates, COIs and W-9s on file, site access and utilities arranged, and a kickoff note sent to the client. Each item gets one owner, a due date and a proof link.

Can I start work before the permit is issued?

That is set by your city or county permit office, not by this checklist; check with them before any work starts. Track the permit as its own item with an owner and a due date.

How much deposit should I collect before starting?

The amount and timing are set by your contract, and some states and cities have their own rules for home improvement deposits; check them or ask an attorney. Whatever you agree, log the date it was received and keep the receipt.

Who should own the handoff from sales to the job?

One person per item, by name. Many small builders have the owner handle contract, deposit and permits, and the project lead handle subs, materials and site access. What matters is that every row has a name.

What if an item is still open on the start date?

Decide before the start: move the date or tell the client in writing what is late and why. Log it like any other delay so the record matches the schedule.

Free tools

Sub and vendor paperwork tracker (Excel): flags missing W-9s and COIs, expiring COIs and payments without an unconditional lien waiver.
Crew hours by job (Excel): one row per person per day per job (date, worker, job, start, end, break or total hours, task or cost code, how it came in, entered on, approved by) with Jobs and Workers lists, hours by job by week, hours vs. each job's labor-hours budget and a Start Here summary; flags no job, job or worker not on the list, end before start, no hours, possible duplicates, long days, entered late, not approved, jobs near or over budget and workers over a weekly hours flag; Settings numbers are examples; it does not calculate pay, and overtime and pay rules come from federal and state law and your payroll provider.
Pre-start checklist (Excel): one row per job per item from signed contract to day one (contract signed, deposit received, permits applied for and issued, selections finalized, materials ordered and lead times, schedule set, subs confirmed with dates, COIs and W-9s on file, site access and utilities, client kickoff note) with owner, due date, status, done date and proof link, a Jobs sheet with planned start dates and open counts, and a Start Here summary; flags items open past the start date, no owner, no due date, due after the start, overdue, done with no proof or no done date and open items when the start is near; Settings days are examples; deposit terms are set by your contract and permits by your city or county permit office.
Delay log (Excel): one row per delay (job, start and end dates, cause, what happened, days lost, who owns it, client notified with date and how, client written OK, schedule updated, new delivery date, change order needed and number, cost impact, photos/daily log link), a Jobs sheet with totals per job and a Start Here summary; flags no written notice to the client, notice later than your Settings, client decision with no written OK, backorder with no new date, change order needed with no number, days lost blank and open delays; Settings values are examples, notice terms are set by your contract.
Daily log & job photo tracker (Excel): one row per job per day (crew and sub counts, weather, work done, deliveries, inspections, visitors, delays and cause, client instructions, safety notes, photos folder link), a Jobs sheet and a Missing Logs sheet that marks workdays with no log; flags no photos link, delay with no cause, client instruction not turned into a change order, inspection with no result and blank crew counts; workdays and lookback on a Settings sheet.
W-9 & 1099-NEC sub payment tracker (Excel): a Payees sheet (entity type, W-9 received date, mailing address; never the full tax ID) and a Payments sheet (date, payee, amount, method, job), with a total per payee for the tax year and flags for paid with no W-9 on file, W-9 after the first payment, over the reporting threshold (editable; $2,000 for 2026 payments per irs.gov), corporations to confirm, attorneys, missing address, card/app payments and payments to someone not on the list. General information, not tax advice.
New lead intake log (Excel): one row per homeowner inquiry (date received, source, contact, job type, first reply, next step and date, status, quote sent, last contact), with flags for no reply yet, next step overdue, quoted with no follow-up and stale leads; thresholds on a Settings sheet.
Bid pipeline & quote follow-up tracker (Excel): one row per bid with sent and price-hold dates, a touch log, next follow-up worked out from day 3/7/14 (editable), and flags for follow-ups due or overdue, quotes expiring or expired while open, bids at the stop point, no sent date, won without amount and lost without reason.
2-week lookahead: subs & inspections schedule (Excel): one row per job per task with start and end dates, confirm-by dates from your settings, inspection requested/date/result, depends-on, Now/Week 1/Week 2 view, and flags for subs not confirmed, inspections not requested, failed inspections with no re-inspection, the same sub on two jobs at once, no sub assigned and starts before a dependency ends.
Permit & inspection log (Excel): one row per permit per job (type, number, applied/issued/expiration dates, card posted, final/closeout, fees, responsible) and one row per inspection (needed by, requested, result, re-inspection), with editable Settings and flags for permits expired or expiring soon, no permit number, not issued yet, inspections not requested by your lead time, failed with no re-inspection, work done but final not passed and fees unpaid.
Material orders, deliveries & returns tracker (Excel): one row per order line (supplier, PO, qty ordered and delivered, promised and delivered dates, ticket checked, backorder date, substitution approval, invoice match) and one row per return (RMA, expected and received credit, restocking fee), with flags for late or short deliveries, backorders past date, unmatched invoices and missing or short credits.
Job budget vs actual tracker (Excel): budget lines by job and cost code, actual costs from bills and receipts, signed change orders added to the budget, variance $ and %, and flags for lines over or near budget, costs with no job, cost code or budget line, and change orders not signed or not billed.
Punch list & warranty callback tracker (Excel): sets each due date from the reported date (punch and warranty days editable) and flags items past due or due soon, items with no sub assigned, items closed without homeowner sign-off or photos, and back-charges not billed.
Allowance & client selections tracker (Excel): works out each overage and its change order amount with your markup, and flags selections past due or due within 14 days, overages without a signed change order, signed overages not billed and credits not applied.
Unbilled change order calculator: what missed extras cost you a year, using your own numbers.
Texas lien deadline calculator: notice and lien affidavit dates under Property Code ch. 53 for any month of work.
Free office tracker (Excel): flags unsigned and unbilled change orders and past-due invoices.
Weekly office checklist (PDF): change orders, invoices, retainage, lien notices, COIs and crews on one page.

All free, no sign-up.

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