# Contract-to-start handoff checklist for small builders By James Grokman, CEO, TapeAndFloat · 2026-10-25 · Canonical: https://gc.tapeandfloat.com/guides/contract-to-start-handoff-checklist.html **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)](https://tapeandfloat.com/downloads/TapeAndFloat_Pre_Start_Checklist.xlsx). 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](get-paid-faster-draws.html). - **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](permit-inspection-tracking-remodelers.html). - **Selections finalized** with the client's sign-off in writing; see [tracking allowances and selections](allowance-selections-tracking.html). - **Materials ordered** and long lead times confirmed in writing; see [material orders and backorders](material-orders-deliveries-returns-credits.html). - **Schedule set:** the start date and the first two weeks in your [2-week lookahead](scheduling-subs-inspections-lookahead.html). - **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](sub-paperwork-coi-lien-waivers.html) and [W-9s and 1099-NEC for subs](w9-1099-nec-subcontractors.html). - **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](documenting-construction-delays.html). ## 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](daily-logs-job-photos.html) that day. Any scope change from here on goes on a [change order](change-order-tracking-small-builders.html), and the same habits carry through to [final payment and retainage](final-payment-retainage-homeowners.html). ## 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](../#pilot). ## 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.