Guides

Construction punch list sheet in Excel on a tablet, with deficiency items, locations, trades and status columns
How to run a construction punch list and close out a custom home
The last month of a custom home decides how the client remembers the whole build. A house that was built well can still end badly if the punch list drags... Read more...
Client selections list for a custom home with a decide-by date for each selection and overdue and due-soon flags
Selection sheets for custom homes: decide-by dates and allowances
Late selections stall more custom homes than weather does. The cabinets cannot be ordered until the client picks a door style, the plumber cannot rough in until the tub is... Read more...
Cost breakdown sheet for a custom home showing budget, actual and variance by division, with sample figures
Custom home cost breakdown: how to set and track the budget by division
"What does it cost to build a custom home?" is one of the most searched questions in home building, and the honest answer is that a single number per square... Read more...
Construction schedule Gantt chart in Excel on a tablet, showing custom home build tasks as bars across the weeks
How to build a construction schedule for a custom home in Excel
A custom home schedule has three readers. The office needs to know when money goes out and comes in. The site needs to know which trade is coming next week.... Read more...
Close-up of a client change summary listing each change order with its price, tax and schedule days, and the revised contract total
Change order form template: what to include and how to price it
Most money lost on a custom home is not lost in the estimate. It leaks out through changes: the client moves a wall, upgrades a window package or adds pot... Read more...
Excel draw schedule for a custom home with 12 milestone draws, retainage or holdback, sales tax and total due on each draw
How to build a construction draw schedule for a custom home
A draw schedule is the payment plan for a build. It splits the contract price into a set of payments, called draws, and ties each one to a stage of... Read more...