The most expensive hour on a job is the one spent driving back to the supply house, or standing in a driveway without the gate code. By the end of this lesson you’ll have a one-page job sheet, a materials and tools list built from your estimate, a check for permits and access, the message to send the customer, and a 10-minute check the day before.
Start from the signed estimate
Everything you need to plan is already in three places: the signed estimate, your site visit notes and photos, and any change orders. Before you plan, check that they agree:
- Is the scope you’ll do the scope the customer signed?
- Are all the customer’s choices (colors, fixtures, models) confirmed in writing?
- Did anything change since the estimate? If so, is there a signed change order?
If something is missing, get it now, not on the morning of the job. The job handoff checklist has the full list for getting a job ready to start.
The one-page job sheet
One page per job, on your phone or printed. If you’re sick and someone else has to do the job, this page is all they should need.
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Customer | Name, phone, best way to reach them, who else may be home |
| Address and access | Full address, gate or door code, lockbox, where to park, pets, hours you can work |
| Scope | What you’ll do, in plain words, area by area; what’s excluded |
| Customer’s choices | Colors, models, finishes, with product codes |
| Materials | The list below, with where each comes from and when |
| Tools and equipment | The list below, including anything rented |
| Permits and inspections | Permit number, inspection dates, who’s meeting the inspector |
| Schedule | Start date, days on site, arrival window you promised |
| Notes from the visit | Problems you saw, things you promised out loud, photos to look at |
Build the materials list from the estimate
Take each line of the estimate and turn it into what you need to buy or bring:
| Material | Quantity | From | Ordered | Arrives or pick up | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior paint, wall color | 3 gal | Paint store | Mon | Pick up Wed | |
| Ceiling paint | 1 gal + 1 qt | Paint store | Mon | Pick up Wed | |
| Primer, patching compound, tape, plastic | 1 set | Truck stock |
Example rows from a bedroom repaint.
- Include waste and overage. Order what the estimate’s quantities call for, including the waste allowance you priced, so you don’t run short on the last wall.
- Order anything special early. Check the supplier’s lead time when you order, and plan the start date around it.
- Check deliveries the day they arrive: right product, right color or model, right quantity, nothing damaged.
- Know what’s on the truck. Keep a short list of the stock you always carry and restock it every week.
Tools, equipment and protection
- Tools for each task on the scope, including the ones you only use on this kind of job.
- Rentals: reserved, with pickup and return times on the job sheet.
- Protection: drop cloths, floor protection, plastic, shoe covers, so the customer’s home looks like you were never there.
- Safety gear for the work: eye and hearing protection, gloves, respirator, ladder in good condition, and anything your trade requires.
- Cleanup: vacuum, trash bags, and a plan for disposal if there’s debris.
Permits, inspections and utilities
- Permit: if the work needs one, it’s issued before you start, and posted on site if your jurisdiction requires it.
- Inspections: dates booked, and you know what must be visible for each one.
- Utilities: if you’ll shut off water, power or gas, the customer knows when and for how long.
- Lead-safe work: if the home was built before 1978 and you’ll disturb painted surfaces, the EPA’s renovation rule applies. Bring the lead-safe supplies it requires, and work only if your firm is certified.
- Digging: any digging needs buried utilities marked first. Contact 811 “a few business days before you begin any digging” (811).
Tell the customer what to expect
Send this two or three days before the start:
“Hi [Name], a reminder that I’ll start your [bedroom repaint] on [Wednesday] and expect to finish [Thursday]. I’ll arrive between 8:00 and 8:30. Before I come, please clear small items from the room and keep pets out of it. I’ll need access to [water / an outlet / the garage]. If anything changes on your side, just reply here.”
Setting expectations for the whole job is covered in scheduling and customer expectations.
The 10-minute check the day before
- Job sheet complete, nothing marked “to confirm”.
- Every material on the truck or confirmed for delivery.
- Tools, rentals and safety gear loaded.
- Customer reminder sent, and no reply that changes the plan.
- Route and first stop planned, including the supply house if you need it.
- Weather checked, if the work is outside.
If any item fails, fix it tonight or call the customer now about a new start time.
Your next action
This week:
- Make a job sheet template with the table above.
- Fill it in for your next job, starting from the signed estimate.
- Write the list of stock you always carry, and check the truck against it.
- Save the customer reminder text on your phone.
FAQ
What should be on a job preparation checklist?
The scope and the customer’s choices, confirmed against the signed estimate; a materials list with where each item comes from; tools, rentals and protection; permits, inspections and utilities; the customer reminder; and a check the day before that everything is ready.
How far ahead should I order materials?
As soon as the customer signs and their choices are confirmed. Ask the supplier for the lead time when you order, and don’t set a start date until special-order items have a delivery date.
What if the customer hasn’t confirmed their choices?
Don’t start. Ask for the choice in writing with a date, and move the start if you need to. Starting without it risks buying the wrong material or redoing work.
Keep the job sheet in MotionOps
MotionOps is field service software for contractors. Job Instructions put the gate code, the tools needed or the dog in the backyard on the job in the mobile app, Job Checklists make sure no step is missed, and Job Photos & Videos keeps the site visit photos with the job, so much of the job sheet is already in one place.
See all features or compare plans. When you’re ready for your first jobs, book a MotionOps demo.
Contractor Starter Hub: Run Your First Jobs, lesson 1 of 5
- Next lesson: How Contractors Set Customer Expectations: Scheduling, Arrival Windows and Updates
- All five lessons: Run Your First Jobs
