9 Examples of Construction Forms for Contractors [+ Templates]

The construction industry uses forms to collect and share information at every stage of a project. Traditionally on paper, these forms are now being converted into digital forms that enable workers to share information via mobile devices and tablets on the job. There are many benefits of moving to a digital form rather than paper:

• Reduction in manual work and costs
• Greater business insights
• Data loss prevention
• Lowered risk and liability
• Better client and employee experience

Bringing construction forms online is one step in digitization for construction firms and contractors, bringing information online into a secure cloud location for real-time and accessible data to use in reporting.

What are the top forms used by construction firms and contractors?

As a leading provider of mobile forms for the construction industry, GoCanvas has seen many different types of forms created using our no-code platform to launch apps and forms in the field. All of this can be done without advanced technical knowledge and our platform is highly customizable to meet all of the construction industry’s needs for mobile forms. 

This blog article compiles the 9 common types of forms that are used by contractors to streamline their workflows and create business efficiencies. Continue reading for a summary of how these forms are used and follow the links in this article to dive into our free templates and examples.

#1 Inspection Forms

Construction companies are required to perform routine inspections for many different purposes. The construction inspection form is a template with all of the fields that need to be filled out by an inspector. Common inspection forms include:

• Safety inspections
• Building inspections
• Machinery or equipment inspections
• Vehicle inspections
• OSHA inspections

The common workflow for companies is to dispatch jobs to workers to perform the inspection, collect required signatures on the job, and automatically generate a report that is sent after the inspection is completed. 

Find Inspection forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#2 Construction Checklist Forms

Often included with inspection forms, construction checklists are very widely used in the construction industry. A simple construction checklist provides employees with a common template that is used to ensure the proper items are all being covered. Digital forms provide the added benefit that required fields can be used to make sure that information is completed, cutting down on the need for re-work and mistakes. The digital construction checklist can also have dynamic fields, meaning that certain form fields can be added or removed depending on the responses. This helps save time for workers by reducing the number of form fields to be only what is required for that specific job. 

Find Checklist forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#3 Work Order Forms 

Work order forms are widely used in the construction industry to help automatically dispatch workers to perform a job or task. Using digital forms for work orders, contractors can streamline the process and eliminate manual work. Using work order templates and forms, contractors can complete work orders offline and have them sync back to the cloud once internet service is available. Using digital forms allows workers in the field to take advantage of automatic calculations for things like labor and material costs and it enables digital signatures and automatic reports to be generated. If change orders are required, all of this can be done from the same platform and brings greater efficiency and visibility into job operations in the field and on job sites.

Find Work Order forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#4 Construction Timesheet Apps

Contractors are using construction project management apps to track employee hours worked. Having this information online allows for more efficient operations, with the ability to integrate with payroll and HR applications that your business already uses. Construction timesheet apps make it easy for workers to fill out their timesheets from anywhere using a mobile device to complete the form. Construction timesheet apps have other advanced features like GPS monitoring to automatically track arrival and departure times from a jobsite or to create a record that the work was performed at the correct location.

Find Construction timesheet forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#5 Safety Forms

Safety is a top priority in the construction industry and there are many types of safety forms that are used to help track and manage these safety programs. Some common examples include:

• Digital toolbox talks to ensure workers engage with safety programs and management can track compliance across job sites.
• Forms to complete job safety analysis 
• Digital copies of safety data sheets
• Incident and accident reports and other forms to ensure compliance with OSHA

Safety forms allow companies to track and report in real-time on the progress of their safety programs, giving safety managers the opportunity to understand trends and take the appropriate next steps. This helps to reduce a company’s risk and liability, leading to greater workplace safety and productivity.

Find Safety forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#6 Construction Daily Reports

Construction daily reports are essential for capturing the progress and details of a project. Digital forms are used by construction companies to digitize their logs and give managers the ability to capture all of the required information through a mobile device for the construction daily report. Mobile logs help with project management, helping to eliminate paperwork and other manual tasks for workers. For complex projects, digital logs can help to keep projects on schedule and provide greater transparency into your operations for all stakeholders that need this information. Simply log all of the details from a job site and mobile apps help to digitize this information for reporting purposes.

Find Log forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#7 Estimate Forms 

Digital forms are useful for contractors that need to provide estimates on the job. Using a mobile phone or tablet contractors can generate estimates in the field and have the information digitized for records. Most commonly, contractors use estimate forms to help them calculate the exact pricing for materials, parts, and labor costs using data that is stored in the mobile application. All of this information is updated in real-time with the latest pricing information, helping to ensure that estimates are accurate for clients. With digital signatures, clients can sign off and reports can be generated to document the entire process for your business.

Find Estimate forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#8 Invoice Forms

Similar to the use case for creating an estimate and work orders, digital forms can also be used when your business needs to generate an invoice for a customer. Once the work has been completed, an invoice can be generated using mobile forms and apps for contractors. This digital experience allows you to manage the entire process from a mobile device. Integrated with payment processing via services like Square or Stripe, mobile forms provide an easy way to generate invoices and collect payment from the field.

Find Log forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#9 Contract Forms

Contracts are widely used in the construction industry as legal forms to document an agreement between the contractor and client. Instead of managing this process using paper forms that can be easily lost or damaged, companies are switching to digital forms for contracts and proposals.

Contract forms can be customized to include all of the relevant information, including client project needs, budget information, solution details, and project timeline. Make changes in real-time as the project progresses and collect signatures to track updated agreements.

Find Contract forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.