Simple Contract Templates for the Construction Industry

Simple Contract Templates for the Construction Industry

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Need to leverage contract templates when working with customers? This article covers how contractors can use digital contract templates to simplify the process with easy-to-use software for contract management.

It’s always a best practice to have an agreement in place when rendering services for a client. For companies with field service teams, a typical workflow is to have a contractor and their team working on site to perform maintenance, repairs, and other types of work for the client. 

Unfortunately, disputes are common and people can misunderstand the scope of work or timeline for projects. Disputes can lead to lost time, materials, and productivity, as well as potential legal risks. Having a contract or agreement in place before work begins will allow you to be in the best position should a dispute arise. Your bases are covered with a contract that clearly defines the work to be performed, clearly documenting the specifics of what’s included with the services. 

This helps avoid misunderstandings and can provide a better experience for the customer. With clearly defined contracts, the customer has a digital copy of the terms of working together and gets greater transparency into what’s included. Both parties sign off on the contract, setting a clear agreement to reference in case of a dispute.

You may be asking yourself why you can’t use a Word document, Google Document, or even a simple paper form to manage contract templates. While paperwork and word documents are common solutions, they also create a great amount of risk to your business and they create manual processes that kill productivity.

Digital forms and apps, like GoCanvas, are a better alternative to paper forms or Google documents for managing contracts. GoCanvas provides solutions built for the field, helping thousands of contracting professionals to better manage their workflows and documentation. When it comes to contract templates, there are many reasons why it makes sense to use a mobile form solution. Here is a quick comparison of GoCanvas versus paper forms and word documents:

Lost Paperwork

Losing documents is not something you can afford to do when it comes to managing your contracts. If disputes happen, you need to have the file on hand and lost paperwork would mean you are at a loss in that scenario. Unfortunately, paper forms and even word documents can become easily lost. Files can become misplaced, overwritten, or accidentally deleted from a computer. Paper forms can get lost in the shuffle between the field and office, or they can be misplaced or misfiled, making them difficult to find.

Apps for contract management like GoCanvas provide a simple solution to this problem. With documents managed in the cloud, contracts are always available in a central platform. Having files backed up and stored securely in the cloud ensures best practices for record keeping and provides an easy way to manage all signed documents.

Clear Documentation

Another benefit of using digital tools like GoCanvas is the ability to clearly date and sign contracts with electronic signatures. Digital processes allow you to require fields like a signature before a work order can be initiated, helping to ensure that agreements are signed before work kicks off. Having a signed PDF contract provides a strong record of an agreement. If changes to the scope of work are required, digital solutions like GoCanvas can help to manage this process and document updates along the way.

Improved communication.

Paperwork and word documents are simple solutions, but don’t provide the best experience for the customer. The customer may lose track of their copy of an agreement on paper, but digital solutions provide a better way to communicate with the customer. Everything is managed using digital forms and signatures, with reports available to be sent out via email to confirm the agreement and share a copy of the final PDF report. A fully digital experience is expected and appreciated by customers, who prefer to use digital channels for communication.

Easy-to-use field solution.

Paper work creates manual processes in the field when documents need to come back to the office. Plus, data entry is required once forms are back in an office, creating even more work for operations teams. Word documents were not designed to be managed in the field either, limiting the ability for field teams to use them on a mobile device. 

Solutions like GoCanvas provide an easy-to-use field solution for contractors. All of the digital forms can be completed from a mobile device or tablet, and they don’t even need an internet connection to access the apps on their phone. If contractors or agreements are collected on site by contractors, all of this can be completed from a tablet. Collect signatures, generate PDF reports, and capture all of the information needed right from a mobile device.

It’s easy to get started with GoCanvas for contract templates and other forms needed for your contracting business. Here is a brief overview on how it works:

Choose a template based on use case. Select a contract template from the GoCanvas app store, with thousands of pre-built templates for contractors. 

Customize the template based on need. GoCanvas templates are easy to customize for your business needs, allowing you to change the documents based on your specific use case or customer needs.

Assign work in the field. GoCanvas provides construction process management tools like dispatch and workflow, so you can assign, manage, and streamline work in the field.

Collect signatures on agreement. GoCanvas supports digital signatures to allow for contracts, agreements, and any other forms your contracting business uses for documentation like time cards, work orders, and more.

Receive email with copy of signed agreement. An email copy of the branded PDF report can be generated to instantly share a copy of the document or form with customers or project stakeholders.

Access documents in central cloud location. Easily access all of your documents in the cloud with GoCanvas, or integrate data with other cloud-based tools your business already uses like Dropbox, Google, and more.

To see how it works, get started by selecting a GoCanvas contract template based on your contracting business needs. You can also contact our team any time and we can walk you through the product and answer any questions you may have about leveraging digital technology for your business.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Best Invoice App for Contractors

Best Invoice App for Contractors

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Software solutions for contractors are growing in popularity, with specific apps to help with different types of business projects. One such example are invoice apps that enable contractors to provide a digital invoice to clients. This article covers how invoice apps work and where you can find an easy-to-use template for your business.

Typically an invoice app will be used by businesses and contractors that work directly with their clients. Here are some examples of common use cases for invoice apps:

  • Contractors: Contractors often invoice clients for work like home repairs, HVAC, maintenance, construction, residential services, inspections, and more. Contractors typically provide an estimate and submit the invoice once work has been completed with exact labor and materials used.
  • Transportation and Logistics: This type of business requires deliveries to be made through trucks or van fleets. Drivers can be responsible for confirming delivery has been made and invoicing the client once services have been completed.
  • Professional services: Many professional services businesses like independent contractors will provide direct business services, for things like freelance consulting, or legal work. These businesses will use invoices after project completion to bill for their time.

This should give you an idea of what types of businesses benefit from using invoice apps. Most invoice apps are completely customizable for the business type, giving you the flexibility to search for a template and modify the app based on the information you need to collect. 

An invoice app is designed to provide software and mobile technology to create client invoices from a mobile device or a computer. Here’s the basic concept on how invoice apps work:

Invoice apps allow you to create digital forms that are used by the contractor or business to fill out the specific details of that job. Typically templates are built and include all of the relevant fields needed to document, like prices, quantities, time worked, scope of work, client information, and other related project fields.

Once the mobile forms are built, contractors on the job can fill in the details using a mobile device or tablet to generate the exact invoice right on the spot. 

After the form has been completed, the invoice app will send a digital document to the client that breaks down all of the job as filled out in the app. This is typically sent via an email link, so that the client can open up their inbox and review the work completed.

A main feature of the invoice app is the ability for the client to sign off on the completed work. Signature capture allows the client to sign off on work and create the final signed copy documenting an agreement.

Many times another option for the invoice is to offer a digital payment processing solution within the invoice app. By connecting to payment processors like Square, it gives the option to the client to pay via credit card on the invoice. If getting paid faster is a priority, this can be a good option to allow customers to pay securely through the app and processed by Square directly to your bank account. 

It’s common for the final step to share the completed digital paper work via email to the client, to keep for their records. A digital receipt sent as a PDF file is helpful for clients to have in their inbox and helpful for your business to ensure that documents are always saved to the cloud for good record-keeping. 

Invoice apps can be as simple or as complex as you need them to be. For example, you may want to set up data integrations to ensure that data syncs between your invoice app, accounting system, CRM, and other places you store data. For other businesses, just having a simple invoice app is a much better solution than traditional paper forms, giving a central place to manage all of your invoices digitally.

Your business will know when it becomes time to utilize an invoice app. Here are some of the most common pain points that determine when it makes sense to move to a digital invoicing solution:

Does your staff get overwhelmed with the amount of paper work needed to manage operations? This is a top sign that going digital can save your business time and money. There are many hidden costs associated with paper usage like manual data entry, lost or missing papers, errors and rework, and inefficient workflows. When the busy work keeps stacking up, it becomes time to consider apps to streamline and automate more of the office work.

Often related to the challenges with paper, you may notice that your business is growing rapidly, but challenged to scale efficiently. Unfortunately, as the business grows in complexity, it can create more of the manual work and tasks for operational staff to support. This is when it becomes time to lean on software that can boost your productivity and help your business work more efficiently. 

The productivity challenges and paperwork may be a pain to deal with, but rising competition is often the biggest argument for switching to mobile and digital solutions. If other contractors or businesses you compete with provide a digital experience for customers, you may be falling behind in terms of what customers want. At the end of the day, technology is all about making it easier for your customers to do business with you and there is a significant opportunity for contractors that embrace digital technologies. If your competitors are lagging behind in this area, moving first can create value for customers and result in repeat business, referrals, and online reviews stating how easy it is to do business with your company.

GoCanvas is a leader in mobile forms and software to streamline operations and increase productivity. Our invoice apps can be customized to fit any business or contractor’s needs – simply start with one of our pre-built templates and use our no-code designer to fit your requirements.

 Try out our invoice app here or search thousands of app templates available here on our website.

work order and invoice template

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Your Guide for Rental Inspection Checklists

Your Guide for Rental Inspection Checklists

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A rental inspection checklist is used by property management companies to ensure that rental units are in good condition for tenants. The rental inspection checklist is typically performed by a member of the property management staff and includes all different areas of the home or property to inspection. Once the checklist form is completed, a report is generated that includes a signature from the inspector and a signature to be collected from the tenant. This creates an agreement between parties that the rental inspection was conducted and records any of the pertinent information, in case of a dispute later on.

A rental inspection can look very different depending on the property type. For example, a single family home will need to cover more areas than that of a studio apartment. The rental inspection checklist should have different templates for all of these different use cases. Here are some examples of the types of things included in a rental inspection checklist:

  • Interior of the unit
  • Exterior spaces
  • Building structures
  • Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing
  • Fire protection
  • And more

It’s important that your property management company performs thorough inspections on a routine basis and confirm that properties are maintained according to local regulations. Proactive inspections can identify issues before they become problems, leading to better maintained properties and lowered risk.

Two common types of rental inspections used by property management companies are residential property inspections and move-in/move-out inspections. Here is a brief overview on these types of rental inspections and templates you can use to get started.

A residential property inspection checklist is used to ensure that the property is livable and meets the required standards in your area. This checklist is used during a housing inspection to assess the overall condition of the property. It will have a thorough checklist for inspectors to review and detailed notes to make recommendations on what needs to be repaired. Similar to a home inspection that is performed for buyers, the rental inspection checklist is designed to give property owners a detailed assessment of the building to prepare it for tenant move-in.

You can access the residential inspection checklist here on the GoCanvas App Store.

Building owners and property managers will perform move-in and move-out inspections for tenants to create a document of how the property is maintained upon move in and any damages that exist upon move out. By performing a thorough inspection upon move-in, it creates a clear record of the condition of the property and an agreement from the tenant. If damages occur, the move-out inspection will document these issues and any applicable fines can be assessed upon move-out. 

You can access the move-in and move-out inspection checklist here on the GoCanvas App Store.

Still using paper forms to manage inspections? Consider going digital with inspection software built for property management companies, building contractors, real estate transactions, and much more. The GoCanvas platform is trusted by thousands of companies to streamline the inspection process and automate how work gets done. 

Tools for management. Inspection software provides tools to better manage inspections. Easily dispatch work orders to the right teams in the field and get real-time reports once work has been completed. Cloud-based tools ensure information is accessible and never lost. Inspection software makes it easier to collect and report on information from the field, saving your business time and money by cutting out manual processes.

Simplicity in the field. Inspection software and forms provide a simple solution for your workforce on site when performing property inspections on a mobile device or tablet. Inspection checklists can be built for your business needs and ensure that data is consistent every time by requiring fields. Information syncs automatically back to the office, cutting down on the reporting process and saving technicians from data entry.

Seamless digital experience. Software for mobile forms helps to digitize inspections, work orders, and other types of paperwork. If you need to share inspection forms with other stakeholders or clients, all of this can be done electronically and provide a better process for documentation. Provide better reports with photos, allow for digital signatures on documents, and manage everything using cloud-based tools instead of paper forms that are easily lost.

Looking for more examples? See how other companies are benefiting from inspection software and forms in this related article.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Your Guide to Construction Time Card Apps

Your Guide to Construction Time Card Apps

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Looking for a better way to manage your employee time cards? This article covers how timecard apps work for construction and templates you can use to get started.

There are many ways you could potentially track work performed on a construction site. Here are some of the most common:

Punch cards are used by physical time card machines that employees can punch in and punch out when they go on and off the clock. This method of time tracking has been used for decades and relies on analog methods for collecting time card information.

Drawbacks of punch cards: While punch cards are easy enough to use, they can create additional work if the information needs to be copied manually into an accounting or payroll system later on. With most companies relying on digital technology to power their operations, punch cards are not the fastest way to get time card data into the computer. 

Another drawback can be buddy punching, which is one form of time fraud where employees punch in for someone else when they are running late or need to clock out early. This may not seem like a huge issue, but it can add up over time if hours are misrepresented.

Another simple way to track workers time is through the use of spreadsheets. This method of time tracking allows employees to input their time into a shared spreadsheet or personal spreadsheet that gets emailed to their manager.

Drawbacks of spreadsheets: While spreadsheets are fast and free to use for most businesses, they can become error prone and lead to additional manual tasks. If a spreadsheet is lost or overwritten by accident, it can be hard to recover information that has been lost. This method can also create manual work if you also need to compile multiple spreadsheets into one document and then transfer that data into an accounting system.

Another way to manage time cards is through the use of time tracking apps and software. This method of time tracking was designed to alleviate the pain points mentioned with using paper forms or spreadsheets. 

Software solutions and apps provide a digital interface for employees to enter their time using a computer, mobile phone, or tablet device. Many of these time tracking apps are simple, easy-to-use, and affordable for most companies’ budgets. 

By digitizing the information, data can sync automatically to payroll and accounting systems to pay employees on time and ensure digital records are stored securely in a centralized cloud-based system. Continue reading for more information on construction timecard software.

There are many time card apps available to construction companies and contractors. With a construction project management app that supports time cards, you can save time, ensure accurate data is collected from the field, and minimize time card buddy punching.

Here are some of the core features that you can expect to find in a time card app:

This feature allows you to create form fields that you need employees to fill out with their time cards. You can customize the form fields based on the type of work, employee category, over time status, and much more. Mobile forms allow you to require fields, helping to ensure that nothing is missing and you don’t have to track down the information again. Data can often times be captured offline and then synced to the cloud once an internet connection becomes available.

For time card apps for construction, another useful feature is the notification and alert that gets sent out for the daily or weekly timesheet that is due. This makes it easy for employees to remember and an alert is sent out to their mobile device letting them know of the upcoming task and overdue tasks.

Another helpful feature for time card apps is the ability to track a location using GPS on the mobile phone. With the app downloaded on employees mobile devices, you can require that they clock in and clock out once they have reached the exact job site. This can minimize buddy punching, increase accountability for data accuracy, and ensure that work was performed at the correct location for the client.

One other feature that is common with time tracking is the ability to report on data from the field. This can be useful in construction projects to give a real-time view of hours worked. Many time card apps can also work in conjunction with daily reports, so that all of this information is rolled up in a timely manner and becomes more visible to stakeholders. Analytics reports can be run to spot potential delays, allowing information collected from the field to be used in dashboards and analytics reports.

You can find the GoCanvas time card app for the construction industry by following the link below. Contact our team any time to learn more about time card apps for construction and how they work together with our full suite of apps for the construction industry and contractors.

There are many great apps available to manage construction timesheets. The best app for your business is going to depend entirely on what business problems you need to solve. Here are two questions to ask:

You may want to consider if you need timecard apps in addition to other apps for construction. In that case, you can eliminate time card solutions that are stand alone and only do basic time tracking.

In this scenario, solutions like GoCanvas would allow you to manage multiple types of apps like work orders, inspections, safety apps, and more — all from a single platform for mobile forms and apps. 

Another consideration is to determine if you want your timecard app to integrate directly with your accounting system or existing tools. For example, GoCanvas offers an integration to tools like QuickBooks or Sage, so you can collect data from the field and sync in real-time to the other cloud-based tools you already use today.

Understanding how you want to use time card information for your business can help you decide on which time card app makes the most sense. With many features and functionality to consider, it’s best to map out your business challenges and evaluate all of your options. 

For more information on GoCanvas, contact our team here and we can answer any questions you may have about time cards and mobile apps.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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How Apps for Contractors Strengthen the Customer Experience

How Apps for Contractors Strengthen the Customer Experience

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The construction industry and contractors benefit when they deliver excellent customer service and make it easy for customers to do business. That’s why more companies are investing in technology, relying on mobile apps that can streamline customer interactions and improve productivity for workers.

Research from Gartner explains that “customer loyalty depends on how easy you make it for your customers to do business with you.” The key takeaway from the study is that companies who make business interactions effortless for their customers will have a competitive advantage.

Using apps for contractors, companies can work toward strengthening the customer experience. The short and long term benefits to a business include:

  • Repeat Business –  More likely to work with you again.
  • Referrals – More likely to recommend you to their network.
  • Reviews –  More likely to leave positive assessments of your business online.
  • Competitive edge – Stand out from the competition.
  • Increased revenue – More business for you and your company.

When used as part of an overall strategy to build the customer experience, apps for contractors can improve your business’s internal efficiency and help create a more seamless customer experience.

Apps for contractors are designed to transform how you do business with customers.

Traditional paper forms create manual work for your employees, and it gives your business and the customer very limited visibility into the work being performed. Savvy contractors are instead relying on digital forms and communications instead of paper, so they can provide greater transparency for the customer. With apps for contractors, the entire process is handled digitally.

Our contractor apps enable you to streamline your process by digitizing the paper forms you use. Digital records reduce the time your team spends completing standard forms and allow them to be more productive. Mobile checklists can be completed in the field on a smartphone or tablet and shared immediately. Our apps for contractors eliminate the duplication of effort and the possibility of clerical errors that often occur when generating routine daily, weekly, or monthly reports. Routine reports are generated from digital data, enabling you to collect, process, analyze, and share information in minutes.

Apps for contractors help to increase transparency and communication with customers, suppliers, and the home office. Real-time data reporting will help you streamline and integrate every step of your business process, from the initial contact with your customer to invoice and payment processing. Additionally, by digitizing your data with apps, the information you need is at your fingertips, whether in the office or the field.

With GoCanvas’ apps for contractors, you can streamline the quote or estimate, invoice digitally, process payment, and easily share digital reports detailing all of the transactions. Digital data ensures that calculations are accurate and error-free by removing the need for duplication of entries. In addition, GoCanvas apps ensure that your sales team and field service representatives always have the latest pricing information when data is pulled from the cloud to their mobile device on-site.

Digital Quotes and Estimates

Using apps like our digital estimate template, you can turn your paper estimates into dynamic digital forms that simplify the bidding process. Our mobile digital estimates app is an intuitive, easy-to-use, and comprehensive app that eliminates inefficient duplication of paperwork, reducing costly errors, and increasing your profitability.

With our digital estimates app, data such as prices and parts is auto-populated into the form, reducing time and errors. As a result, your field representatives can quickly and accurately calculate material and labor costs and provide estimates immediately. In addition, because data is stored in the cloud, estimates can be shared, reviewed, and updated instantly anytime or anywhere.

Digital Invoicing 

Digital Invoices with GoCanvas help to simplify the invoice process for your field technicians and enable them to generate professional, branded invoices directly from their mobile devices. Field representatives can collect and enter pertinent data on the site, automatically calculate costs, and create invoices immediately before leaving the location. 

In addition, data can be integrated with your accounting and inventory software (QuickBooks or similar systems) to eliminate the need to duplicate data entries manually.

Payment Processing

Finally, when the job is over, GoCanvas provides digital payment processing in our app that integrates directly with Square to enable you to collect payments quickly and immediately.

Invoices along with detailed digital reports are produced rapidly on-site, and payment processing is at your fingertips. Our apps for contractors can improve your cash flow, eliminating the need to create and send paper invoices and wait for the client’s payment. Customers will prefer this experience, giving them the ability to review documents digitally and pay securely through a credit card.

GoCanvas apps for contractors are powerful tools that can help you strengthen the customer experience and provide the digital interactions that customers have come to expect in today’s digital era. Using GoCanvas templates and digitizing your paper forms, your field representatives and technicians can improve the accuracy and efficiency of customer interactions. 

Through powerful integrations, you can enable your teams on-site and in the field with the latest information and give them the ability to quickly and easily perform work digitally. This saves time for your workers, creates efficiencies for your business, and creates an effortless experience for the customer. Contact us any time to learn more about the GoCanvas suite of tools for contractors.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

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Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

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Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

How Timesheet Forms Work for Management [+Templates]

How Timesheet Forms Work for Management [+Templates]

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Timesheet forms are an excellent way for businesses to manage time for their employees. Companies can use different timesheet forms, such as a weekly timesheet, a monthly timesheet, a biweekly timesheet, or even a daily timesheet. All of these tools are useful for time tracking of work hours. 

There are many simple resources available for printable timesheet templates using Microsoft Word or Excel timesheet templates. These different forms can range from straightforward timesheet templates to more advanced templates that factor in billable hours, lunch breaks, sick leave, vacation leave, time-in/time-out, hourly rates, and other valuable information. 

Another solution for businesses is to use simple timesheet form apps that track employee hours and the number of hours worked by contractors in real-time. These apps also provide workers with the opportunity to enter time manually. This option brings a number of benefits to an organization, rather than using spreadsheets or paper.

For example, timesheet apps integrate directly with payroll and billing systems. They also can include much more advanced features, like the ability to track employee mileage and other reimbursable expenses. Continue reading this article to understand more about timesheet forms and how mobile applications work for businesses.

Companies process payroll in various ways, including weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or semi-monthly payroll. Each of these payroll frequencies has a specific timesheet template to meet a company’s specific needs. 

A best practice with timesheets is to have employees or contractors complete them on a daily basis so that it is easier to keep track of hours worked. Even for timesheets submitted on a monthly basis, it can be difficult to recall any breaks taken several weeks ago or if an employee had to leave work early one day. 

Although companies may pay employees at different intervals, it is essential that a business has a defined and consistent process in place for tracking time. 

Most timesheet forms have a space for the employee name, an employee ID, the position of the employee, the week ending date, a start and end time field for each day, and any hours deducted for lunch breaks or sick leave. 

Non-exempt employees who work over 40 hours a week can quickly document overtime pay on their timesheet. Similarly, workers who work holidays may track time paid at a higher rate during a pay period. 

For companies that want to utilize timesheets for exempt employees, the information collected may be more granular or project-related. This tracking time practice helps to understand how much services cost to deliver, how much effort is going into various jobs or projects, and how effectively employees use their time.

Paper forms present many problems to workers and companies. Although paper may seem like an easy and inexpensive option for documenting time, here are some of the hidden costs of paper forms and spreadsheets: 

  • Error-prone: Regardless of intent, workers filling out these forms can make errors in entering start-times or end-times. These errors can lead to over and under calculating hours worked and will require additional resources to fix the errors. This costs both the workers and the companies who lose income or revenue due to errors. 
  • Misplaced paper: Paper-based timesheets are also subject to being lost or misplaced, which can slow down payroll for workers. It can also have an impact on the availability of historical data related to employee time tracking. 
  • Data-loss: Spreadsheets may become corrupted, users may overwrite data, or anyone on a workplace network can inadvertently delete time tracking files. 
  • Lack of accessibility: Both paper and spreadsheet timesheet forms are not that accessible for workers either on the road or working offsite. 
  • Lack of insights: It’s difficult for companies to gain insightful information from paper-based timesheets since the data on paper is not accessible without being manually entered.

More companies than ever are using online forms and apps to track employee hours. These online forms and apps can be easier to use, more accessible, and have enhanced or automated workflows. Collecting timesheet information through an app or digital form can enable HR notifications. For example, a notification can be sent when: 

  • An employee is approaching unapproved overtime hours.
  • An employee’s hours fall outside of the regular hours of a business
  • The total hours noted by an employee do not reflect the time they spent in an office or their billable hours

Timesheet apps make it simple to fill out timesheets in the field. Employees can use their smartphones to submit their hours worked. This level of accessibility helps workers in jobs where they are required to be in the field or they do not have a dedicated job site from which they work.

Timesheet apps also enable companies to track employee hours based on factors such as arrival and departure time with GPS and time stamps. With modern applications, businesses of all sizes can take advantage of mobile applications that allow them to streamline their operations and work more efficiently.

GoCanvas has a wide range of timesheet form apps available on our website. 

These apps are effective for both contractors and employees. GoCanvas has pre-built templates for a monthly, biweekly, or daily timesheet template, and many other types of employee timesheet templates. These simple solutions can help to improve and streamline processes for your business, especially when it comes to paying workers. 

Apps are able to leverage the native functions in iOS and Android devices, such as GPS and built-in time tracking. This can be used to automate the clock-in/clock-out process and verify a worker’s location. 

The use of these tools helps process payroll efficiently. Companies can bill clients or customers where a worker has to visit a job site or track hours spent working on a specific project.

For contractors, timesheet apps can be implemented directly by companies for contractors to track hours or can be a tool that contractors use to document hours and bill customers directly. 

GoCanvas can accept Credit Card payments in its apps through Square, an industry-leading payment processor. One helpful feature is the ability to do calculations. You can simply enter the number of hours worked and have the app use pre-built formulas with hourly rates that can generate invoices in real-time. 

GoCanvas apps can integrate directly with payroll processing companies such as QuickBooks and Xero and countless other apps through our Zapier integration. These integrations make the processing of timesheets occur much more quickly, ensuring that pay for employees occurs in a timely fashion. 

This helps human resources departments and payroll specialists to avoid spending hours each week inputting timesheets and payroll information. Effective timesheet apps are designed to work with the tools you have in place today and to transform the way workers track time in the field.

GoCanvas has customizable templates for all of your businesses’ time tracking needs. Here is a list of some of our most commonly used timesheet form templates that are available for you to access on the GoCanvas app store.

simple timesheet form template

In need of a simple timesheet form for your business? This GoCanvas app allows you to track employees’ hours worked, collecting details about the work or tasks performed on the job. Our basic timesheet form is designed to be customized for any business or job type, giving you more flexibility to manage timesheets for your unique business purpose.

Access the simple timesheet form template to get started for free.

basic daily timesheet form

Daily timesheet forms are commonly used when businesses have hourly workers and their hours can vary depending on the day of the week. Using this daily timesheet form template on GoCanvas, you can keep a record of time and attendance details from across locations and employees. Track hours, assess overtime, sign off on approvals, and manage the entire daily timesheet process from this simple app.

Access the daily timesheet form template to get started for free.

weekly timesheet form template

Many businesses also prefer to have a weekly timesheet that documents the summary of all work performed in a given week. Using the weekly timesheet form template, businesses can easily keep track of hours, days, and weeks for a payroll pay period. Access reports, export the information as a PDF, or use the data to automate other business processes using an integration with other cloud applications.

Access the weekly timesheet form template to get started for free. You can also find our bi-weekly timesheet template form that is similarly designed for companies that prefer bi-weekly payroll sheets.

quickbooks timesheet form template

QuickBooks is widely used by companies for processing payroll. To easily integrate timesheets with your payroll processes, use this timesheet form that is designed to connect with QuickBooks. Integrating data and cloud applications is one main benefit of using GoCanvas for timesheet forms and other types of digital forms. Instead of Excel forms and Google Sheet forms for timesheets, using GoCanvas brings you the ability to automate workflows and eliminate manual work or data entry. 

Contact our team to learn more about our integrations and access the QuickBooks timesheet form on the GoCanvas app store.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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GoCanvas Integrations: Streamline your Workflow

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5 Free Templates for Builder Checklists

5 Free Templates for Builder Checklists

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A construction checklist is a simple project management tool used to help contractors keep track of a list of items that need to be completed or inspected as part of a job or work order. Building construction includes many different types of jobs to be completed throughout the project lifecycle, so companies will typically have many types of standard checklists to use for a given job. 

The most basic construction checklist can be created using a paper form. Excel checklists are also commonly used to create templates for building construction. Excel checklist templates are technically free to download, however, this form of recording data is not always in the best interest of a construction company.

For example, if you are a medium or large business with a distributed workforce, keeping track of Excel spreadsheets or dealing with manual data entry from paper forms can be a drain on company resources. The hidden costs of Excel templates and paper forms include:

  • Redundant and time-consuming work
  • Lost data and rework
  • Lost revenue and productivity
  • Decrease in employee satisfaction

A better way to create construction checklists is to use mobile apps and forms designed to increase productivity and streamline business operations.

Construction work requires a great deal of paperwork to start and finish projects. Instead of relying on paper forms, construction companies have started to use digital building construction forms that eliminate manual work.

These building and construction apps can be accessed by desktop and mobile devices, making them ideal for workers who want to use them at work sites without an internet connection. Form fields are completed using an app and PDF reports are automatically generated to be stored in the cloud and shared with anyone that needs to access the information.

Builders can create checklists and other types of forms to digitize all of the critical information that is created and stored as part of a project. Builders and contractors need digital tools for construction to create a competitive advantage, increase their productivity, and lower their costs by embracing simple technology designed for the jobsite.

GoCanvas is a trusted provider of mobile apps and forms for the construction industry. Using our no-code platform for mobile apps, contractors and builders can quickly digitize their paper forms without help from IT. The GoCanvas App Store has over 20,000 templates that can easily be customized to fit your business needs. Simply search the app store for building construction templates or follow the links below to some of our top checklist forms used by builders.

The project startup checklist is a project management app to make sure that all pre-construction services are checked before work begins. The construction project plan app covers everything from defining the scope of work at the job site, to developing the construction project plan and timeline. 

You can also customize the construction requirements checklist for your business needs to ensure that every step of your process is included. Once completed, the general contractor, management, and other stakeholders can sign off on the project requirements electronically to ensure that all quality standards are met.

project startup checklist template

The project closeout checklist app is designed to help with quality assurance, project closeout forms, and the entire contract closeout process. The app helps with inspecting completed work and getting the appropriate signoff from the contracting officer, design, and construction teams. 

Use this app to ensure that all details are covered when handing off project work for quality assurance purposes and that requirements from the general contractor and project managers have been met.

project closeout checklist template

Routine occupational safety inspections are required at all job sites. The work site inspection app ensures that your work areas are meeting necessary safety requirements and safety training is completed prior to work.

This safety report app reviews personal protective gear, employee fall protection, and other safety standards for the job site. Use this app to help ensure that your company is meeting employee safety standards and that all construction work is performed in a safe work environment.

worksite inspection checklist template

The new home construction checklist is designed to ensure that homes are move-in ready. The app also generates an electronic version of the report that can be accessed and shared online. 

Designed for use throughout the building process, the app covers both indoor and outdoor items in a new home, including inspecting the hot water heater, garage door, air conditioning unit, and plumbing fixtures. The customizable app for house building also helps ensure that building codes are followed and that the building project is completed according to the original house plans.

new home construction checklist

The construction task list app helps managers and construction contractors keep their tasks organized each day. Add notes about the construction process, manage schedule milestones, and more using the digital task list. This app helps ensure that construction contractors are all on the same page when it comes to timeline management and the work schedule, giving management transparency into the status of the project. Reports are saved electronically and can be easily shared with the general contractor, construction manager, and others on the construction team.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

9 Examples of Construction Forms for Contractors [+ Templates]

9 Examples of Construction Forms for Contractors [+ Templates]

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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.

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.

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.

inspection form template

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.

checklist form template

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.

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.

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.

safety forms templates

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.

log form templates

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.

estimate forms templates

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.

invoice forms templates

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.

contract forms templates

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three inspection workers on job site.

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

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Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

A electrician inspecting equipment.

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance business that services over 10,000 retail locations all over Australia and New Zealand. Before GoCanvas, VIP Lighting had two separate systems that were impossible to integrate, leading to inefficiencies. GoCanvas made it easy to integrate their systems into single, centralized platform…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Free Material Schedule Template for Construction

Free Material Schedule Template for Construction

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The material schedule in construction is a document that lists all of the building materials that are required to complete the project. Material schedules are often organized based on the category for the building, with different schedules for each component. The material schedule often will include additional information such as the quantity, description, unit price, total price, and other relevant information related to the building materials.

For complex construction projects, there are enterprise software solutions that allow you to create a material schedule. But if you don’t have a large IT budget for technology, there are many low-cost alternatives for preparing a material schedule in construction that can help with project management. One such option to consider is using the GoCanvas material schedule template that can be built using our no-code platform for mobile forms and apps.

Excel templates are available for material schedules, but this is not always the best option for businesses today. Excel is a powerful tool for analysis, but not always the right tool for every job. Some of the pitfalls of Excel templates include:

  • Human error. Information can be overwritten by mistake and it becomes hard to recognize these errors when dealing with larger volumes of data.
  • Incorrect calculations. It can be difficult to perform calculations in Excel and a formula error can lead to incorrect pricing calculations that are hard to notice.
  • Lost data. If documents are stored locally on your PC, it’s always possible that the document gets inadvertently lost or destroyed before you can save it.
  • Data is not dynamic. Most of the time in Excel the information being input is updated at a given point in time. Should prices change, the data has to be manually updated, and this can be time-consuming to keep up with.

Your contracting business can’t afford to waste time or lose money – Excel templates can become a hidden cost and drain on your business. That’s why contractors are turning to mobile apps and forms that create business efficiencies and cost savings.

GoCanvas templates are simple for anyone to use. Using our drag and drop editor, you can create digital documents that can be used for all types of construction forms

Instead of using paper sheets, Google Sheets, or Excel, you can convert these documents into digital forms and apps that elevate your business operations. This can be material schedules, work orders, contracts, safety reports, and any other important documents your business uses throughout all phases of a project. Some of the top reasons to use GoCanvas templates include:

  • Secure, cloud-based data. Ensure best practices are met for data collection, using secure mobile forms and apps that digitize key business information. Ensure material schedules are accessible by anyone that needs them in real-time.
  • Integrations with other apps. Once your information is digitized, you can enrich this information with data from any other cloud-based apps your business already uses. Dynamically populate pricing information in real-time to ensure the material schedule created always has the current numbers.
  • Automatic report generation and sharing. Generate reports, gather signatures, and share documents automatically via PDF templates for material schedules.
  • Customizable form fields. Customize the form fields based on your unique business needs and do it all without any coding required. Create separate material schedules for different projects or customize the type of information that is included.
  • Embracing mobile technology. With mobile apps and forms, you can keep track of material design and parts shipments no matter where you are. Work offline from any remote location and have any information sync back to the cloud once you are able to access the internet again. 

Going digital with GoCanvas can save your construction business time and money, increase productivity, and create a competitive advantage.

When it comes to construction management and placing purchase orders, it can be difficult for builders to stay on top of everything that a construction project and building contract require. Use this template provided by GoCanvas to help with scheduling construction projects and tracking building materials. GoCanvas customers have found that by going digital they can save time and lower costs with apps designed for the construction industry. Management can use this app to ensure the appropriate material resources are tracked and available. The app is designed to be a planning tool to ensure the complete delivery of your construction project to your client on time through proper site preparation.

Get started with this template or simply request a demo to see how it can work for your business.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three inspection workers on job site.

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

A man using GoCanvas for the digital transformation of his workflow.

Constructions Digital Transformation

Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

A electrician inspecting equipment.

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance business that services over 10,000 retail locations all over Australia and New Zealand. Before GoCanvas, VIP Lighting had two separate systems that were impossible to integrate, leading to inefficiencies. GoCanvas made it easy to integrate their systems into single, centralized platform…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

The Ultimate Guide to Construction Contracts [Examples + Templates]

The Ultimate Guide to Construction Contracts [Examples + Templates]

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No contractor and no client should begin a substantial construction project without a contract. What does “substantial” mean, here?  First, that the complexity and duration of the project leave room for disagreements about the scope of the work. Second, that the amount of money involved for both the contractor and the client warrant legal protection.

The essence of a construction contract is often described as the contractor and client “being on the same page” about the project. That means the scope of work, timetable, payment, payment schedule, quality of work, penalties for late completion or late payment, and emergency situations.

Creating a contract with a client, and getting approval, take time. But it is safe to say no time is ever better spent on a construction project. What follows is a description of what a construction contract should include, why different types of contracts fit different projects, and some required details for any contract.

A construction contract, of course, is a legal document. It can be enforced in a court. It outlines the scope of a project, the agreed-upon payment, and how to handle unexpected developments. Because the contract states objectively what both parties agree on, it represents a layer of protection as important to the contractor as to the client. Every contractor has run into a demand for work, without additional payment, that was not included in the original plan and run into arguments about the schedule of payments.

A contract has two great virtues: 

  1. It enables the work to begin with the client and contractor “on the same page” about what has been agreed. 
  2. It defines the legal recourse of each party if during the project they are not on the same page.

There is no single type of contract for all construction projects. For example, a contract for a residential client will look different from a contract for a commercial client. But for any client, there are contracts with different structures that largely depend upon now payment is calculated. Here are the four most common:

Lump sum/fixed price: The client asks “How much will it cost?” and wants a single figure or lump sum for the entire project. This provides the client with an assured expenditure they are ready to accept; it provides the contractor with an incentive to get the project done fast, done right. But contracts allow for contingencies. What if the contractor finishes before or after the completion date? Is there an incentive for the former and a penalty for the latter? The contract should specify that.

Cost plus: This means that the client agrees to pay all costs of the project and, on top of that, a fixed amount or percentage of cost for the contractor’s profit.  Often, this is viewed as full protection for the contractor, but it also can produce a project cost that does not include a contractor’s “just cover myself for any problems” boost in the fixed price.  

Time and materials: In this type of contract, payment is tied to an hourly or daily rate charged by the contractor and actual costs for materials.  But consistent with the principle of a contract, clients pay additional, unexpected costs that arise during the project. One may be the contractor’s overhead or the contractor’s markup on materials the contractor obtains.

Unit pricing: Unit pricing contracts view the project in terms of measurable units—the type of task or its scope or work and the materials required.

The construction contract that is best for you, for the type of project, and for your client, depends largely upon how the contractor and the client want to structure payment.

Any type of construction contract for your project will have certain key elements:

Who is entering into this agreement? 

For the client, that means a name (or business name), phone number, email address, and the specific location of the property where the construction project will be taking place.

For the contractor, that means a name, business name, phone number, email address, company address, and any relevant license and insurance information.

Your contract both names the project–“Two-Car Garage with Second Story Studio”–and describes the scope of the work. The scope of work could be a description, with dimensions and other specifications. But a blueprint or other plan could be attached to the contract to pin down the scope of work. In that case, the attachment would be signed, as well, by the contractor and the client.

What is essential is the size, components of the project, and materials to be used. Again, that may require blueprints and other attachments.

Any required licenses and permits for the project must be specified.

Of the essence, in any project, is the expected time to completion. Make sure to include the starting date (when the contract goes into effect) and the projected completion date.

You should be clear about what happens if you cannot complete the project by the specified completion date. That means at least that you, as the contractor, inform the client and give a new projected completion date.

In any type of construction contract, you will want to include your cost estimate and the schedule of payments for the project. Of course, before reaching the contract stage, the client will want an estimate. If that is agreed, then it can be included in the contract.

No project ought to begin before payment of a non-refundable deposit.

The additional required payment should be tied to milestones in completion of the project.

And, lastly, the contract should include late fees to protect you, as the contractor, so that late payment of what is owed includes, for example, an interest rate to be paid on the balance due.

Because the contract requires you, as the contractor, to complete the work on a given schedule, you will need a clause that gives you the legal right to stop the work if the client fails to pay. At the same time, the clause will have to give the client the right to withhold payment if the project milestones are not reached on schedule.

Naturally, you will not “re-invent” the language of a contract. You will rely on one of the many templates available, now in digital form. Your construction contract template will include language that you need for protection against the unexpected. In other words, how will the work continue in circumstances beyond your control?

Such a clause outlines how you and the client will proceed if faced with a hurricane, earthquake, or drastic shortage of a given material. To some extent, this will depend upon your location and the possible exigencies. The standard language, or boilerplate, in most construction contract templates should cover this.

As projects proceed, ideas may change. Your client may want to make some changes or additions. This means enlarging the essential “scope of work” of the project. That, in turn, means changing certain elements of the contract. The contract must specify how that will be done. A “change order” agreement makes such changes in scope, and, of course, payment, easier to handle.

A client entering into a contract will need to know that you stand behind the quality of your work and will be responsible for correcting problems. A warranty clause addresses this issue by guaranteeing that for a certain period of time, you will correct any problems. Typically, the warranty period is one year. Contractors who do quality work will gain from offering this warranty, which addresses many vague client concerns and gets the project going.

Your contract with the client becomes official, legally binding, when both of you have signed and dated the contract.

You will want to choose a high-quality, flexible “template”–or standard form–for your construction contract app. This gives you a contract expressed in precise legal language into which to insert all the required specifications of your project.

You can download, print, and fill-in such a construction contract template, but, today, construction contracts, like so much business, are digital documents filled out via mobile forms and apps. They are readily adaptable to the specifics of your construction project and easily shared with your client for alterations.

Going digital helps to avoid the hassles of lost or misplaced paper contracts, and your digital version is saved automatically. For definite legal agreement, you have authorized digital signatures.

For the construction contract of any type that you need, your first step can be GoCanvas, where the forms you need at any step in the contractor-client relationship are available, can be modified, or can be created from scratch to suit your distinctive needs. Follow the links below to learn how GoCanvas can reduce your paperwork and make all your business documents more professional.

With the Prime Construction Contract app, general contractors, project managers and others in the construction industry have access to electronic versions of all building contracts in one location. Add details about the prime construction contract directly into the form, including design and construction planning costs, bid details, dispute resolution information, payment requirements, the scope of work, and more. All parties can sign off on the agreement once all requirements have been reviewed.

prime construction contract template and sample

The cost plus fixed fee contract app can be customized by the project owner or contractor, making it easy to manage all types of work and price details. Construction managers and general contractors can edit the total cost, manage the contractor price and add in their cost plus fixed fee details for the scope of work. Once the cost-plus fee contract has been completed, both parties can sign off on the details electronically.

Just about every element of a successful project in construction involves a project manager coordinating the various change orders and working directly with the general contractor to keep project team members on track with the work.

This construction project management app makes it easy to track all of the important construction contract details, including project owner contact information, general contractor name, pre-construction outline, task list, project milestones, and more. 

project management contract template

Similar to cost-plus contracts in construction projects, the time and materials contract template includes cost estimates and markup in the hourly labor rate in the Overhead and Profit section. In construction projects, it’s critical to stay on top of the details to ensure that projects stay within the scope of work, and in case there are questions down the road about the contract document and terms, the general contractor or the construction services provider.

time and materials contract sample

Under a cost-plus construction contract, the client agrees to reimburse the contractor for the direct cost of the work, plus a percentage of all costs incurred, to cover overhead and profit. Unlike a fixed-price contract, cost-plus contracts guarantee the contractor a fair return, while allowing for various changes in the scope of work. As a construction manager, use this form to efficiently establish cost-plus pricing for long-term contracts with multiple change orders. With this design-build contract type for an agreement, use this app to best assess the estimated cost or fee according to a percentage of completion.

cost-plus-percentage-contract-sample

We have hundreds of pre-built forms with a variety of features to fit all of your business needs. Discover more inspections in our Application Store.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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