Willow House Remodel

Walk the Job: Willow House Remodel

A family stays in their home during a kitchen, main-floor and laundry renovation. The contractor must coordinate the work, protect living areas, keep a temporary kitchen running, guide decisions and keep the family informed.

You will follow seven connected situations, from the agreed job to closeout. The figures are samples, shown for contractor teaching only.

Walk it with Melissa Moore
Certified JobTread Implementation Partner

Customer names, prices and dates on this job are samples.

What this job will teach you

How to start from the agreed price, cost and margin
How selections and deadlines keep an occupied home moving
How to document concealed damage and hold work for approval
How to review a vendor bill against its purchase order

Who this is for

Contractors who want to see how JobTread connects selections, pricing, approvals, purchasing, scheduling and homeowner communication on one job.

Each step tells you where to go in JobTread, what you are looking at, what to do, and who acts next. Screenshots enlarge when you tap them.

Start here

Open the Dashboard and review the agreed job.

Then follow each situation in order. Contractor and homeowner views are labeled on every screenshot.

Listen first

Listen to how margins and allowances work on this remodel

1Step 1

Start with the agreed job

JobTread: Dashboard, Budget and Proposal

Before a single wall is opened, the contractor knows what was sold, what it should cost and what it should earn. These numbers are contractor-only.

Base contract$180,000

Projected cost$126,000

Projected gross profit$54,000 (30%)

Sample figures for contractor teaching only. Homeowners do not see the internal budget.

Dashboard showing approved price, projected profit and margin — Contractor viewDashboard. Approved price, projected profit and margin in one place.

Budget with line items grouped by phase — Contractor viewBudget. Cost items grouped by phase of work.

Proposal GSC-041-1 with approved banner — Contractor viewProposal GSC-041-1. On this job the proposal was staged as approved so the rest of the job can run.

What the contractor does next

Confirm the contract price against the budget.
Check projected profit and margin before work begins.
Keep the budget internal.

Before you move forward

Price, cost and margin are agreed.
The homeowner view contains no internal numbers.

2Step 2

Guide upcoming decisions

JobTread: Selections and Files

A family living in the house needs decisions in the right order. Selections show the included choice, the upgrade amount and a deadline for each one.

Selections page with three awaiting approval selections — Contractor viewSelections. Marker 1: Awaiting Approval status. Marker 2: the homeowner recipient. Marker 3: a pending selection with its due date.

Countertop choices graphic: Soft White Quartz included, Warm Veined add $2,500, Statement add $4,500 — Homeowner viewThe countertop choice shown to the homeowner: included, plus $2,500, or plus $4,500.

Files page with folders for the project — Contractor viewFiles. Folders keep plans, photos, warranty and care documents in one place.

What the contractor does next

Show each choice with a price and a due date.
Tie each deadline to the work it releases.
Store supporting documents in Files.

Before you move forward

Every open decision has an owner and date.
Upgrade amounts are stated before approval.

Melissa’s implementation noteEvery customer decision needs a clear next step for the team.

3Step 3

Document concealed damage

JobTread: Change Order

During demolition the crew finds deteriorated subfloor near the former dishwasher. This is the moment a calm, documented process earns trust. Work in that area stays on hold until the homeowner approves in writing.

Added price$6,000

Estimated cost$4,200

Time after approval2 working days

Sample figures. Timing is subject to sequencing review.

Change order GSC-041-3 describing deteriorated subfloor and the proposed repair — Contractor viewChange Order GSC-041-3, pending. It describes what was found, the proposed solution, the price and the schedule note.

The sequenceDocument the condition, explain the solution, prepare the change order, review schedule impact, inform the homeowner, then obtain approval before release.

What the contractor does next

Photograph and describe the condition.
Prepare the change order with price and schedule note.
Explain the issue to the homeowner in plain language.

Before you move forward

Written approval is on file.
The schedule effect has been reviewed.
No repair work starts before release.

4Step 4

Review the electrician’s invoice

JobTread: Purchase Order and Bills

The electrician submits a bill that is higher than the agreed purchase order. JobTread flags it. The contractor reviews it before anyone pays.

Electrical purchase order$7,000

Vendor bill submitted$8,200

Difference to review$1,200

Sample figures. The $1,200 is a claim for extra circuits.

Draft bill with an alert that the bill exceeds the purchase order by $1,200 — Contractor viewBill, draft. Marker 1: Draft status. Marker 2: the $7,000 committed on the purchase order. Marker 3: the alert that the total exceeds it by $1,200.

The principleThe purchase order records the agreed work. The vendor bill records the amount submitted. Reviewing them together helps the contractor identify a difference and decide what needs to happen before approval.

What the contractor does next

Check the scope of the agreed purchase order.
Ask the electrician for supporting detail on the extra circuits.
Confirm whether the extra work was authorized.

Before you move forward

The difference is explained or declined.
The extra amount is not assumed to be billable to the homeowner.
Vendor bills stay internal.

Melissa’s implementation noteCompare the purchase order to the bill every time. Surprises are cheapest on the day they arrive.

5Step 5

Coordinate the schedule

JobTread: Schedule

Decisions, inspections, repairs and trade readiness all move dates. The schedule is where the contractor sees the effect before it reaches the family.

Gantt schedule with phases, inspections and cabinet installation — Contractor viewSchedule, Gantt view. Sample dates include rough-in inspections October 26 and cabinet installation November 2 to 6.

What the contractor does next

Review the schedule whenever a decision or repair changes.
Confirm trades are ready before their start.
Tell the homeowner about changes that affect the living areas.

Before you move forward

Repairs and inspections are sequenced.
Selection deadlines come before ordering.

6Step 6

Keep the homeowner informed

JobTread: Messages, Daily Logs and Preview as User

Living in the house means seeing the work every day. Daily logs and weekly updates explain what happened, what comes next and what the family needs to do. Preview as User shows the contractor what the homeowner sees.

Pinned welcome message in Messages — Contractor viewMessages. A pinned welcome after proposal approval sets expectations.

Homeowner preview with action items and the welcome message — Homeowner viewPreview as User. Action items, messages and the project location, as the homeowner sees them.

Sample weekly updateThis week: protection and demolition finished. Next week: electrical rough-in and inspection. Your action: choose countertop, hardware and lighting by their due dates. This is an illustration, not a sent message.

What the contractor does next

Write a daily log for each work day.
Send a weekly update with next steps.
Use Preview as User before you share anything.

Before you move forward

The homeowner can see their action items.
Budgets and vendor bills are not visible to them.

Melissa’s implementation noteA useful update explains what happened, what comes next, and whether the customer needs to act.

7Step 7

Finish with closeout

JobTread: Forms and Reports

Closeout is punch work, verification, care information and a warranty path. Forms give the homeowner a clear way to confirm readiness and to request service later.

Homeowner forms: Pre-Construction Readiness Confirmation and Warranty and Service Request — Homeowner viewForms, as the homeowner sees them: a pre-construction readiness confirmation and a warranty and service request.

What the contractor does next

List punch items and verify each one.
Hand over care information.
Give the family the warranty request form.

Before you move forward

All punch items are verified.
Final financial review is complete before closing the job.

Resources

The homeowner link opens the customer experience. Look around the way the Willow family would. The walkthrough guide teaches the contractor workflow.

Open the Homeowner Demo Open the Walkthrough Guide

How this applies to your business

Every contractor meets surprise damage and surprise invoices. The pattern is the same whatever you build: document first, explain the solution, price it, check the schedule, tell the customer, and wait for approval. Review what you owe against what you agreed to pay. Then repeat it on the next job.

Keep walking

More jobs to walk

See every Walk the Job lesson →

Hawthorne ResidenceThe Homeowner ExperienceListen to the walkthrough, follow the handout, then explore the portal.
Walk this job →Briarwood Kitchen + BathBuild the Job. Connect the Steps.Follow one cabinet decision from selection to schedule.
Walk this job →Money FlowFollow the Money from Estimate to Cash.Deposit, progress billing, vendor bills and the job costing report.
Walk this job →

Let’s build a JobTread workflow your business can actually run.

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Melissa Moore, Certified JobTread Implementation Partner