{"id":7664,"date":"2021-07-16T03:33:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T07:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/?p=7664"},"modified":"2026-01-15T12:03:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T17:03:51","slug":"construction-project-start-up-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/construction-project-start-up-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction project start-up checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tConstruction project start-up checklist\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-07-16T03:33:33-04:00\">July 16, 2021<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Construction project start-up checklist\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/construction-project-start-up-checklist\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/author\/asavinwattanajantra\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Asavin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-810x810.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Asavin Wattanajantra<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Why do you need a construction project start-up checklist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a tradesperson, running your own construction business is a different kind of challenge from working for someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re in charge, and you\u2019re the one responsible for generating work and making sure the projects you undertake are done successfully on budget and on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Any activity that hasn\u2019t been planned or budgeted for can affect the bottom line and amount of profit you can make. That means any planning you do must account for the possibility of unforeseen issues and problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even on small jobs, it\u2019ll help if you set out precise requirements that need to be met and satisfied when it comes to various tasks, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Making proposals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Making bids<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Negotiating contracts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Managing tasks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Managing budgets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dealing with procurement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we cover the critical areas you may need to manage on a construction project as a tradesperson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve gone through them, download our free construction checklist, which you can take away and use for your projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#bidding-anchor-link\">Bidding, proposals and contracts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#roadmapping-anchor-link\">Roadmapping your project<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#manage-anchor-link\">Manage your budget<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#planning-anchor-link\">Planning<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#execution-anchor-link\">Execution<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#closing-anchor-link\">Closing out the project<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bidding-anchor-link\">Bidding, proposals and contracts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As a tradesperson, you need to juggle current projects with the relationship-building side of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll always be on the lookout for new clients and fresh jobs, so it\u2019s essential to have a process that supports that and allows you to make competitive bids for proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Winning out over other submissions demands an understanding of the prospective customer wants and needs, and requires you to deliver a high degree of quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do receive a request for proposal (RFP) or bidding opportunity, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you need to submit a bid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bids can be quite labour intensive, so it\u2019s worth figuring out which prospective jobs require one so you can ensure you\u2019re making the best use of your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look at the job and customer closely to determine whether it fits your business offering, you\u2019re likely to win and you have the expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must also work out if you have the time, especially if you have other jobs on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"roadmapping-anchor-link\">Roadmapping your project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve won the work, an excellent first step is to develop a project roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not the definitive plan\u2014that comes later\u2014but at the beginning, it\u2019s good to have an overview of what needs to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you can set up some performance metrics that can help you understand what you need to do to please the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it\u2019s also a good time to know whether you need to bring any people in, such as subcontractors, to help you with the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"manage-anchor-link\">Manage your budget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Managing a budget for a construction project can be time-consuming, but it\u2019s necessary to get things right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without keeping track of expenses, costs and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/small-business-accounting-cash-flow-101\/\">cash flow<\/a>, you run the risk of spending too much money for what you\u2019re likely to earn, affecting that vital profit margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to factor in risks when it comes to costs \u2013 and that\u2019s never straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you may need to factor in unexpected expenses when it comes to labour and materials. Meanwhile, unforeseen incidents such as bad weather can push your job longer than you expect, causing problems if you\u2019re working on a tight schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have a proactive attitude to avoid spending more than you anticipate, which means overestimating your expenses rather than underestimating them to give you some wiggle room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may want to use the services of an accountant to save time or if some of the financial stuff seems a little intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"planning-anchor-link\">Planning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The next important step in managing your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/industry\/construction\/\">construction<\/a> project is writing down the project\u2019s scope and laying out what you\u2019ll deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then you can develop a schedule in which you identify the parts and steps required to get the work completed, such as logistics and where to break tasks into smaller chunks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It helps if you\u2019re clear on where you\u2019ll get your materials from and how much they\u2019ll cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use materials that fit the budget agreed to by your client because that will affect your profit margins. It\u2019ll also help if you have a safety plan to minimise the risk of any accidents on-site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Communication with your client should be a priority. Keep them in the loop and let them know if work might affect or inconvenience them, so you get their input and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you outline everything you\u2019ll be doing beforehand, your clients will have a more positive overall experience and be more inclined to pay on time, recommend your services, and come back to you the next time they have a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not in day-to-day contact with them, it might be worth arranging a meeting with them at scheduled times to keep them updated on the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"execution-anchor-link\">Execution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After all that planning, it\u2019s time to get down to the actual work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because you\u2019ve already planned the construction project in detail, it\u2019s now just a matter of doing the work and monitoring your activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to watch your use of materials, for example, as well as the status of any subcontractors you\u2019re using and the state of your equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to keep track that any expenses are within what you\u2019ve budgeted in terms of finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have set up a payment schedule with your client as you\u2019re in the process of doing your work, consistently reviewing whether payments are coming in when scheduled, as this will affect your cash flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s brilliant when everything goes smoothly. However, a spanner may be thrown into the works when an unexpected problem comes up, as they often do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might need a change order, for example, which is a change to the original scope of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have done a good job of your planning, you\u2019ll already have prepared for this situation without losing too much on your profit margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"closing-anchor-link\">Closing out the project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finishing the work is not the end. You might want to do a final quality-control check to ensure the work you\u2019ve provided fits what you agreed in the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may also want to take some photographic evidence or request a rating and review, so you have proof of your quality work for other potential customers to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, make sure you get full payment. And once you\u2019ve received it, ensure you settle debts with subcontractors and suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, it\u2019s good practice to do a final budget report and an end-of-project review to analyse what you\u2019ve done right and wrong for next time.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"cta-content__title\">Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-8949a954-88b2-43bb-8b8a-77c53eb34350\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Need to keep your construction projects organised? Get your free construction project start-up checklist and boss your business today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":356,"featured_media":6211,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[40],"coauthors":[312],"class_list":["post-7664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-ca","author_name":"Asavin Wattanajantra","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/Sage-Em-Product-box.jpg","imagine_tags":{"40":"Construction"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Canada English","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/356"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7664"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7664\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/6211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=7664"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}