Start with the right question
A project can stop for several reasons, including a disagreement about changes, access, payment, or performance. Preserve the complete sequence rather than describing only the final missed visit. Urgent safety problems should be addressed appropriately without waiting for the dispute file.
Work through the checks
Identify the agreement
Keep the contract, scope, drawings, schedule, and approved changes. Distinguish a completion estimate from a contractual commitment. Record any conditions that affected access or sequencing.
List work by item
Mark each agreed task as complete, incomplete, disputed, or not inspected. Use dated photographs and neutral descriptions. Do not diagnose structural or code issues without an appropriate professional assessment.
Reconcile payments
Record deposits, progress payments, credits, and unpaid invoices. Link each payment to its stated purpose or milestone. A payment schedule alone does not prove that the corresponding work was completed.
Preserve communications
Keep messages about delays, requests for access, complaints, and proposed solutions. Record efforts to obtain an explanation. Have legal options reviewed before terminating, withholding, or replacing work where consequences may follow.
A record you can use
- Scope item
- Agreed milestone
- Observed completion
- Payment reference
- Outstanding issue
Keep this record locally. Use document references rather than publishing account numbers or other people's personal details. An empty field means the information is still missing; it should not be filled with an AI guess.
Worked example
A fictional bathroom project includes tiling and fixture installation. Tiling is complete but fixtures remain boxed. The record separates those items and links the second payment to its stated milestone. A replacement estimate is labeled an estimate, not automatically treated as the original contractor's established liability.
This example is fictional and illustrates the method, not a real case result.
Limits and next steps
This checklist does not decide breach, licensing issues, lien rights, or payment obligations. Unsafe conditions and significant property damage may require prompt qualified assistance.
Use official consumer-protection resources and obtain appropriate advice with the agreement, itemized status record, and payment ledger. Keep any proposed resolution in writing.