Pre and Post Phase Checklist

A checklist of tasks to complete before and after each construction phase: budget confirmation, contractor SOW and pay-schedule alignment, controlled material purchases, inspections, payment approval, and phase closeout.

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What It Does

An Excel checklist covering the administrative and operational tasks that bookend every construction phase. The Office Block, completed before Phase 1, covers: filling out your budget in the invoicing spreadsheet, confirming cash is escrowed for the upcoming phase, confirming on-site scope of work with contractors, requesting bids, and making pre-phase adjustments. Post-phase items cover inspections, payment reconciliation, and phase transition. Each task has a checkbox, additional considerations column, and notes.

How to Use It

  1. Download and open before starting any new flip project.
  2. Complete the Office Block checklist before Phase 1 begins: budget locked, cash confirmed, SOW aligned with subs.
  3. At the end of each phase, run through the post-phase items before releasing payment or starting the next phase.
  4. Use the Additional Considerations column for context on why each task matters.

Contractor Payment Gate

Use the phase closeout as a payment gate, not as a calendar reminder.

  1. Agree on the written scope, price, and milestone-based pay schedule before work starts. Confirm local contract, licensing, permit, insurance, and lien-waiver requirements for the project; Ross’s text-and-video workflow does not replace rules that apply in your jurisdiction.
  2. Do not advance labor money. If a contractor needs job materials, buy the approved materials directly or use an owner-controlled account instead of handing over unrestricted cash.
  3. At each milestone, compare the completed work to the scope in person. Photos can help document the job, but they do not replace an inspection when you can reasonably inspect it.
  4. Release only the payment earned by the work that passed the check. Keep disputed, incomplete, or defective work open instead of paying ahead and hoping it gets fixed later.
  5. Once the milestone passes, pay promptly. The system is never ahead, never slow: keep control before approval and become the most reliable payer after approval.

When You Need This

  • Starting a new project and making sure the administrative foundation is solid before contractors show up.
  • Transitioning between construction phases without dropping tasks.
  • Preventing scope creep by locking scope and budget at each phase gate.
  • Responding when a contractor asks for an upfront payment or says materials require a deposit.
  • Training a project manager on the pre/post phase discipline.