Here’s the truth. Home renovation jobs can be complex and overwhelming.
But they don’t have to be.
Home renovations are smoother with a project plan that includes all the details from start to finish. A budget spreadsheet can help you keep expenses under control. All while accounting for specific needs like a kitchen remodel or other spaces tailored to your family members.
Collaborating with general contractors and using a renovation project plan template ensures you stay organized. You can also set deadlines effectively, keeping every aspect of the project on track.
Read on to get expert advice on how to create a home renovation project plan. Plus, get a free template below to start using one today.
Free Home Renovation Project Management Template
A home renovation project management template is a framework for creating a detailed renovation plan. Think of the template like an adjustable miter box. You can use it over and over again, inserting different pieces of lumber to get the results you want.
With this template, you enter the unique components of a renovation project to stay on track and keep homeowners in the loop.
Ready to get started with this process? Download our free home renovation project management template below!
Benefits of Using a Renovation Project Template
There are many benefits to using a renovation project template. First, it keeps contractors of all sizes organized from the start to the finish of the project.
If you’re an enterprise-level business, you no doubt have hundreds or thousands of employees. The bigger the company, the more you need both organization and consistency.
And if you’re a smaller business, you may be juggling many tasks, not just hands-on renovation. Having a template can keep you on target.
Other benefits include:
- Gives you a clear view of the project timeline, so you reach milestones as planned
- Helps identify potential bottlenecks or delays, so you can change your timeline or make changes
- Provides a document you can share with homeowners to get everyone on the same page
- Assists with keeping track of subcontractors and small elements of the project
Do you do kitchen and/or primary bath renovations? They are statistically most likely to go over budget. You can avoid this frustration with proper planning. You’ll have fewer hassles, and your clients will think you’re a hero.
What Is a Home Renovation Project Plan?
A home renovation project plan is a detailed document that lists all the vital details of the job. It typically includes the following:
- Client name, address, and contact details, plus any other important customer information
- Scope of work to be carried out, e.g., complete upgrade of en suite bath, replacing shower, tub, toilet, and vanity with increased storage space
- Timeline, including the start and finish dates as well as any milestones along the way to ensure you’ll finish on time
- Budget, including the total budget and a breakdown of components as needed
- Task management if different people are handling elements like flooring or HVAC
A home renovation project plan is advantageous for several reasons:
- It reduces stress for both contractors and clients, so both get the successful renovation outcome they desire.
- It can help tailor a space to the client’s unique lifestyle needs by breaking down the project into smaller steps.
- It’s essential for managing complex or large-scale renovation projects. That’s because these involve multiple subcontractors and milestones.
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Creating a Comprehensive Home Renovation Project Plan
The more granular you can make a home renovation project plan, the better it will work. Let’s dive a little more into how to do that.
Key Elements of a Home Renovation Project Plan
Above, we mentioned many of the elements necessary in a home renovation project plan. They include customer details, timeline, and budget.
However, you may want to add a few more items to the plan:
- Breakdown of costs between labor and materials
- Special materials needed for major elements
- Permits or utility permissions needed for the renovation
- Inspections that need to be scheduled along the way
- All subcontractors involved in the project and their contact details
- Dates when subcontractors will be working on the project
- Other team members, like interior designers or security experts
Every project is unique. So you may want to have different plan components from one job to the next.
Steps to Create a Home Renovation Project Plan
It’s easier to build a home renovation project plan if you approach it in a logical way. Below are some steps you might want to take:
- Establish a goal for the project, such as creating a more efficient workflow for cooking in the kitchen.
- Drill down objectives to more of an action plan (e.g., move stove and construct an island with a sink).
- Create a budget for the project using a spreadsheet to stay within limits on labor and materials.
- Work backward from the finish date to set milestones for major progress points, like finishing the sink plumbing.
- Assign tasks to the team members and define their individual responsibilities.
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Managing Home Renovation Projects with a Spreadsheet Template
Let’s recap here for a moment. A renovation plan is the document you create for a specific project. A project management template for home renovation is the framework to make renovation plans for each customer. You plug in the details using the structure that’s all set up for you.
One of the easiest ways to build a template that you can reuse as often as you like is to employ a spreadsheet like the one we included earlier.
A spreadsheet template has a couple of advantages:
- It keeps everything organized in one place and also provides a record of the project for future reference.
- You can view it on a computer or mobile device, or you can print it out.
- It can be saved to the cloud or an external hard drive for safekeeping.
- Say the budget increases. You can enter updated numbers, and the entire spreadsheet will re-total everything for you without you having to do it manually.
Customizing and Sharing Your Template
You can customize your renovation template to suit the kind of work you do and the scope of your projects. Some ways to do this are:
- Add columns and data views.
- Track different processes in separate tabs.
- Compare materials costs side by side.
Because it’s in spreadsheet form, you can also share the template with:
- Your partners or staff
- Subcontractors
- Architects and interior designers
- Clients and their families
Getting Started with Your Home Renovation
Ready to make your next home renovation project less stressful? Here are some final tips to get the most out of your template:
- Click the “Use data” button to add the template to your improveit 360 dashboard.
- Don’t forget to customize the template to fit your one-of-a-kind needs.
- Check your spreadsheet daily to track your progress and stay on your timetable.
- Share the template with customers so they can see their dream space becoming a reality.
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