Free job completion form: a sign-off sheet for the end of the job
A job completion form records that the work on the estimate is finished. List what you did against the estimate and each approved change, note the before-and-after photos, and write down anything the customer wants looked at, with a fix-by date. You both sign and date it. Payment stays due on the terms you agreed; the form is a record, not a condition.
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This is a general template, not legal advice. Rules on completion, holding back payment, and liens vary by state, so check locally.
What goes on a job completion form
Enough to show what was agreed, what was done, and what, if anything, is still open.
- The job and the estimate number. Name the job and the job address, and write the number of the estimate the customer approved.
- Each piece of work, marked done. One line for each piece of work, with where it came from: the estimate or a change order number.
- Approved changes. List the numbers of the change orders the customer approved during the job. For getting a change approved in writing, see change orders.
- Before-and-after photos. Tick that you took them, and note how you sent them: with the final invoice, or separately on a date.
- Items the customer raised. Each one on its own line, with what happens to it (fix, not part of this job, or no action needed) and a fix-by date.
- Clean-up and walkthrough. Tick that the site is cleaned up and that you walked through the work together, and note who else was there.
- Both signatures and the date. You and the customer each sign, print your names, and date it.
Your job completion form
Fill it in on screen during the walkthrough, or print it and fill it in by hand. Gray hints don't print. If you leave Items the customer raised empty, it prints blank lines to fill in by hand, or 'None raised.' if you mark the work complete.
JOB COMPLETION FORM
| Description | From | Done |
|---|
This form doesn't hold photos, so attach them to the same message as the form or the final invoice.
| Item | What happens | Fix by | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
None raised.
This form records the walkthrough. It isn't a waiver or a release.
When the form is signed, close out the job with the final invoice template, or use the free invoice template for a plain invoice. When the payment comes in, confirm it with the payment receipt template. For getting each change approved during the job, see change orders.
How to do the walkthrough
- Take before photos when you start, from the same spots you'll use at the end.
- At the finish, walk the job with the customer, with the estimate and any change orders in hand.
- Ask, "Is there anything you want me to look at?" and write each item down on the form.
- Agree what happens to each item: fix it by a date, mark it not part of this job (and offer to price it as a change), or no action needed.
- Both sign and date the form.
- Send the signed form with the final invoice the same day. The final invoice template has lines for the estimate, approved changes and every payment received.
Example only: keep the [brackets] and fill in your own details.
Text after the walkthrough, with the signed formHi [Name], thanks for walking through the [job] with me today. Here's the signed completion form. [Nothing open. / Open items: (item), fixed by (date).] The final invoice is attached: $[balance] due [on completion / by (date)].
Send these only to the number the customer gave you for this job, about this job, one text at a time. Stop if they ask you to.
Walking through the work together is a good habit, but don't make payment depend on it. Put the walkthrough and the payment terms on the estimate, so neither is a surprise. For wording on the terms, see invoice payment terms. On a job billed in stages, see progress invoicing.
Line on the estimate (agreed up front)At the end of the job we'll walk through the work together and note any items to fix, with a date. The balance is due [on completion / by (date)] as agreed above.
When the customer raises a problem at the end
Ask them to show you now, write each item down, and agree what happens next before you leave. Some customers say nothing during the job, then raise complaints when the balance is due. What helps: each item in writing on the form, your photos, a fix-by date for anything you agreed to fix, and the rest of the balance kept on the terms you agreed.
Text recapping items raised, if they didn't sign on the spotHi [Name], recapping today's walkthrough of the [job]: you asked about [item 1] and [item 2]. I'll [fix item 1 by (date)]. [Item 2] wasn't part of estimate #[number]; I can price it as a change if you want it. Reply here if I've missed anything.
Send these only to the number the customer gave you for this job, about this job, one text at a time. Stop if they ask you to.
If an item isn't part of the job, say so politely, point to the line on the estimate, and offer to price it as a change order. Don't fix new work for free to get paid.
Whether a customer can hold back part of a payment over a complaint, and what you can do if they do, varies by state. Check locally before you rely on any step. For reminders and next steps, see how to follow up on an unpaid invoice.
If the customer won't sign
Write "Customer declined to sign" in the notes, with the date and who was there. Keep your photos, send the text recapping the items raised so they're in writing, and send the final invoice as agreed. The form is your record either way.
Completion form, certificate or punch list?
A punch list is the list of items still to fix; a completion form records the finished job and that list; a certificate of completion is a formal document some contracts or permits ask for.
- Punch list: the items still to fix or finish at the end of the job. On a small job, the Items the customer raised block on this form is your punch list.
- Job completion form: a record of the finished work, any items still open, and both signatures.
- Certificate of completion: a formal document that some contracts, lenders or permits ask for.
If your contract or permit names a specific form or a final inspection, use that one. This form doesn't replace it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a job completion form?
A one-page record that the work on the estimate is finished, with any items still open and both signatures. You can fill in and print the job completion form on this page.
Does the customer have to sign a job completion form?
No one can be made to sign it. Ask, and if they decline, write that on the form with the date and keep your photos. Payment follows the terms you agreed.
Can a customer hold back the final payment over a complaint?
That varies by state, so check locally. What you can do on every job: agree the walkthrough and the payment terms on the estimate, write down each item the customer raises with a fix-by date, and keep photos. For reminders, see how to follow up on an unpaid invoice.
What is a punch list?
The list of items still to fix or finish at the end of a job. On a small job, the Items the customer raised block on this form is your punch list.
Is a job completion form the same as a certificate of completion?
Not always. Some contracts, lenders or permits ask for their own certificate or a final inspection; if yours does, use that form. For a job with no such requirement, this form is your written record.
Should I take before-and-after photos?
Yes. Take them from the same spots at the start and the end, send them with the final invoice, and tick on the form that you took them. More on what goes with the invoice: how to write an invoice.
More templates
Close out the job with the final invoice template, or use the free invoice template for a plain invoice. Confirm each payment with the payment receipt template. Pricing the next job? Start with the free estimate template and see how to write a contractor estimate.
Doing this from your phone
Pencilslip is an estimates and invoices app for solo tradespeople. The free version works today in a web browser, including at phone size (tested in Chrome at phone width; testing on a real iPhone is still to come): estimates, invoices, job photos, your own payment link, and a PDF you can send. No account needed. Free: no cap on the number of estimates or invoices on this device. It saves only in this browser on this device, so download a backup from Settings now and then.
The full app isn't out yet. Founding access is open: pre-order your first year of Pencilslip for $29, with a full refund automatically if early access isn't open by December 15, 2026 and you haven't agreed to a new date. Your year starts the day early access opens, planned for no later than December 15, 2026. See Pencilslip pricing for both options. Not ready to pre-order? Join the free waitlist below to get an email when the full app opens. You don't need it to use the free version.