Construction contract template — because handshakes don’t hold up
Scope, price, schedule, and how changes get approved — in writing, signed, one page ahead of every dispute you won’t have. Fill it on screen and print it free.
Free to fill and print
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Worksheets and records, not filings. Where an official filing exists, this prepares the information and keeps your copy — the filing is done with the regulator.
What a construction contract needs to cover
The disputes that kill small contractors are almost always about one of these — write them down:
- Scope of work — what is included, and explicitly what is not
- Price and the payment schedule, including deposits and draws
- Start date and target completion
- How changes are approved — written change orders, never verbal
- Who signs, and when
The clause that pays for itself
The change-order process. Verbal scope changes are the single most common way trades work for free. The contract names the process; the change order form executes it — priced, signed, before the work happens.
Province matters
Lien rights, holdback obligations, and prompt-payment consequences attach to construction contracts differently in each province. This template covers the working agreement; have the final wording reviewed for your province before signing anything substantial — and pair it with the right proper invoice where prompt-payment rules apply.
Frequently asked questions
Is a verbal construction contract enforceable?
Verbal agreements can be binding, but proving what was agreed is the hard part — and construction disputes are exactly where that failure is most expensive. A signed one-page agreement beats a perfect memory every time.
Do I need a lawyer for every job?
For routine residential work, a clear written agreement with scope, price, payment schedule, and a change-order process covers the ground most disputes fight over. For large contracts, commercial work, or anything with unusual risk, have counsel review the wording — the template gives them something concrete to start from.
What about deposits?
Put the deposit amount and its terms in the payment schedule, in writing. Deposit rules and consumer-protection requirements vary by province and job type — check what applies to your work.
Does this create lien rights or start prompt-payment clocks?
No — those come from provincial legislation, not from this template. Where prompt payment applies (Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan), the proper invoice is what starts the clock; use the province’s proper invoice worksheet alongside the contract.
The paperwork is the easy part now.
The Blue Crane App keeps documents, certs, crew sign-offs, and costs per job site — the Form Maker is the free front door.