A construction contract is the written agreement between an Owner and a Contractor for a build, renovation or installation job — covering the scope of work, the price and payment schedule, how changes and delays are handled, and how the job is confirmed finished, all in one document. Download the ready-to-fill template below, or read the field-by-field checklist first.
A complete, ready-to-fill PDF — 14 clauses, blanks for every detail, and a signature block for both parties. Free, no email, no account. Read it and adapt it before you use it; the cover page explains what it can and cannot do for you.
Need the other party to sign it too? Send it for signature with a full audit trail and a tamper-evident seal on the finished file — they never need an account. See pricing.
This document is a general-purpose template provided for information only. It is not legal advice, it does not create a lawyer–client relationship, and nobody has reviewed it against your situation.
Laws differ by country, state and province, and they change. A clause that is standard in one place can be unenforceable — or illegal — in another. Terms that are ordinary between two businesses can be void in a consumer or employment context.
Read every clause before you use it, fill in every blank, and delete anything that does not apply. For anything high-value, unusual, or that you could not afford to lose a dispute over, have a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction review it before it is signed.
These are the fields and clauses a general construction contract needs. Leaving one out doesn't necessarily void the contract, but each gap is a spot where the Owner and the Contractor can end up disagreeing about what they actually agreed to — usually at the worst possible time, near the end of the job.
Owner & contractor names. Use the full legal name of each party — the registered business name, not a trade name — and state whether the Contractor is a company or an individual operating as a sole proprietor.
Project site address.The property where the work happens. This anchors which jurisdiction's building codes, licensing rules and lien laws apply, even if the Owner and Contractor are based elsewhere.
Scope of work (plans & specifications). What the Contractor is actually building, tied to attached plans and specs where they exist. State explicitly what's excluded, so work nobody priced doesn't get done — or expected — for free.
Contract price & progress payment schedule. The total price and how it's paid out as the job progresses — typically monthly applications for payment against a schedule of values, not one lump sum at the end.
Change order procedure.How a change to the scope gets priced, approved and added to the contract in writing before the Contractor does the extra work — the single biggest source of construction disputes when it's skipped.
Time for completion.The start date and the date Substantial Completion is due, plus which delays (weather, Owner-caused delay, events beyond the Contractor's control) extend that date and which don't.
Substantial completion & punch list. The defined moment the Owner can use the space even though small items remain, the process for listing those items, and the deadline for the Contractor to finish them.
Retainage percentage. The portion of each progress payment the Owner holds back — commonly 5-10% — as security that the Contractor finishes the punch list, released on a schedule tied to Substantial and Final Completion.
Materials & workmanship standard. The quality bar for materials and installation, and the approval process before the Contractor substitutes anything specified in the plans.
Warranty.How long the Contractor stands behind the work after Substantial Completion, what it covers, and what it doesn't (normal wear, Owner misuse, work by someone else).
Insurance & licensing.The coverage the Contractor carries — general liability and workers' compensation at minimum — and confirmation it holds every license the job requires in that jurisdiction.
Default & termination. What counts as a default by either side (non-payment, abandonment, unpaid subs), the cure period, and what each side is owed if the contract ends before the job is done.
Signatures & date.Both the Owner and the Contractor (or their authorized representative) sign and date the contract. An unsigned contract is just a proposal — it isn't binding until both parties have signed it.
Download the template above, fill in the blanks, then send it to the other party for signature with a free Evenseal account — 3 documents a month, no card required. Only need your own copy signed? Self-sign for free with no account at /sign-pdf.
Not legal advice — construction contracts are subject to state and local licensing, lien and notice laws, so have a local attorney review the contract for your project before you use it.