Free planner
Renovation Planner — budget, contractors, timeline
A renovation budget where a quote, a deposit and a settled invoice are three different things; contractors and suppliers with contacts, ratings and contracts; a checklist from three quotes to the final walkthrough; and a calendar of every payment due while the work runs.
Starter checklist
6 tasks, dated back from the day
- Write down the scope60 d before
- Get three quotes45 d before
- Apply for permits30 d before
- Order materials21 d before
- Clear the room2 d before
- Final walkthrough1 d after
A renovation is paid in stages and estimated until the invoice lands: a deposit to the contractor, materials on order, a balance on completion. Here every line has a plan, the real cost once known, and what has been paid so far, so 'still to pay' is the number you need before the next invoice, not after. Lines over their estimate are counted and shown in red by category.
Contractors and suppliers live in the vendors list — contact, phone, email, website, a rating and a contract tick, from shortlist to booked. The checklist runs from 'write down the scope' two months out through quotes, permits and materials to 'clear the room' two days before and a 'final walkthrough' the day after. The calendar shows the work's span with every payment on its date.
What the renovation plan holds
A budget with stages
Materials, labour, fixtures, furniture, permits, design, contingency — each line with an estimate, the invoice, a deposit or the settled amount, and a due date.
Contractors and suppliers
Contact person, phone, email, website, a rating and whether the contract is signed; a booked contractor's quote becomes a budget line.
A checklist from scope to walkthrough
Six dated tasks: scope at 60 days, three quotes at 45, permits at 30, materials at 21, clear the room at 2, walkthrough the day after.
A calendar of payments
The work's span, every task and every payment still to make on its date, with what is due in the next two weeks beside it.
Budget categories
The categories a renovation budget opens with
The categories the plan opens with. Add your own on any line; the analytics group by whatever you use.
MaterialsLabourFixturesFurniturePermitsDesignContingencyOther
The calendar — the work's span, the tasks, the payments
Every day of the renovation, every task on its due date, every unsettled line with what is still to pay — on one month grid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I track a contractor's deposit and balance?
One line for the job: the quote as the plan, the invoice as the actual once it lands, and 'Deposit / part' with what you paid and when. 'Still to pay' is the balance; the line's due date is on the calendar until it is settled.
What if a line comes in over the estimate?
Enter the real cost as the actual. The line is counted as over its estimate, its category goes red in the analytics, and the overview says how far over the whole plan is.
Can I keep the contractors' contacts here?
Yes — the vendors list holds a contact person, phone, email, website, a rating and a contract tick per contractor or supplier, from shortlist to booked.
Start with the dates and the budget
The plan opens with the renovation categories, the checklist dated back from the start, and the vendors list ready. Financing it? The Home Equity Calculator says what the house can carry.
Guides
How-to guides that use this tool