Free printable template

A general contractor call intake checklist for real project inquiries

A useful general contractor intake records the caller and project address, property and occupancy, requested work, approximate scope, planning stage, plans or photos, decision-maker, budget range if shared, desired timing, access, known approvals or constraints, and the requested next step. It helps the contractor review fit without deciding feasibility, code, permit requirements, price, or schedule during the call.

See Clara for general contractors

Use this worksheet for remodel, addition, repair, new-build, commercial, and existing-project calls. Add your real service area, project types, minimums, estimate process, site-visit rules, permit boundaries, response window, and approved channels before using it with customers.

The worksheet

Capture the facts in four steps

1

Caller and property

Confirm who is calling and where the proposed work is

  • Caller name, verified callback number, email if needed, and preferred contact method
  • Project address, ZIP code, and service-area fit
  • Owner-occupied, rental, investment, commercial, HOA, public, or other property context
  • Owner, tenant, property manager, business contact, designer, architect, trade, vendor, or other caller role
Notes
2

Project and scope

Capture the request in the caller's words before estimating it

  • Remodel, addition, repair, new build, tenant improvement, mitigation, or another project type
  • Rooms, areas, systems, trades, approximate square footage, and must-haves involved
  • Current condition, prior work, known damage, or constraints exactly as reported
  • Plans, sketches, engineering, specifications, photos, surveys, or prior estimates already available
Notes
3

Readiness and constraints

Surface the decisions and reviews still needed

  • Planning, design, bid, permit, ready-to-start, active-project, or warranty stage
  • Decision-makers and anyone else who must approve the project
  • Budget range, financing, or minimum-project context only when the caller chooses to share it
  • HOA, historic, zoning, permit, inspection, occupancy, access, parking, pets, or site restrictions reported by the caller
Notes
4

Timing and handoff

Set the next review without promising project capacity

  • Desired start, target completion, event, move, lease, insurance, or other deadline
  • Estimate, site visit, plan review, callback, subcontractor coordination, change request, permit message, or other requested next step
  • Named review owner, backup, approved response window, and follow-up channel
  • Exact expectation given to the caller and whether any handoff was acknowledged
Notes

Guardrails

What the intake should not do

  • Do not determine design, code, structural, engineering, environmental, safety, zoning, or permit requirements from the call
  • Do not promise a site visit, crew, subcontractor, price, allowance, material, start date, milestone, or completion date outside current approved information
  • Do not describe a budget range as an estimate or imply that the project is accepted
  • Do not treat a call-intake record as a contract, bid, change order, work authorization, or approved scope
  • Do not claim access to plans, photos, project-management, estimating, permit, inspection, or schedule data unless it is connected and current
  • Do not collect financial, alarm, gate, lockbox, or other sensitive details through a channel the business has not approved

Owner handoff

Finish with one useful summary

  • Caller, verified contact details, caller role, project address, property type, and service-area status
  • Project type, requested work, approximate scope, current condition, and must-haves in the caller's words
  • Planning stage, plans or photos available, decision-makers, budget context if offered, and reported constraints
  • Desired timing, access, approvals, existing-project context, and requested next step
  • Named review owner, acknowledgment state, response window, and every expectation already given

Methodology and review

A template built around clear boundaries

This worksheet follows Clara's governed US call-intake model and an August 22, 2026 review of general-contractor and remodeling intake language across Perplexity, Firecrawl, Parallel, FEMA contractor guidance, and recent X posts. Repeated fields included contact details, project address, property type, requested work, approximate scope, plans, planning stage, decision-maker, budget range, timing, access, approvals, and the requested estimate or site-review step. FEMA guidance informed contractor-verification and permit context, not claims about Clara. Recent X results were sparse and mostly promotional or unrelated, so they were not treated as proof of demand, conversion, revenue, project value, or outcomes. Published and reviewed August 22, 2026.

Put the checklist to work

Configure Clara for your general contracting business

Add your business details and intake rules, then run a test call before connecting customer calls.

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