Homeowner field guide
A One-Page Brief for Your Home Project
A one-page project brief should make the problem and your priorities clear without pretending every answer is known.
Describe the address and house
Include city, approximate age if known, rooms involved, occupancy during work, and any known prior alterations.
Rank the outcomes
Write three must-haves, three nice-to-haves, and the conditions you do not want to lose. This reveals tradeoffs early.
List the open questions
Note budget range, timing goal, inspiration images, and unknowns such as permits or moisture. Send the brief with photos to begin the conversation.
Bring this into the planning conversation
Bring the brief to the first meeting and invite corrections. The contractor may identify constraints you did not see, but the document keeps the conversation tied to your actual priorities. Revise it after the meeting with open questions, agreed next steps, and the person responsible for each answer. Do not use it as a substitute for a full written scope.