Reno Check List

Renovations go wrong in predictable ways: a vague contract, payments that run ahead of the work, and a holdback that gets released too early. This checklist covers the three things that protect you most — the contract clauses, the payment milestone structure, and the statutory holdback under Ontario’s Construction Act.

Use the interactive checklist below right on this page, or download the full printable PDF version to take to your contractor meetings.

Download the printable PDF checklist

Try it here: the interactive checklist

Tick off each item as you confirm it. Your ticks stay in your own browser — nothing is sent to us.

Before you sign

Written contract naming both parties, the property, and the full scope of work

Fixed price, or an estimate with the 10% overrun rule confirmed in writing

Scope in detail: materials, brands, models, finishes, and who supplies what

Start date, target completion date, and what happens if the schedule slips

Daily penalty for missing the completion deadline, scaled to project size and length — a per-day amount that applies if the contractor overruns, so delay carries a price agreed in advance

Every change priced and signed in writing before the work starts

Permit and inspection responsibility assigned in the contract

Ministry of Labour Notice of Project filed before work starts — on projects costing $50,000 and above, the constructor must file it before construction begins; confirm it is filed and posted on site

Liability insurance and WSIB clearance confirmed for your project dates

Warranty in writing: what is covered, for how long, and who to call

Payment milestones

Deposit kept modest — payments track completed work, not future promises

Every payment tied to a milestone: demolition, rough-in, drywall and finishes, substantial completion

10% holdback retained on every payment, including the final one

No full payment before completion, inspections, and the end of the lien period

Payments to the contractor’s business account, with an invoice for each one

Statutory holdbacks (Ontario’s Construction Act)

10% basic holdback retained on every payment for services and materials supplied

Finishing holdback of 10% understood for work done after substantial performance

60-day lien period runs after substantial performance is published or the contract ends

Holdback released only after that lien period expires with no lien preserved

On longer projects, annual release of accrued holdback now applies (notice within 14 days of each contract anniversary, payment 60–74 days after)

Holdback never waived or released early, whatever the pressure

Before your final payment

Deficiency list in writing, signed by the contractor, with fix dates

Final inspections passed and the permit file closed with the City

Lien period expired with no lien preserved against your property

Written warranties, appliance manuals, and finish records in hand

What the printable PDF adds

The downloadable version lays out the same checklist in full, with the reasoning behind each item — why the holdback exists, what the 10% estimate rule means in practice, and what to do when a lien is filed. Print it, bring it to contractor meetings, and check items off as you go.

Download the printable PDF checklist

Get a free hour before you sign

If you are about to sign a renovation contract, or you are already in a project where payments and paperwork feel out of control, bring the contract and the payment schedule to a free 1-hour consultation. We will walk through what protects you and what does not — before the next payment goes out.

Call 1-888-688-8864 or reach us through the contact page.