Builder Dispute Evidence Record

Who this is for

Keep a dispute with a builder in order from first report to outcome. The issues, every contact, the payments made and held back, and each escalation step get their own dated table, so the facts are in one place if you complain formally or take it further.

Homeowners whose builder has left work unfinished, done it differently from what was agreed or stopped answering, and anyone who wants their side set out clearly before taking it further.

What this helps you track

• Each problem, when you noticed it and the photos that show it
• What was agreed set against what was actually done
• Every call, email, letter and visit, with promises and dates
• What was due, what was paid and what is being held back
• Each escalation step, its reference, the response and what comes next

How to use it

1. Write the builder, the contract date, the agreed price and finish date, the payment stages and the builder's contact details at the top.
2. List each issue with the date noticed and the numbers of the photos that show it, and set what was agreed beside what was done.
3. Log every contact as it happens, including calls, with what was said and any promise made.
4. Record each payment due and made; the amount held back and the totals are worked out in the browser and the workbook.
5. Date each escalation step and its reference, and write the outcome on the last line; the browser version saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What should I do first?

Raise the problem with the builder in writing, say what you want put right and give a reasonable time to do it, then note each step here. What counts as reasonable, and your rights, depend on the contract and the rules where you are.

Can I hold back money until the work is put right?

Whether you can, and how much, depends on your contract and the rules where you are, so take advice first. The payments table records what was due, what was paid and what is held back, so the figures are clear either way.

What is a chargeback?

A request to your card provider to reverse a card payment when goods or services were not provided as agreed. Whether one is possible depends on the card, the provider and the timing, so ask your provider and note the reference.

Why number the photos?

So each issue can point to the pictures that show it. Keep the originals with their dates, file them by number and write the numbers in the photo refs column.