The Business Documents Every Solo Contractor Needs (Free Templates)
By Crewkit Team | | 9 min read
Here's a pattern that plays out every day in the trades: a skilled plumber, electrician, or HVAC tech does excellent work, but loses money because the business side is held together with handshakes and scribbled notes. No written proposals, so the customer disputes the scope. No signed contract, so there's no legal protection when things go sideways. No professional invoice, so payment takes weeks instead of days.
The documents you use in your business aren't just paperwork — they're the infrastructure that keeps you profitable, protected, and professional. And the good news is that you don't need to create any of them from scratch. Here's every document your trade business needs, organized by when you'll use it.
Before You Start a Job
Proposals and Estimates
A written proposal isn't just a price quote — it's a sales tool. When a customer gets a professional, itemized proposal that clearly explains the scope of work, materials, timeline, and total cost, it builds confidence. They're comparing you against the contractor who texted them a single number with no details.
A good proposal includes: a description of the work, itemized materials and labor, the total price, payment terms, an expiration date, and your company information. If you're using tiered pricing (good/better/best options), the proposal is where you present those tiers.
Service Agreements and Contracts
Proposals get you the job. Contracts protect you while you do it. A service agreement should cover scope of work, payment schedule, change order process, warranty terms, liability limitations, and cancellation policy.
You don't need a lawyer to create a solid service agreement — but you do need one. Every job over a few hundred dollars should have a signed agreement. The one time you skip it will be the one time a customer claims you promised something you didn't.
Customer Intake Forms
Before any job, capture the basics: customer name, address, phone, email, property type, and a description of the issue or requested work. This seems simple, but having a standard intake form means you never show up to a job without the information you need. It also creates a paper trail from the very first interaction.
During the Job
Change Orders
Scope creep is the silent profit killer in the trades. You're midway through a bathroom remodel and the customer asks you to move a drain line that wasn't in the original scope. If you just do it and add it to the bill, you're setting yourself up for a dispute.
A change order form documents the additional work, the additional cost, and requires the customer's signature before you proceed. It takes two minutes to fill out and can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in disputed charges. No exceptions.
Daily Job Logs and Time Tracking
Tracking your time on each job isn't just about billing — it's about understanding your profitability. If you quoted 6 hours for a job and it took 9, you need to know that so you can adjust your pricing for next time.
A simple daily log captures: date, job site, hours worked, tasks completed, materials used, and notes. Over time, this data becomes invaluable for accurate estimating and identifying which types of jobs are most (and least) profitable.
Materials Tracking
Are you tracking every fitting, every foot of wire, every filter you use on a job? If not, you're leaking money. Materials tracking ensures you bill for everything you use, claim accurate deductions at tax time, and maintain inventory so you're not making extra supply house runs.
After the Job
Invoices
A professional invoice does more than request payment — it reinforces your credibility and makes it easy for the customer to pay. Include your company name and logo, invoice number, date, itemized charges, payment terms, and accepted payment methods.
The difference between getting paid in 3 days versus 30 days often comes down to the professionalism of your invoice. A typed, numbered invoice with clear payment terms gets paid faster than a handwritten note or a text message saying "you owe me $850."
Payment Receipts
Always provide a receipt when payment is received. This protects both you and the customer. It confirms the amount paid, the date, the method of payment, and what the payment was for. If a customer ever claims they paid and you disagree — or vice versa — the receipt is your proof.
Warranty Certificates
If you offer any warranty on your work (and you should — it's a competitive advantage), document it. A warranty certificate spells out exactly what's covered, for how long, and any conditions or exclusions. It protects the customer and it protects you from unreasonable claims years down the road.
Running Your Business
Tax Worksheets and Deduction Trackers
Solo tradespeople typically need to pay estimated taxes quarterly. Without a system for tracking income and expenses throughout the year, you're either scrambling at tax time or handing your accountant a shoebox of receipts.
Keep a running log of income by job, expenses by category (materials, fuel, insurance, tools, etc.), and mileage. Crewkit's free tax templates include quarterly estimated tax calculators, mileage logs, and deduction trackers designed specifically for trade businesses.
Profit and Loss Statements
A monthly or quarterly P&L shows you how your business is actually performing. Revenue minus expenses equals profit — and seeing that number in black and white keeps you honest about whether your pricing is working.
Insurance and License Tracking
Your general liability insurance, workers comp (if applicable), vehicle insurance, trade licenses, and bonds all have renewal dates. Missing a renewal can mean working uninsured or unlicensed, which can shut down your business overnight. A simple tracking spreadsheet with renewal dates and policy numbers prevents this entirely.
Growing Your Business
Marketing Templates
You don't need a marketing degree to promote your trade business. A Google Business Profile checklist, a simple social media content plan, and a referral tracking system cover 90% of what works for local service businesses. The key is consistency — posting regularly, asking for reviews after every job, and tracking where your leads come from.
Lead and Customer Tracking
Where did that last call come from — Google, a referral, a yard sign, Nextdoor? If you don't know, you can't invest more in what's working and cut what's not. A simple lead tracking spreadsheet captures the source, the outcome, and the revenue from each lead. After a few months, you'll see exactly which marketing channels are worth your time.
All of These Templates Exist — and They're Free
Every document mentioned in this article is available as a free, trade-specific template in the Crewkit bundle. Over 100 templates for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, general contracting, and landscaping — proposals, contracts, invoices, tax worksheets, compliance checklists, marketing plans, and everything in between.
No software to install. No subscription to pay. Just download the bundle, fill in your company details, and start using professional business documents today.