Selection Sheets and Finish Schedules

A free finish schedule template and plain guides for residential builders: selection sheets, finish schedules, checklists, allowances, and spec sheets clients sign and trades build from.

Free templates

A woman at a laptop working through a sheet of paint color samples, a white hard hat on the desk beside her, the kind of selection this template tracks until it is ordered.

Finish Schedule Template: Free Excel Download

A free finish schedule template for tracking client selections, allowances and change orders on a job. Works in Excel and Google Sheets, no email required.

September 22, 2026 · 5 min read

Start here

Tile samples and a pencil laid beside a plan set, the moment a selections checklist is meant to capture

New Home Selections Checklist (For Builders Who Run the Sheet Themselves)

A builder-facing new home selections checklist: what to lock before rough-in, before drywall, and before install, plus the fields every line needs.

September 20, 2026 · 9 min read

Tile, paint, and material samples spread on a table, the same mix of picks a selection sheet and a finish schedule both track.

Selection Sheet vs. Finish Schedule: What's the Difference

A finish schedule is a construction document built into the drawings. A selection sheet tracks client picks against the allowance. Here is the real difference, and why builders run both.

September 23, 2026 · 5 min read

Tile samples and paint swatches laid out on a table, the kind of finish picks that each get their own row on a selection sheet.

Residential Construction Selection Sheet: What to Put on It

What a residential construction selection sheet needs: one row per decision, dates, allowances, initials, and how to keep signed changes clean.

September 29, 2026 · 4 min read

Fabric swatches in two color families laid out on a work table, the kind of samples a client signs on a selection sheet

The Client Selection Sheet That Ends "I Never Picked That"

A selection sheet exists for the day a client says they didn't choose something. Here's how to build one they'll actually read and sign.

June 4, 2026 · 4 min read

Tile, paint and fabric finish samples laid out in rows on a work surface

Finish Schedule Template: What Actually Belongs On One

A finish schedule template is easy to find. Here's what has to be on it, and how to keep it from going out of sync mid-job.

June 1, 2026 · 4 min read

Client-ready Harborview Custom Homes finish schedule for Lakeshore Residence, listing kitchen and primary bath models with prices

Finish Schedule in a Spreadsheet: When It Works, When It Costs You

A spreadsheet finish schedule is fine until it has to leave your screen. An honest look at where Excel holds up and where it starts costing you.

June 5, 2026 · 4 min read

More guides

Tile and finish samples laid out on a table, the kind of selections a client can still change their mind about before anything is ordered.

How Builders Handle Client Change Requests

A plain process for client change requests: price it in money and days, get it signed before you order, and keep one current record of the job.

September 21, 2026 · 6 min read

Two ceramic tile patterns meeting at a threshold, the exact finish a spec sheet has to name so the wrong one does not show up

What to Include in a Spec Sheet: The Fields That Prevent Change Orders

Most spec sheets are missing the same few fields, and those are the ones that prevent change orders. Here's the full list.

June 7, 2026 · 4 min read

Wood kitchen cabinets, granite counters, tile backsplash, and stainless appliances, the SKU-dense room a kitchen and bath spec has to lock

Kitchen and Bath Spec Sheet: Keeping 40 SKUs and Every Finish Straight

A kitchen and bath has more SKUs per square foot than any room. Here's how to spec one so every finish is locked before anything ships.

June 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Brushed-nickel lavatory faucet on a white vanity, the kind of fixture that blows a plumbing allowance if nobody writes the actual down

Construction Allowance vs Actual: Where Margin Quietly Leaks

Allowances are where jobs lose money without anyone noticing. Here's how to set them, track actual against them, and not eat the overage.

June 3, 2026 · 4 min read

Printed residential floor plan showing kitchen, bath, and closet dimensions, the drawing a spec sheet is written against

How to Write a Construction Spec Sheet a Sub Can Build From

A good spec sheet tells the trade exactly what to install and lets the client approve it first. Here's how to write one that does both.

June 2, 2026 · 4 min read