Do Any Contractors Here Leave Owners a Property Manual After a Remodel?

Question

I was talking with a contractor friend recently and thought this was actually a pretty smart idea.

After finishing a remodel or construction project, they put together a small manual for the homeowner with:

• plumbing/electrical locations
• framing/blocking locations
• shutoff points
• paint/material info
• appliance details
• maintenance recommendations
• photos before drywall

Basically a simple guide explaining how the house was built and where everything is.

Honestly, I feel like this could save owners a lot of headaches years later when they need repairs, mounting, maintenance, or future renovations.

Most remodels focus on the final look, but very few leave behind documentation that helps the owner actually understand the property long term.

Curious if anyone else here does something similar after finishing projects?

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

I always take a video prior to insulation/drywall showing where the wiring, plumbing, vents and ducts are located.....and the framing i.e., blocking, headers, etc....

Richard F. · Answer

They are actually pretty common and quite thorough for new construction condos here. I've seen a number of them. I often thought they would be a good idea for more ordinary rentals, but just never took the time to put one together. It IS surprising how little a lot of renters understand about how anything is supposed to function. Sadly, same can be said for too many PM's! I had a very high end property on the market for long term rental, and a VP of a major national franchise showed up to show the property, and found water dripping into the foyer. They walked upstairs to see what it was, found the toilet running clean water overflowing. Rather than reach down and turn off the stop valve, she called it in to our office. By the time someone was able to get over to look at it, the whole first floor was flooded, and much of the foyer ceiling and walls were destroyed.

I've also had first time Tenants that did not know what a disposer was or how it worked. Many times. So, definitely a good idea to produce something that deals with specifics of each property. Also, I did "color code" main shutoffs: Painting the main water valve blue, gas valve yellow, electrical main breaker red.