Contractors Work Faster When You Do This

How to Conduct a Draw Inspection Like a Pro

If you’re paying out rehab funds on a project, you’d better know exactly what you’re paying for.

Enter: the draw inspection—your best defense against overcharges, shortcuts, and “oops, we forgot that part.”

Here’s how to do it right:

🧾 Step 1: Review the Paperwork

• Get the contractor’s invoice and compare it to the original bid or contract.

• Look for discrepancies.

  • Are there any change orders?

  • Any small tweaks that don’t need formal paperwork?

  • Resolve those before stepping foot on-site.

🏠 Step 2: Go to the Property

Bring your invoice, original bid, a camera, and a roll of blue painter’s tape.
(The tape’s for marking missed work—not for gagging the contractor.)

📸 Step 3: Document Everything

• Photograph each item listed on the invoice.

• Mark anything incomplete with tape and note it.

• Snap photos of serial numbers on HVAC systems, appliances, water heaters—anything that can “walk off” a job site.

💰 Step 4: Pay for Completed Work—ONLY

Not “almost done.” Not “we’ll get to it next week.”
If it’s not done, it’s not paid. Period.

Draw inspections aren’t about being difficult.
They’re about being smart.
You’re running a business, not a charity for sloppy contractors.

Inspect. Document. Pay smart.