Project Planning Checklists
Planning Checklists & Decision Guides
A library of educational, owner-side preparation checklists for construction, renovation, interior, materials and outdoor projects. Each one gathers the decisions worth recording, the documents worth collecting, and the questions worth asking a qualified professional before work begins.
These are planning resources, not professional checklists. Nothing here approves a design, determines whether a permit is required, confirms that work meets local building rules, prices anything, or judges whether a professional or supplier is suitable. Requirements vary by project and location and are confirmed locally.
330 checklists across 17 categories
How this library fits
From inspiration to a useful conversation
The Ideas Library explores design direction. These checklists turn a direction into decisions, documents and questions. The guide sections explain the background behind them.
1 · Inspiration
Explore directions in the Ideas Library and note what appeals.
2 · Preparation
Work through the relevant checklists and record your decisions.
3 · Conversation
Take the questions to qualified professionals and confirm locally.
Browse the library
Checklist categories
Each category collects the preparation checklists for one planning area.
36 checklistsConstruction Planning →Owner-side preparation checklists for new-build and major construction projects — scope, information to gather and the questions to bring to qualified professionals.42 checklistsRenovation Planning →Preparation checklists for renovation projects — scope, sequencing conversations, existing conditions to document and decisions to agree before work starts.15 checklistsKitchen Planning →Kitchen preparation checklists — layout decisions to weigh, storage and appliance questions to discuss, and the information to gather before meeting a designer or contractor.15 checklistsBathroom Planning →Bathroom preparation checklists — fixture and layout decisions to discuss, moisture and ventilation questions to raise, and information to gather before professional review.14 checklistsInterior Design Prep →Preparation checklists for interior design conversations — brief, priorities, room requirements and the decisions worth recording before meeting a designer.12 checklistsMaterials & Finishes →Decision checklists for materials and finishes — samples to compare, conditions to describe, maintenance expectations to confirm and questions for suppliers and installers.10 checklistsFlooring & Surfaces →Flooring and surface preparation checklists — subfloor questions to raise, transitions and thresholds to decide, and information to gather before specification.12 checklistsLandscape Planning →Landscape project preparation checklists — site information to gather, use and access decisions to record, and questions for landscape professionals.12 checklistsGarden & Backyard →Garden and backyard preparation checklists — zones and planting questions to discuss, upkeep expectations to agree and information to gather before planting or building.12 checklistsHiring Professionals →Preparation checklists for conversations with professionals — what to prepare before a first meeting, what to ask, and what to record afterwards.10 checklistsProject Coordination →Owner-side coordination checklists — decision logs, communication routines, document organisation and the questions that keep a project legible.20 checklistsHandover & Maintenance →Handover preparation checklists — documents to request, information to record, and maintenance questions to ask before a project is considered finished.30 checklistsAdditions & Conversions →Preparation checklists for extensions, conversions and outbuilding projects — what the new space has to do, and the questions that belong with professionals.22 checklistsStructural Discussion →How to prepare a conversation with a structural engineer or surveyor — what to observe and record, and what only a qualified professional can establish.24 checklistsEnvelope & Openings →Preparation checklists for walls, roofs, insulation, windows and doors — describing the building you have and the questions to raise about performance.22 checklistsAccess & Logistics →Planning the practical side of having work happen at a property — access, deliveries, waste, neighbours, protection and the record made before work starts.22 checklistsDocumentation & Changes →Owner-side checklists for drawings, specifications, instructions, variations and records — keeping a project legible when something changes.
A taste of the library
Featured checklists
One checklist from each category, to show the kind of preparation inside.
New Home Project Preparation →Owner-side preparation for building a new home: what to observe on the plot, what the household should agree first, and what belongs with qualified professionals.Whole-Home Renovation Prep →A preparation checklist for owners planning work across most of a home at once, covering scope, existing conditions to record and questions to take to professionals.Kitchen Layout Decisions →A preparation checklist for recording how your kitchen room is really shaped and used, so layout conversations start from observed facts rather than guesswork.Bathroom Layout Decisions →A preparation checklist for owners weighing bathroom layout options: recording the room as it stands, and separating fixture positions you can change from those you cannot.Designer First Meeting →Prepare for an introductory conversation with an interior designer by gathering the property facts, household detail and open questions that first meeting usually needs.Material Sample Comparison →Set up a fair comparison of material and finish samples at home, keep each one traceable to its supplier reference, and record why every option stayed on or left the shortlist.Flooring Selection Discussion →A preparation checklist for owners gathering the room-by-room wear, use and access information a flooring specialist will ask for before any material is chosen.Landscape Brief Preparation →Preparation prompts for owners writing down what an outdoor space has to do, what should stay, how much upkeep is realistic, and which questions belong with a professional.Small Garden Planning →Preparation prompts for owners of a small garden, covering boundaries, light, access and the trade-offs a tight plot forces between seating, planting and storage.Architect First Meeting →Preparation prompts for a first meeting with an architect: which property records to dig out, how to state the brief in your own words, and what to note afterwards.Project Decision Log →Setting up an owner-side decision log before work starts, so that the choices made during a live project are recorded, attributed and easy to find again later.Handover Document Request →A preparation checklist for owners assembling the list of drawings, records and contact details worth requesting before a project team disperses.
Elsewhere on Build Design Hub
Ideas and guides
Inspiration to explore first, and explanatory guidance to read alongside.
Ideas Library →Design inspiration and direction.Renovation guides →Explanatory renovation planning.Construction guides →Explanatory construction planning.Interior Design guides →Rooms, layouts and finishes.Landscape Design guides →Gardens and outdoor spaces.Professionals →How professional roles differ.