How to Keep Homeowners Updated During a Build or Remodel
The #1 complaint on every contractor review site is lack of communication. Not bad work — bad communication. Here's a practical guide to fixing that without adding hours to your week.
Why Homeowner Communication Matters
Homeowners are spending tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on a project they don't fully understand. For remodels, they're often living in the construction zone — stressed, displaced, and anxious. For new builds, they're driving by the site on weekends trying to figure out what's happening.
What Homeowners Experience Today
- • Sporadic text messages with blurry photos
- • No context — “things are going good”
- • Weeks of silence between updates
- • No idea if the project is on schedule
- • Anxiety builds, trust erodes
What Homeowners Actually Want
- • Regular photos showing visible progress
- • Brief notes explaining what happened
- • Clear indication of what phase they're in
- • A record they can look back on
- • To feel informed, not in the dark
What to Include in Every Update
You don't need to write a novel. A good construction update has five elements and takes under two minutes to put together.
3-5 photos from the jobsite
Before/after of today's work, any notable details. Photos are the #1 thing homeowners want to see.
2-3 sentences of context
What you did today, what's coming next week, and any decisions needed. Don't over-explain — homeowners aren't contractors.
Checklist of completed items
"Framing complete, windows framed, ready for trusses." A simple list shows measurable progress.
Schedule status
"On schedule" or "Behind 3 days due to rain." One sentence prevents a week of anxious phone calls.
Timestamp and weather
Creates a clear record. If there's ever a dispute about when work happened, you're covered.
How Often to Send Updates
The honest answer: as often as you visit the site. Even a quick photo update is better than silence. But here's a realistic schedule.
New home builds (6-18 months)
Every site visit or 2-3 times per week during active construction. Weekly minimum.
Kitchen / bath remodels (2-8 weeks)
Every day you're on site. Remodel homeowners are living in it — they want to see the finish line approaching.
Room additions (2-4 months)
Every visit or every other day. Similar anxiety to a new build but compressed timeline.
The Business Case: Communication Wins Bids
The builder who walks into a bid meeting and says “here's the journal from my last three projects — you can see every update the homeowner received” is not competing with the builder who says “I'll keep you updated.” That's proof vs. promise.
Win more bids
Show journals from past builds during proposals.
Better reviews
Informed homeowners are happy homeowners.
Fewer disputes
Timestamped records of every visit.
The Easiest Way to Do This Consistently
The problem isn't that builders don't want to communicate — it's that they're busy building. Text messages get lost. Emails feel formal. Taking time to write reports doesn't scale.
Kingpost was built for exactly this. You snap a few photos on the jobsite, tap a checklist, optionally dictate a quick note, and hit submit. Weather and timestamps are automatic. The homeowner gets a live journal they can check anytime — no login, no app download. Takes 90 seconds per visit and works offline.