Medium Free 20 minutes
How to Create Job Contracts with ChatGPT
Protect yourself with professional contracts that take minutes to create.
What You'll Need
- ChatGPT account (free)
- Details about a typical job
- Basic understanding of what you want to cover
Steps
1
Decide when you need contracts
Not every job needs a formal contract.
- Good rule: Any job over $500 should have one
- Always for: Large projects, new customers, complex scopes
- Also good for: Anything where scope creep could happen
Tip: A signed contract prevents 'I thought that was included' arguments.
2
Ask ChatGPT to draft your contract
Get a professional starting point.
- Go to chat.openai.com
- Type: 'Create a simple job contract for a [your trade] business. Include: scope of work, price, payment terms, timeline, what's included, what's excluded, and cancellation policy. Make it professional but easy to understand.'
- Review what it creates
3
Customize the key sections
Every contract needs these parts.
- Scope of work: Exactly what you will (and won't) do
- Price and payment: Total, deposit, when final payment is due
- Timeline: Start date, expected completion
- Exclusions: What's NOT included (important!)
- Change orders: How you handle additional work requests
Tip: Be specific in scope. 'Paint living room' vs 'Paint living room walls, not ceiling or trim.'
4
Add your business info
Make it official.
- Your business name and contact info
- License number (if required in your state)
- Customer name and address
- Signature lines for both parties
- Date field
5
Create a fillable template
Set it up for easy reuse.
- Use Google Docs: File → Make a copy for each job
- Or use a free e-signature tool like Signaturely or DocuSign (free tier)
- Replace job-specific details with [brackets] as placeholders
- Save as 'Contract Template - [Your Business]'
6
Get it signed
A contract isn't valid until both parties sign.
- Send the contract before starting work
- Use e-signature (Signaturely, DocuSign free) or get a physical signature
- Collect deposit after they sign
- Save a copy of every signed contract
You're Done!
You now have a professional contract template! Use it for every significant job.
Pro Tips
- • Ask a local lawyer to review your template once — it's worth the $100-200
- • Always include what's NOT included — this prevents most disputes
- • Change orders should require written approval before you do additional work
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