Illustrative scenario 01 / 06
The renovation is unfinished, but a completion invoice has arrived.
A bathroom, kitchen, or window project is missing agreed items when a completion invoice arrives. Some work is usable; other work was never performed or may need correction. You want a clear account of what remains, what the contractor requests, and how the unfinished project affects your household.
Questions to clarify
- Which agreed tasks are finished, unfinished, or completed with a concern? Identify later changes separately from the original scope.
- Which invoice lines do you question? What has the contractor said about return visits, access, delayed materials, or approval of additional work?
- What needs attention first: use of a room, correction of a condition, the payment request, or a document asking you to confirm completion?
Useful starting records
- The complete contract, scope, plans, schedule, and proposed or approved changes. Label a disputed approval rather than treating it as agreed.
- The completion invoice, prior invoices, receipts, and credits. An invoice and its payment receipt describe one expense, not two.
- Dated progress photos taken safely, available inspection records, and full messages about outstanding items, access, or promised return visits.
What a next-step discussion may cover
Use an item-by-item list: promised task, present condition, company explanation, and question still open. Separate an unfinished task from a repair to work already done. Identify any separate financing agreement rather than combining a contractor’s balance with the entire loan principal.
A practical first step: “The contract includes a working sink and cabinet doors. The sink works, two doors are missing, and the final invoice lists the room as complete. These are the relevant contract and invoice entries.”
Keep in mind: A completion invoice does not by itself establish that work is complete; an unfinished item does not automatically authorize nonpayment or cancellation. Bring the full wording of any completion acknowledgment or release for review. Explain an approaching payment or notice date before discussing less urgent details.
Explore further: Start with Homeowner Disputes for the overall project and financial concern. Contractor & Warranty Claims adds detail about the agreed work and requests to finish or correct it.





