Download it
Each file is pre-filled with the full item checklist for that project type, in real build order — demo through final fixtures — with a lead-time note on everything that takes a month or more. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers.
The columns that matter (and why)
| Column | Why it's there |
|---|---|
| Name / Room / Phase | Items grouped by the phase that needs them — the order the build actually runs. |
| Category | What kind of lead time this item carries (custom cabinet ≠ paint). |
| Status | pending → ordered → shipped → delivered → installed. Update it or lose the plot. |
| Quantity / Unit / Unit Price | Your budget is just this column times that one — keep them honest. |
| Order By | The date that protects your schedule. This is the column everyone leaves blank. |
| Expected Delivery / Retailer | Where the thing is, and who to call when it isn't. |
| Notes | Pre-filled lead-time warnings on the long-lead items. |
The Order By column is the whole game — each item's deadline worked backward from the day the crew needs it (the full formula is in the renovation ordering timeline). A spreadsheet will hold that date for you — but it won't calculate it, and it won't recalculate it when your start date slips.
How to use it well
- Fill Order By first, before prices. Budget mistakes cost money; ordering mistakes cost weeks. The lead-time notes tell you which items to date first.
- Update Status the day something changes. A stale spreadsheet is worse than none — you'll trust a "delivered" that isn't.
- One spreadsheet per project, one row per item. Resist the second tab. The moment tracking splits across tabs, something gets ordered twice or never.
What the spreadsheet can't do
It can't do the lead-time math. It can't redo that math when your contractor moves the start date two weeks. It can't read the order confirmation in your inbox and mark the cabinets shipped. And it can't warn you that the countertop template appointment is meaningless until the cabinets are installed. That's the part we built an app for.
If your spreadsheet is already running a live renovation, you don't have to re-type it: Hausbound imports this exact format — every column above — straight into your free kitchen or bathroom project, no purchase needed. Forward an order email to your Hausbound Mailbox and the status, tracking, and delivery dates start updating themselves.