When a contractor stops responding, what you can show often matters as much as what you remember. This checklist covers records people commonly gather. It is general information, not legal advice: what a card issuer, bank, licensing board or court asks for differs, and no record guarantees an outcome. Start now, even if you are not sure what you will do next, because messages and photos are easier to save today than to find later.
1. The agreement
- The signed contract, quote, estimate or proposal, plus any change orders or added pages.
- The scope of work, materials, total price, payment schedule and the start and completion dates.
- Anything promised by phone or in person that was later confirmed in a text or email.
- Warranty, cancellation and refund terms, if the paperwork has any.
- The contractor's legal name, address, phone, email and license number, if there is one.
The FTC advises getting a written contract that names the contractor and lists the scope of work and the start and completion dates, and keeping copies of letters and documents in your files. See FTC: How to avoid a home improvement scam.
2. Proof of every payment
- Receipts and invoices, with the amount, date and who was paid.
- The matching line on your card or bank statement, and the date that statement was issued.
- For Zelle or another payment app, a screenshot of the confirmation showing the date, amount and recipient.
- For a check, an image of the front and back (your bank can usually provide one).
- For cash, any receipt, and a dated note of when and to whom you handed it over.
Keep the statement dates in particular. Some dispute time limits are measured from them; see disputing a credit card charge for a service that wasn't delivered.
3. Messages and calls
- Texts, emails, app messages and voicemails, with the date, time and sender visible.
- Screenshots of the full thread, not just the last message. For email, save the thread as a PDF.
- Your call log, and a short note written right after each call: date, time, who spoke and what was said.
- Keep the originals on your phone or in your inbox. Do not delete, edit or crop what you keep.
Rules about recording calls differ by state, so check them before you record anything.
4. The work, or the lack of it
- Dated photos or short videos of the site as it is now: empty, unfinished or not as agreed.
- Photos of any materials delivered, and of anything that is damaged or incomplete.
- Written notes of who has seen the site, such as a neighbor or another contractor.
- Any permit, inspection report or written estimate from another professional to finish or repair the work.
5. A one-page timeline
A short list of dates is easier for others to read than a stack of screenshots. Keep it factual: what happened and when, without opinions about the contractor. For example:
- March 2: signed the agreement and paid the deposit.
- March 16: the agreed start date. No one arrived.
- March 17 to April 3: sent four messages and left two voicemails asking for a start date.
- April 3: last reply received. No work has started.
6. Keep it organized and protected
- Use one folder and start each file name with the date, such as 2026-03-02 deposit receipt.
- Send copies when you submit anything, and keep the originals.
- Hide full card, bank-account and ID numbers on anything you share, unless the recipient needs them.
- Keep a copy of whatever you send, plus proof of when and how you sent it.
What different organizations may ask for
A card issuer or bank will usually want the transaction details and what you tried with the business. A state licensing board or consumer office may ask for the contract and proof of payment. A court clerk can explain which papers a filing needs. Their requirements and time limits differ, so ask each one what it needs before you send anything. A checklist cannot tell you whether a dispute will succeed.
A fictional example
Priya (a made-up person) paid a $2,500 deposit for a fence installation that never started. She saves the signed quote and the card statement line, screenshots nine texts with the date showing, photographs the empty yard on two days, and writes a one-page timeline. Then she calls her card issuer and asks which of those documents it wants and by when. What happens next depends on her facts and on each organization's own rules.
Next steps to look at
Our guides cover what to do after a contractor takes a deposit, paying a contractor by Zelle, and a free refund request letter template. If you'd rather answer a few questions and get a draft letter with an evidence checklist and a dated timeline filled in from your details, the optional letter pack does that. It prepares materials for you to review, edit and send yourself. See the fictional example pack first to compare.