Home Renovation Brief — Claude Skill

The brief that
stops scope creep,
before it starts.

Full scope of work. Material specs. Budget table. Phased plan.

Contractors misquote vague briefs. This skill writes one they can't misread.

Home Renovation Brief is a Claude AI skill that turns your room and style reference into a full contractor-ready scope-of-work brief — material specs, budget table, phased timeline, and mood board direction.

⚡ Replaces 2–3 hours of brief writing — runs in under 3 minutes.
Get this skill — $5
Output preview — Home Renovation Brief
Project Intent
Sets the vision before a single quote is requested.
Project: Master Bathroom Renovation — 8.5 m²

This renovation replaces a dated builder-grade bathroom with a calm, spa-adjacent space suited to daily use. Priority is tactile material quality over statement design. The space should feel considered and restful, not photographed.

Style reference: Warm Japanese minimalism — Hinoki timber, honed travertine, deep charcoal grouting, recessed niches. No floating vanities with concealed plumbing (maintenance risk).

Non-negotiables: Floor-to-ceiling tiling, heated floor, thermostatic shower valve, natural light preserved.
Project intent statement orients every trade before they open the specs. Sets expectations, not mood boards.
Material Specifications
Named products with dimensions. No vague callouts.
Floor: Travertine honed tile, 600×300mm, Ivory Vein Cross-Cut — Mandarin Stone or equivalent. Electric underfloor heating mat beneath.

Walls (wet zone): Porcelain in Charcoal Slate finish, 1200×600mm, large format. Grout: Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA, Anthracite.

Vanity: Bespoke solid oak, oiled finish — site-measured. No MDF carcass. Stone top: Honed Nero Marquina, 30mm thickness.

Shower valve: Thermostatic concealed — Hansgrohe ShowerSelect or Vado Notion equivalent.
Every callout includes manufacturer, finish, and dimension. Prevents "close enough" substitutions mid-build.
Budget Allocation
Itemised by trade. Contingency included.
Demolition & prep ......... $1,800
Plumbing (rough + fit-out) .. $4,200
Tiling (supply + lay) ........ $5,600
Vanity + stone top .......... $3,400
Fixtures + hardware ......... $2,800
Electrical + heated floor ... $1,900
Painting + finishes ......... $900
Subtotal ................. $20,600
Contingency (12%) ........... $2,472
Budget table includes contingency line by default. Prevents shock when variations arise.
Phased Timeline
Week-by-week with trade sequence and payment milestones.
Week 1 Strip-out, waterproofing, rough plumbing
Week 2 Electrical first fix, heated floor mat, screed
Week 3 Tiling — floor, wet zone walls, niches
Week 4 Vanity installation, sanitary fit-out
Week 5 Second fix electrical, accessories, snagging
Payment milestones
30% on contract sign · 40% end Week 2 · 30% on completion
Payment milestones tied to deliverables, not calendar dates — protects both sides.
Full output
What you receive
✓ Project intent statement — vision, style, non-negotiables
✓ Room-by-room specifications — every surface and fitting
✓ Named material callouts — manufacturer, finish, dimension
✓ Budget allocation table — by trade, with contingency
✓ Phased timeline — week-by-week with payment milestones
✓ Mood board direction — real, purchasable product links
✓ Included/excluded scope delineation — dispute prevention
✓ Communication protocol — approval checkpoints defined
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How it works

How does Home Renovation Brief work?

  1. Tell Claude what you need — the skill asks 2-3 narrowing questions specific to the task.
  2. The skill runs live research and structures the output before writing a single word.
  3. An anti-slop quality gate checks the draft, then delivers a ready-to-use result for $5.
What you get

Why contractors
quote it right.

📐
Named materials with dimensions. No "something like this" substitutions.
Spec-grade callouts
💷
Budget table split by trade, with contingency already built in.
No surprise overruns
📅
Phased timeline with payment milestones tied to deliverables, not dates.
Scope protected
🎨
Mood board direction using real, purchasable products — not Pinterest fantasies.
Trend-aware · 2026
Who it's for

Built for anyone
doing a renovation.

✓
Homeowners briefing a contractor without a designer.
✓
Interior designers writing client-ready scope-of-work documents.
✓
Design-build firms producing professional client proposals fast.
✓
Renovation project managers juggling multiple active sites.
Not what this is for
✕Structural or engineering assessments — this covers finishes and fit-out, not load-bearing calculations.
✕Building permit applications — a brief isn't a planning document.
✕Full architectural drawings or CAD files — it produces written briefs, not technical schematics.

The complete guide to home renovation briefs covers what makes a brief a contractor can quote from versus a vague wishlist.

"The brief came back so specific that my contractor said it was the clearest he'd ever received. Zero change orders on a six-week kitchen renovation."
SJ
Sarah J.
Interior designer, Cape Town
Get it now
The brief that
gets it built right.
$5.

Instant download. Works with your free Claude account. 7-day refund if it's not what you expected.

Buy Home Renovation Brief — $5
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