The same checklists, templates, and playbooks we run on our own projects.
Free guides for owners getting ready to file a permit, and paid playbooks for investors and GCs who want the full operational standard we use across active residential work.
Checklists and worksheets built from real NC residential projects
These free resources are available for immediate download. No request form, no waiting on email delivery.
The 9 Execution Risks Killing NC Investor Deals in 2026
Lead-Magnet PDF · 12 pages
Residential Investors · Operators · BRRRR · Flippers
The 9 execution risks Southern Cities Construction sees kill more NC investor deals than any other category. For each risk: what it is, how to spot it in 5 seconds (visual tells from listing photos / drive-by), dollar cost range based on 2025–2026 Charlotte / Triangle / Wilmington jobs, and why your buyer’s lender cares. Your next deal probably has 2 or 3 of these. From a licensed NC GC.
- Stale labor-multiplier diagnostic ($12K-$16K impact per deal)
- Permit-jurisdiction reality (Mecklenburg vs Wake vs Durham vs New Hanover vs Cumberland)
- Hidden major-system risks (galvanized plumbing, Federal Pacific / Zinsco panels, aluminum wiring, polybutylene supply lines)
- Roof-life and clay-sewer-line risk + cost ranges
- HVAC sequencing trap that costs $3K-$8K in rework
- Total cost-impact summary table for all 9 risks
- When and how to escalate to a licensed-GC Execution Review
Best for
NC real estate investors actively underwriting deals who want to know which execution risks are hiding in the property before earnest money goes hard.
GC-Certified Pre-Listing Construction Checklist
Lead-Magnet PDF · 5 pages
Realtors · Sellers
What sellers should fix, what to disclose, and what to leave alone before a listing goes live — from a licensed NC General Contractor. Use this to make defensible prep-spend decisions and stop dragging the price down with the wrong fixes.
- Exterior + interior fix-vs-skip-vs-disclose tables
- Major-systems decision matrix (HVAC, roof, plumbing, electrical)
- NC RPDS disclosure-critical items list
- Prep-spend budget guide by price range
- Hire-a-licensed-contractor vs DIY decision rules
Best for
Listing agents preparing a seller for market, or sellers deciding what prep work is worth doing before listing.
GC-Certified Investor Pre-LOI Construction Risk Checklist
Lead-Magnet PDF · 5 pages
Residential Investors · Operators
The construction-side risks you should price into your offer BEFORE the LOI — from a licensed NC General Contractor. Use this to underwrite the deal at construction reality, not seller-presented condition.
- Building envelope risks + cost-impact ranges
- Hidden major-system risks (galvanized, polybutylene, aluminum wiring, Federal Pacific panels)
- Foundation + structural risk checklist
- Compliance + permit risks investors regularly miss (unpermitted additions, asbestos, underground oil tanks)
- Rehab budget reality check — realistic $/sqft by scope tier
- Pre-LOI walk-away triggers
Best for
Residential investors and small operators underwriting deals in NC who want construction-side risk priced into the offer before earnest money goes hard.
GC-Certified Pre-Offer Construction Checklist for Buyers
Lead-Magnet PDF · 5 pages
Realtors · Buyers
What buyers should look for at the showing — and price into the offer BEFORE the inspection. From a licensed NC General Contractor. Use this so the offer reflects construction reality instead of getting blindsided after earnest money is in.
- At-the-curb 60-second signal scan
- Interior walkthrough red-flag list
- Age-based concerns + replacement-cost ranges by system
- What an inspection won't catch
- Walk-away triggers (when to reconsider the deal entirely)
- Pre-offer price-impact math
Best for
Buyer's agents helping clients evaluate properties before writing an offer.
NC Residential Permit Prep Checklist
Free Download · 6 pages
Owners · Investors
Every document, drawing, and submission detail a residential permit application in North Carolina needs before it hits the plan-review desk.
- Parcel and jurisdiction verification steps
- Scope narrative template used on our own projects
- Drawing set expectations by project type
- Residential energy compliance note (2018 NCECC)
- Pre-submission review sheet used before we file
Best for
Owners or PMs about to file a residential permit in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Iredell, Union, or Gaston counties.
NC Rough-Inspection Pass List
Free Download · 4 pages
Contractors · Owners
The exact field checks we run the day before every rough framing, rough electrical, rough plumbing, and rough mechanical inspection in NC.
- Framing hold-down and strap checklist
- Rough electrical AFCI / tamper-resistant checklist
- Rough plumbing AAV and vent verification
- Rough mechanical return-air and duct sizing checks
- Insulation readiness items before the blower-door visit
Best for
Project managers and GC field leads who want to stop losing days on avoidable inspection failures.
Owner Scope-Lock Worksheet
Free Download · 5 pages
Owners · Developers
The scope-review worksheet we use with owners during pre-construction — allowance sizing, open items, draw structure, and change-order setup.
- Allowance-sizing table with residential norms
- Open-item register template
- Draw schedule by milestone
- Change-order log format
- Pre-construction meeting agenda
Best for
Owners and developers entering pre-construction on a renovation, addition, or ground-up residential project.
Operational playbooks and templates for investors, GCs, and PMs
These are the documents and workflows we run on our own projects. Each purchase is sent by email with invoice and signed update notifications for one year.
NC Investor Construction Playbook
Investors · Small Operators
A full operational playbook for investors running residential construction in North Carolina — licensing, scope lock, draw structure, contractor vetting, and close-out.
- NC general contractor licensing deep-dive
- Scope and draw schedule templates by project type
- Contractor vetting and onboarding workflow
- Risk register for residential renovation and ground-up
- Close-out, final-inspection, and refinance readiness checklist
- Email delivery with signed update notifications for one year
Best for
Investors running two or more projects per year who want a repeatable operational standard across the portfolio.
NC Subcontractor Onboarding Toolkit
General Contractors
The document pack we use to onboard every subcontractor into our coordination workflow — insurance verification, W-9, scope agreement, and communication cadence.
- Subcontractor master services agreement template
- Insurance and COI verification checklist
- Scope agreement and change-order templates
- Communication cadence and documentation standard
- Payment milestone and lien-waiver templates
Best for
General contractors in NC who want a consistent onboarding standard for every trade partner, not a different paper trail on every job.
Permit-to-Closeout Timeline Template
PMs · GCs · Owners
The editable project timeline template we run on our own residential projects — permit, pre-construction, rough, finish, and closeout milestones aligned to NC inspection sequencing.
- Milestone-by-milestone residential sequence
- Inspection scheduling calendar overlay
- Draw-and-documentation checkpoints
- Pre-final and final inspection readiness lists
- Handoff and closeout document checklist
Best for
Project managers who want a proven sequence of operations to run new residential jobs against.
Custom playbook work
Need a custom workflow for your team?
We build custom permit, onboarding, and coordination workflows for general contractors and investors running five or more residential projects per year. Tell us what the team is doing and we will quote the build.
Written from active projects
Not generic
Every template comes from active NC residential work — Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Iredell, Union, and Gaston counties.
Built from active project work
Used in real residential jobs
These documents come from active residential project work and real client coordination, not generic templates.
One-time delivery
Email delivery with invoice
Paid resources are delivered by email after checkout coordination. Free resources arrive within one business day.