A small leak job looks simple until the wall opens. Behind it you might find rot, old water damage, a previous patch, or piping that was failing long before you arrived. Without a record made before the cut, the customer can decide you caused all of it, and the conversation turns into your word against theirs. The Plumber Open-Wall Waiver Kit was built for that exact moment: sign the unknown before you cut.
That order matters. A form signed after the discovery is an argument. A form signed before the opening is an agreement about how surprises will be handled. This kit makes that agreement clear, photographs what you could see at the start, and then gives every discovery its own logged, priced, and initialed step before any extra work continues.
What it is
This is a 10-page printable kit, a fillable phone version, and a job log spreadsheet that work together as one at-the-wall paper trail:
- START HERE — where your files live in your Etsy account, how to open them, and which file is for what
- The Moment This Solves — sign the unknown before you cut
- Visible Condition — everything you can see before opening, photographed
- The Open-Wall Authorization — the signature that separates the job from the surprises, read aloud with the customer
- Discovery Log — what was actually behind the wall, photographed before it is touched
- Surprise Pricing — added work traced to the log, priced and initialed before continuing
- Customer Decisions & Declined Work, Completion & Water Test Record — what was chosen, what was declined, and how the finished job tested
- If It Becomes a Dispute, and Closeout — a sequence of records, not an argument
The fillable PDF version is included — tap-type on your phone at the wall in 82 fillable fields, while the customer is standing there and the wall is still closed. That timing is the point: names, visible condition, and the authorization belong to the start of the job, not to a reconstruction at the kitchen table that evening.
The Job Log (.xlsx, for Excel and Google Sheets) keeps the wider picture: a job log with a demo showing 3 jobs logged, 3 discoveries logged in total, and 2 jobs signed before opening, a concealed-condition discovery log with a demo showing 3 discoveries, 3 with a photo in file, and a follow-up log. Replace the demo rows with your own jobs and the log becomes your running record.
Why it was created
Plumbers are often blamed for conditions they did not create because nobody wrote down what was there first. Old damage looks new when it is freshly exposed. A repair that was hidden for years suddenly has a face, and that face is the person holding the saw. This kit was created to separate those two things in writing: what you found, and what you did. The visible-condition page and the photographs protect the start, the authorization protects the decision to open, and the discovery log protects everything after.
Who it’s for
- Plumbers and plumbing companies who open walls, ceilings, or floors on service calls
- General contractors who need a clear record when concealed conditions change the price
- Solo operators who want the same protection a larger company gets from paperwork
- Any tradesperson whose jobs regularly uncover hidden damage they did not cause
How to use it
Start before you cut. Walk the visible area with the customer, note what you can see, and take the photographs. Read the authorization aloud, explain in plain language what opening may reveal, and get the signature. Then open. The moment you find something unexpected, stop, photograph it before you touch it, and log it. Price the added work from that log entry, get it initialed, and only then continue. At the end, record the completion and water test, note any work the customer declined, and close the job out with the whole sequence in one file.
This kit is a general documentation tool you complete from your own on-site observations. It is not legal advice, consult an attorney about your contracts and forms. It states no building code, repair standard, or health rule as applying.
Companion guide: Plumber Open-Wall Waiver Kit: Software, Devices and Tools That Work With It
Get the kit
PROTECTION. Get the Plumber Open-Wall Waiver Kit for $9.95, or find DealShore on Etsy.
Get free sample pages + new kit alerts — email contact@dealshore.com