How to Use ChatGPT the Right Way to Create SOPs for Your Construction Business

If you’ve ever opened up ChatGPT and typed, “Write me an SOP for [fill in the blank],” I can almost guarantee you’re doing it wrong. Most contractors I talk to fall into this trap. They dump a muddled mess of information into ChatGPT and then hope it spits out a polished, ready-to-use SOP. The result? Confusion. And confusion is the opposite of what a standard operating procedure (SOP) should create in your business.

In this article, I’ll share how I use ChatGPT (and a simple app called Wave AI) to help contractors create SOPs that actually work. When done right, these SOPs give you clarity, consistency, and confidence—so your crews can follow them and you can finally stop being the bottleneck in your own business.

Why Contractors Struggle With ChatGPT SOPs

The problem with most SOPs written by ChatGPT is that they’re too generic. Without the right inputs, you just get a regurgitated piece of paper that no one on your crew will take seriously. Garbage in, garbage out.

That’s why I don’t start with ChatGPT at all. Instead, I use Wave AI to record the process first. One of my remodeling clients, for example, sat in his truck and talked through his entire bathroom remodel process:

• How he preps the tub.

• How he waterproofs.

• How he lays out tile.

• How he grouts the lines.

Every detail—exactly how he would train a new hire—got captured in his own words. That recording became the raw material we fed into ChatGPT.

And when you combine that raw process with the right prompts, you end up with an SOP that your team can actually follow.

The Three ChatGPT Prompts for Building SOPs That Work

When I feed a process recording into ChatGPT, I don’t just say, “Make me an SOP.” Instead, I prompt it to add three critical pieces of information:

1. Create a Pre-Checklist Before the SOP Starts

Every SOP should include a pre-checklist. Think of it as the “grocery list” of tools, materials, and documents needed before work begins.

• For a tiling SOP, that might mean: tile, thinset, waterproofing materials, grout, etc.

• For invoicing, it might mean: bills, receipts, or job folders ready to go.

When your crews know exactly what’s needed before they start, you prevent mid-job scrambling and the inevitable phone calls asking where materials are.

2. Define the Trigger That Starts the SOP

Every SOP should also define what event starts the process.

For example:

• The tiling SOP starts once the inspection is signed off.

• The invoicing SOP starts once all job tickets are closed.

Defining the trigger ensures your team knows exactly when to begin, not just how.

3. Set the Finish Point and Next Step

Finally, an SOP should explain when it’s considered complete, and what it triggers afterward.

• For tiling, completion might trigger the next phase: finishing work in the bathroom.

• For job costing, completion might trigger a review meeting with the owner.

Without this step, SOPs often live in a vacuum. Adding the finish point and “what’s next” ensures the whole process flows smoothly from one step to the next.

💡 Pro Tip: If reading this makes you realize your business needs more than just “paper SOPs,” then it’s time to take the next step. Book a Game Plan Call with me and let’s map out how to get your systems dialed in so your business runs like a machine. This is also your chance to see if the Contractor’s Roundtable Mastermind is the right fit for you.

How to Implement SOPs in a Construction Business

Even the best-written SOP won’t work if your crew ignores it. And here’s the truth: if you just hand them a piece of paper and say, “Follow this,” they won’t.

Instead, give them ownership. Hand them the SOP and say:
“I need you to find everything wrong with this. Rip it apart. What’s missing? What doesn’t make sense?”

When your team critiques it, they shift from feeling dictated to—into feeling like leaders. Now they own the process, and they’ll actually follow it.

Why SOPs Are the Key to Scaling a Contracting Business

Most contractors already have the knowledge in their heads. The challenge is documenting it in a way that your team can use without calling you every five minutes. Using Wave AI plus ChatGPT with the right prompts gives you SOPs that:

• Save time and reduce mistakes.

• Get your crew aligned and accountable.

• Free you up to focus on scaling instead of micromanaging.

Final Thoughts

If you want SOPs that move the needle in your construction business, stop asking ChatGPT to write them from scratch. Start by recording your real process, then use smart prompts to structure it with:

1. A pre-checklist of what’s needed.

2. A clear trigger for when it starts.

3. A defined finish point and next step.

Finally, involve your team in tearing it apart before you implement it. That’s how you go from “generic paper” SOPs that nobody uses—to real systems that streamline your business and give you back your time.

Ready to Turn SOPs Into Profits?

Most contractors know they need better systems—but knowing about SOPs and actually using them to scale are two very different things. If you’re tired of being the bottleneck in your business, working long hours, and putting out fires instead of building wealth, then it’s time to change how you operate.

That’s exactly what we do inside the Contractor’s Roundtable Mastermind.
👉 We’ll help you build and implement SOPs that actually work.
👉 We’ll show you how to step out of daily chaos and into true leadership.
👉 And you’ll have direct coaching, proven templates, and a community of 7-figure contractors who are scaling profitably right alongside you.

If you want your business to stop running you—and instead become a predictable, profitable machine—then the next step is simple:

➡️ Book a free Game Plan Call today. On this call, we’ll break down where you’re stuck, map out the systems you need most, and see if the Roundtable is the right fit for you.