Office workflow
RRP recordkeeping options compared
You have three common ways to keep EPA RRP records: job record software, a paper binder, or EPA's free sample checklist. EPA says the rule does not specify a format, so any of them can work if the firm keeps the required records and can make them available. This page compares types of options, not named products.
| Question | Job record software | Paper binder | EPA sample checklist |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | An online or app-based job record that holds forms, certificates and files. | A printed form set and folder for each job, stored at your office. | EPA's one-page sample checklist, plus its other sample forms, printed or kept as files. |
| Upfront cost | Usually a subscription. Compare the plan price with the staff time it saves. | Paper, printing, binders and storage space. | Free to download. You still need somewhere to file it. |
| Works with no signal | Depends on the product. Test it before relying on it. | Yes. | Yes, once printed or saved to the device. |
| Shows what is missing | Often built in. Check how a tool shows gaps on an incomplete job. | Only if someone reviews each binder. | Only for the one job form you are looking at. |
| Tracks certificate dates | Often built in, with reminders. | Needs a separate calendar or list. | No. The form has no reminders. |
| Holds photos and PDFs | Yes, usually attached to the job. | Only if printed or kept in a linked folder. | No. Attachments live somewhere else. |
| Finding a job later | Search by address or job, if the export and login stay available. | Depends on your filing and on who remembers it. | Depends on how you name and file each copy. |
| Main risks | Lost access after a plan ends, login tied to one person, or trusting a green status. | Fire, water, lost pages, and fading or unreadable copies. | Blank fields nobody catches, and loose copies with no job file. |
| Often fits | Firms with several crews, or with office staff who chase paperwork. | Small firms with a few jobs and one reliable filer. | Very small firms, or anyone starting out or checking what a record needs. |
What every option must still cover
Whichever you choose, 40 CFR 745.86 asks the firm to keep the records that apply to the job for at least 3 years after completion. The firm must also give compliance information to the owner and, if different, the adult occupant or facility representative when the final invoice is delivered or within 30 days of completion, whichever is earlier. Renovators must have copies of their initial and most recent refresher certificates at the work site. EPA says electronic copies work only if they can be viewed there.
How to choose
Start with EPA's form if you do only a few covered jobs a year. It tells you what a job record needs. It does not store your pamphlet receipts, certificates or photos, so you still need a place for those.
Use a binder if one reliable person files everything and your jobs are simple. Give each job a folder, use the same order every time, and scan signed pages so one fire or flood cannot erase three years of records.
Use software if records wait on several people, if crews and the office work in different places, or if you lose time rebuilding files. Test it on one ordinary job and one deliberately incomplete job. Check that you can export your records and open them without the login.
Mix them if that fits. Many firms could use paper on site and scan into a digital job file. The record only needs to be complete, readable and findable.
Where RRP Central fits
RRP Central is job record software. It keeps forms, customer acknowledgments, crew certificates and evidence with the job, shows what is unfinished, and exports a PDF or ZIP packet. It does not make a job compliant, and the firm's review remains part of the process. See current pricing, or use the free forms below if you do not need software.
Free forms to start with
- Free RRP recordkeeping checklist, based on EPA's sample
- Renovate Right pamphlet acknowledgment template, based on EPA's sample
- How to test RRP recordkeeping software
- RRP recordkeeping requirements
Sources & scope
This page covers the federal RRP baseline. State, Tribal, local, HUD, or other applicable requirements may add or change steps, so check the program administering your work. This is general information, not legal advice. Published by RRP Central, a commercial recordkeeping tool. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by EPA.