# The planner and worker contract and a plan preflight check (free sample)

> From Planner Over Cheap Models: the six rules that let a strong model plan while cheap or local models write the code (planner never edits, a check on every task, the check runs instead of the worker, parallel tasks own different files, high risk goes up a tier, owner yes before any worker starts), plus a read-only Python check on your plan, with a worked example and its expected output.

- URL: https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/planner-worker-contract-and-plan-preflight-free-sample/
- Type: Bot template
- Category: Vibe coding
- By: PaperChaseWebb
- Works with: Claude Code, Codex, Grok Bot, Hermes (named in the listing); Plain .md plus one Python 3 script
- Price: Free USD
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Setup time: 15 min
- Time to result: About 15 minutes to save the files and run the check twice
- Format: Markdown (.md) file, planner-worker-contract-and-plan-preflight-free-sample.md
- Version: 1.0, updated 2026-10-28
- License: Personal and commercial use.

## What you end up with

You know before any worker starts whether your plan lets a cheap model claim work it did not do, collide with another task or touch something risky unreviewed.

## What you get

- The six planner and worker rules
- A sample task card
- plan_check.py with five checks
- A worked example: 5 findings, the fixes, then 0

## Who it is for

Anyone about to split coding work between a strong model and cheaper ones who wants the rules written down and the plan checked before it runs.

## Tools needed

- Grok Bot, Claude Code, Codex or Hermes: runs the planner, reviewer and worker sessions on the models you pick; the planner never edits and no session merges, pushes or deploys
- Python 3: runs the preflight, the attempt logger and the read-only run check; standard library only
- You need: Python 3.8 or newer

Cost to run: Free.

## Sample prompt: Write a checked plan (Grok Bot, Claude Code, Codex, Hermes)

```
Turn this request into plan.json: one small task per card with files, a check command that exits 0 on pass, risk, tier (strong, cheap or local), review (planner or human) and depends_on.
Run plan_check.py and fix every finding. Then show me the plan and wait for my yes.
```

The rules and the check are in the file.

## Free preview of planner-worker-contract-and-plan-preflight-free-sample.md

````markdown
# Planner Over Cheap Models, free sample: the planner and worker contract plus a preflight check

Version 1.0, 2026-10-28. By PaperChaseWebb. Works with Grok Bot, Claude Code, Codex and Hermes. Free. One Python 3 script, standard library only, tested on the worked example below.

This is the part of Planner Over Cheap Models (pp-planner-over-cheap-models, $24) you can use today: the six rules that let a strong model plan while cheap or local models write the code, and plan_check.py, which reads your plan before any worker starts and says what will go wrong. The full pack adds the logger that runs each check itself, a fourteen-check read-only audit of the finished run, a seeded fixture, the owner approval steps, the worker bake-off, ten prompts and setup for all four harnesses.

## The six rules

1. **The planner plans and reviews. It never edits.** Give the planner session read and plan tools only. If it can write, it will, and the expensive model ends up doing the cheap work.
2. **Every task has a check command, written before the worker starts.** A command that exits 0 on pass. No check, no task. A worker's "done" is a claim; the check is the result.
3. **The check runs, not the worker.** You or a script run the task's check after the worker's turn and record the exit code. Never take the exit code from the worker's message. Cheap models do report success on work that failed.
4. **Tasks that can run at the same time own different files.** If two tasks need the same file, on
````

## Worth knowing

- The sample has no attempt logger, run check or fixture; the full pack adds them with fourteen tested checks.
- On 2026-10-28 the worked example gave 5 findings, then 0 after the listed fixes.

## Questions

**What is in the full pack?** log_attempt.py, route_check.py with fourteen checks, a seeded fixture with fourteen planted faults, three owner approval steps, a worker bake-off, rules blocks, ten prompts, harness notes and an install plan. $24.

## How to get it

Free sample. Download it directly at https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/planner-worker-contract-and-plan-preflight-free-sample/, no signup.

Seller: PaperChaseWebb Inc., mgmt@paperchasewebb.com