Home Improvement Contract: Do you REALLY have one?

Often I get inquiries from potential clients who are in the process of employing a contractor to renovate their homes, asking if they should have a formal contract with the contractor.  In a couple of instances the clients' projects were worth several hundred thousand dollars and they had no written contract with the contractor. However the homeowners didn’t feel comfortable turning over tens of thousands of dollars over to the contractor at the very beginning of the project without an agreement and hence they called us.

So the question becomes do you have a contract in place that protects your interest and addresses certain contingencies and is not merely a “spec sheet” attached to a one page document. The contract must spell out the exact duties and obligations of the contractor and the owner. Some of the important issues it can address are:

Start and completion dates
Method of payments
Contractor’s liability insurance
Work changes
Supervision of construction
Negligence of employees
Subcontractors
Termination of contract

Clearly you have researched the contractor and have gotten some great recommendations. But things go wrong. And if it does, you know that parties are bound to each other by a well drafted and negotiated contract which has been prepared and reviewed by your attorney. Therefore call us to set up a consultation and let us address your legal issues.