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Are you planning home improvement and not sure whether you need a contract with your home improvement contractor? Well, this post gets to highlight a home improvement contract. In particular, what you should include in a contract with your contractor.

If you are planning a home improvement project and seeking services of a home improvement contractor, it is very important that you have a contract in place. This is more so true if your home improvement project is extensive or requires major work. Equally as important when it comes to home improvement is making sure that the contract you have in place with your contractor is clear and compressive.

With a clear and comprehensive contract in place, you’ll be able to simplify the entire process of home improvement. In addition, you’ll be able to do away with all the headaches and sleepless nights that might come with carrying out a home improvement project.

While having a contract with a home improvement contractor is important, many still don’t benefit from having it in place. There are two main reasons why this is so, these two are implementation and what to include. A good number of homeowners don’t know what to include in a contract with their contractor. To make it even worse they fail to properly implement it. To help you get one part right, below we’ve opted to share with you details of what to include in a contract with your home improvement contractor.

Below is a guide on what to include in a contract;

  • Job Description/ Project Description
  • Project Dates
  • Dealing With Changes (Work Procedure)
  • Payment Terms
  • Lien Waivers
  • Termination Clause
  • Signature

Job Description/ Project Description  

Top on the list of things to include in a contract with your home improvement contractor is a job description. While the contractor knows what is required of him/her when you seek their services, it is important that you clearly indicate what you expect him/her to do. In other words, write up a job description for your contractor. Be as clear as possible when writing a job description. Remember to clearly spell out who does what and where during the course of the project.

Project Dates

Another thing you need to include in a contract with a home improvement contractor is project dates. That said, the best way of coming up with project dates for your home improvement project is discussing it with your contractor. Get to have a sit down with him/her and set realistic dates. When settling on dates, especially when setting a start and end date for your home improvement project, it is important that you factor in interruption that is not controllable. Things like weather interruptions can greatly impact the start or end date of a home improvement project.

Dealing With Changes (Work Procedure)

With any given home improvement project, chances are there might be needed for changes. This in mind, it is important that you plan how you’ll deal with these changes. Ideally, you want to have the last say when it comes to changes that might be needed. Therefore, have it written somewhere in your contract with your home improvement contractor stating that no changes can take place till your contractor has shared with you all the relevant details about the changes he/she plans to make.

These details include the cost of the proposed changes and most importantly details of what needs to be changed. That said always see to it that you keep your home improvement contractor on the loop. This way he or she will know what to do if they want to make changes.

Payment Terms

It is very important that you include payment terms in a contract with your home improvement contractor. When it comes to payment terms, always see to it that you include details of when and how often you’ll be paying your contractor. Think of this as milestones for the project. Additionally, the contract should clearly state how much the contractor will be paid when he/she is paid.   

Lastly, the contract, in addition to having payment terms in place, should also include the total price of the entire home improvement project. This should be a figure that you and your contractor agree on. In most cases, you’ll be required to make a 10% pay-out of the project’s total cost to your contractor before he/she starts working on your project.

Lien Waivers

If you don’t want issues surrounding payment to come up once your home improvement project is complete and you’ve paid your contractor then having a lien waiver in your contract is important. Note down somewhere in your contract that the home improvement contractor you are in business with should issue you a lien waiver for every payment you make. This also goes if you opt to make payments at once.

What a lien waiver does is basically confirm or state in writing that payment issued, whether a milestone or in full, was used to pay for things like material and labor. This ultimately goes to give you legal protection against workers with claims of not being paired.

Termination Clause

While we all hope for the best when carrying out a home improvement project, sometimes things don’t go as planned. While some cases can be resolved, some cannot. As such, there is usually a need for termination. Keeping this in mind, always see to it that you include a termination clause in your contract with a home improvement contractor. Be as clear as possible when writing up a termination clause. Furthermore, make sure you think of all type of scenarios that might result in either you or your contractor terminating the work.

Signature

Lastly, you want to make sure that both of you (you and your home improvement contractor) sign the home improvement contract. This symbolizes that both parties agree with what was in the contract. Also, remember to include the date.

Need a home improvement contractor for your project? Get in touch with New-Life Custom Builders. Our team of well-experienced experts will help you in carrying out the perfect home improvement for your home. You can contact New-Life Builders by dialing (301) 904-0100.

Check out the next post about 10 Best Custom Home Builders in Southern Maryland

New Life Custom Home Builders and Home Improvement
22598 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, MD, 20653
301-904-0100
https://new-life.builders