Whether you’re building a new home, remodeling a major room or adding on to your existing house, hiring a contractor can put you in a vulnerable position. These workers have access to your home and often demand a portion of the payment for their services up front, which could prove problematic if they don’t complete the work or don’t use the right materials for the job.
The best way to protect yourself when hiring construction professionals is to create a very thorough construction contract. Including the right documents and details in the contract can protect you from subpar performance on the part of the professionals you pay or at least give you recourse if they fail to complete the project as promised.
Be specific about all the terms that matter to you
In your general construction contract, you typically want to include all of the details that will matter to the project. The specific kind of materials, the color of the paint and even specific design details may need to be part of the contract to ensure that you get the project and material you contracted to receive.
Additionally, it’s important to include an estimated schedule, so that you can hold the company accountable if they don’t start or complete work in a timely manner. Flexibility with the scheduling is important, as unforeseeable issues can arise in construction projects, but you shouldn’t have to wait indefinitely for its completion either.
Finally, you want to include the estimates provided by the company you hired, as well as a process for them submitting revisions to that estimate. That way, they can’t get you with a six-figure bill when they finish the work after you have already paid the agreed-upon price for their efforts. Having the right details in your construction contract will make it easier for you to hold a company accountable if they don’t follow through with what they promised to do.
