3 Must Have Items For Any Construction Contract

When it comes to hiring a contractor to perform work on your house, nothing is as important as the contract itself. Yet many people fail to understand all of the points that a contract should address. If you will soon be hiring a contractor to work on your house, read on. This article will present three essential items to include in your contract. 

1. Payment Clause

It is vital that your contract include a fully itemized breakdown of all payments you will be making to the contractor. Such a list should include the following:

• dates on which payments will be made
• amount to be paid at each date
• work that must be completed in order for any given payment to be made

Having this information spelled out clearly will protect you, especially in the event that a contractor abandons the job for any reason. It will also help to guarantee that you have enough money left in your budget to hire a new contractor to complete the work.

2. Warranty Information

As an indication that they believe in the quality of the work they do, any reputable contractor should offer a comprehensive warranty on the efforts of their labor. This will cover you in the event that repairs or follow-up work are needed. Just be sure that whatever promises your contractor makes are put down in writing.

Be as specific as possible when drawing up this section of the contract. The most important thing, of course, is the length of the warranty period. But you also need to include such information as what is and is not covered by the warranty, as well as what constitutes a warranty defect.

Finally, be aware that many building materials used in home improvement projects carry their own warranties. Ask your contractor to append photocopies of any such warranties to the contract. These may qualify you for replacement parts even after your contractor's warranty has expired.

3. Building Code

Your contract needs to contain language stating that all work will be performed in accordance with current building codes in your area. All of the following types of codes should be explicitly mentioned:

• general
• electrical
• plumbing
• HVAC

Including this language helps to guarantee that your contractor will pay especial attention to the quality and code-compliance of their work. They could be held liable otherwise.

Bottom Line

A solid contract is the best insurance for any type of home improvement project. It makes clear your wants and desires, and establishes criteria to which your contractor must abide. The above three items should be considered essential points to address in any contract.

If you're looking for a concrete contractor for your project, visit Sabre Concrete Construction Inc, and keep these items in mind when examining the contract.