What to Know About the “Contract” in General Contracting

One of the most crucial components of a successfully completed home remodeling or renovation project is having a contract that is both clear and detailed with your general contractor. It may be the deciding factor between completing a project that you will be proud of for many years to come and one that will turn out to be a costly nightmare for you. Having a contract protects you, your finances, and your property, therefore when you are negotiating the terms of your agreement, be sure to take into consideration the following points:

Licensing

Make absolutely assured that your contractor possesses the appropriate licensing to meet the criteria of your city as well as any licensing that may be required to undertake specialty work, such as electrical or plumbing work, before hiring them. Make sure the license numbers and details are included in the contract you sign.

Insurance

You have the option of requesting that the contractor’s insurance information be included in the contract, even though the contractor’s proof of insurance documentation might not be physically attached to the contract itself. Find out what the standard level of liability insurance coverage is for your region, and make it a requirement that any contractor you engage possesses at least that level of protection.

Scheduling

On work that involves house improvement, haphazard scheduling is one of the most prevalent causes of difficulties that arise. Even if it may not be possible to avoid delays caused by the availability of materials or the weather, and even though it is almost inevitable that minor delays will occur, you should nonetheless have timetable details defined in your contract. Important dates to highlight are the anticipated completion date as well as significant milestones achieved along the way.

Remit of this Work

You will be able to keep better control of both the timing and the prices of the project if you detail the scope of the work that needs to be done. The length of the list of job details may vary greatly depending on the specifics of the project at hand. The scope of work required for an undertaking as easy as the installation of new flooring will be significantly less extensive than that required for the construction of an additional room, which will necessitate the use of a greater number of different subcontractors. Before you start work on any kind of project, you need to be sure that everything has been documented in writing. Specifications of the materials, the kinds, and colors of the finishes, the anticipated upkeep and cleanup of the site, definitions of who is responsible for certain permits and licenses, and a great deal more might all be included in the details.

Payments

Having a written payment plan ensures that you and your contractor are on the same page regarding the timing of payments, which alleviates any confusion that may arise around billing. You should condition the receipt of payments on the achievement of particular milestones, a certain percentage of project completion, or the delivery of things like new windows or carpets. It does not matter how you choose to organize your timeline; you should never pay the total amount for a project that is not yet complete.

Warranties

A warranty on the completed work is something that can be expected from most reputable contractors in any trade. Make sure that the warranty provided by your contractor clearly sets out what is and is not covered, as well as the length of time for the various coverages, before you sign a contract with them.

Trust Pre-Qualified Contractors!

Because it can take so much time to evaluate the credentials of numerous contractors, many homeowners decide to bypass the evaluation process entirely and instead choose the first contractor they get in touch with. Unfortuitously, this may render you defenseless against dishonest contractors or shoddy construction. 

For your peace of mind, the team at https://westvalleycitycontractors.com/ has completed all of the necessary background checks and screenings. Because the experience, license, insurance, and qualifications of each and every contractor in our network have been checked, you can rest assured that you will be working with a contractor that you can put your faith in. 

Simply enter your ZIP code in the space provided above, and a qualified contractor will get in touch with you as soon as possible to provide a cost estimate that is free of charge and comes with no obligations attached.