Creating a Workable Contract

This is going to be a series of posts about the elements of a good home improvement contract. I attended a lawyer dinner last night, and met another attorney who handles construction matters. He said, "the most important words in any construction contract are 'all change orders must be in writing." Not only should all change orders be in writing, but both the homeowner and contractor should sign off on them.

Most of the cases we see arise from a misunderstanding about what is or is not included in the scope of a project. The more the parties communicate, the less likely it is that problems will occur. So, Rule #1 of home improvement contracts: put those change orders in writing!