A good contract is one which covers all the bases and makes an attempt to be clear and fair to all parties involved.
Clear and fair is particularly important when contracting with a property owner. In the event a contractor is sued, or faced with arbitration or some disciplinary action, others will be judging the
contract as part of their determination. Will they see a written contract that is vague, less than complete, confusing or so one-sided that the contractor has an obvious unfair advantage?
Not only are there legal, ethical and the moral reasons to strive for a professionally excellent written contract, in the end, it just makes sense to be clear and fair with the homeowner. Who needs
the hassle and grief that will come about from a confused, disgruntled homeowner?
The contractor's name, mailing address, telephone number and license number has to appear along with the name and address of the legal owner. There should also be the legal description of the
property.
Then, the contractor should include a general description of the work to be done. This can be as general or as detailed as contractor and/or homeowner prefer. If pages of detail are outlined they
should each be signed or initialed by the homeowner and attached to the final, formal contract. The contractor should note that plans, if any, are also attached. If the contractor prepared the plans
or drawings, the homeowner should also initial such plans.
There should be an indication of items which are specifically excluded from the contractor's responsibility and are to be provided by the homeowner.
There should be a provision for allowances showing approximately how much is being allocated for appliances, light fixtures, bath accessories, floor covering, hardware finish and "other"
and a brief definition of what that means.
