What Documents Should I Expect to Get from My Home Improvement Contractor?

When you are ready to move forward with major renovations to your home, you’ll want to start a file for all the documents associated with the project and keep it in a safe place. This isn’t the sort of business transaction that you should take lightly. A handshake and verbal promises won’t help you if there are disagreements with your home improvement contractor in the future.

The following is a list of documents that a reputable contractor should be able to provide. Take the initiative to make sure you have the right paperwork before your home improvement project begins. 

Contract Agreement

This is perhaps the most obvious document you should receive from your contractor. In addition to including a basic project description and payment information, it should have these items attached:

• Scope of work: Details about exactly what the contractor will be responsible for.
• Schedule: The projected timeline of when each phase of the project will be completed.
• Hard cost estimates: Current costs of labor and materials.
• Soft cost estimates: Any costs apart from labor and materials, such as taxes, accounting, and permits. 

Proof of License, Insurance, and Bond

Let your contractor know up front that you will need copies of their license, proof of insurance, and bond. If they beat around the bush and give excuses for not having proof, you should be leery of continuing business with them. 

Being licensed means that the contractor has jumped through all the hoops and proven their competence to a state licensing board. It means they won’t cut corners for fear of losing their license. 

Liability insurance is important in the event that your property or their equipment is damaged during your renovation. 

Workers’ compensation insurance protects you from having to pay for medical bills and lost pay if a worker is injured on your property. 

Bond insurance is there to pay for another contractor to finish the project if your contractor has to stop for some reason. It also covers re-doing the project if it is done completely wrong.

Drawings

It would be a shame if you and your contractor thought you were on the same page, but it turned out that you had very different visions for the project. Make sure your home improvement looks exactly how you pictured it by asking for construction drawings, or better yet, a computer rendering. In the case of a computer rendering, make sure you have a picture of it printed out. 

If there is a disagreement at the end of the project about what was supposed to be included, you’ll want to have a picture to show exactly what you agreed to in the first place.

Use HFS Financial for Easy Home Improvement Financing

While you’re busy crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s, leave your home improvement loan to the experts at HFS Financial. It only takes 60 seconds to apply, and your home improvement project could be 100% financed very quickly after approval. Give us a call at 1-800-254-9560 to learn more. When it comes to home improvement, with HFS Financial, “You Dream It, We Finance It!”