A homeowner must be sure that all the plans and specifications, or other terms or conditions upon which the contract sum is based, are specifically identified and enumerated in the contract. Construction plans, specifications, schedules of values, construction schedules, or other documents are often incorporated into the contract, and together these documents are referred to as the Contract Documents. The Contract Documents. Your contract typically consists of more than the pages of the contract itself.The following are just a few areas of particular concern in any residential construction contract: And even if you have a written contract, make sure you carefully review it with your attorney as well as the contractor. Many homeowners just obtain an estimate and allow a contractor to start construction. Most of the problems we see and cases we handle involve poor contracts. It is recommended that you contact the insurer or the issuing agent to confirm the policy information contained in the certificate is accurate and up to date. Homeowners should request to be added to the contractor’s policy as an Additional Insured or Additional Named Insured. Ī prospective contractor should provide you with a certificate of insurance showing coverages for Commercial General Liability and Worker’s Compensation, and it will be up to you and your contractor to agree to reasonable policy limits. A list of the categories of Pinellas County licenses is available here. The types of licenses issued by the state are listed here The categories of licenses issued by local authorities often differ from the categories of state construction licenses.
BUILDING ESTIMATE CHECKLIST LICENSE
When checking the type of license held by your prospective contractor, you want to confirm that their license allows them to perform the type of work involved in your project. Searching the public records will allow you to see liens or judgment filed by or against the contractor. Searching the court records will allow you to see if the contractor or the company’s principals have been involved in litigation. Further investigation can be done through the clerk of the court website in the county within which the contractor is located. The Better Business Bureau is another resource for this type of information. Whether licensed by the state or by a local authority, you can also check with that local authority for complaints lodged against your contractor. If licensed by the state, the DBPR website will include a complaint history for licensed contractors. Next, you can check for complaints against the contractor.
BUILDING ESTIMATE CHECKLIST PROFESSIONAL
One of the first things you should confirm is that your contractor is appropriately licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation ( ) or by the local county or municipality (for example, the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board licenses contractors for a variety of trades, some of which differ from the categories of work licensed by the state ).
In addition, there are a variety of public records available online that can help you identify negative information regarding a company or its principals. You can also ask for the addresses of projects currently under construction, or contact information for previous clients. Instead, ask to see a list of the most recently completed, similar projects. Homeowners should not be shy when it comes to researching a prospective contractor. By taking some of the steps listed below, homeowners can minimize the risk and most likely avoid some of the pitfalls that cost homeowners much more than what they anticipated when they started construction. Over the years, we have seen homeowners, or homeowners-to-be, encounter a number of challenges to the construction of a new home or the renovation of an existing home.