Author: Home Owner
•7:44 PM
A contract should contain everything agreed upon by the consumer and contractor. It should detail the work, price, when payments are made, who gets the necessary permits, and when the job will be finished. It should also identify the contractor, give their address and contractor license number.
A good contract also has warnings and notices about the right to cancel, mechanic’s liens, and permissible delays.
Don’t sign anything until you understand the contract and agree to the terms.
Author: Home Owner
•7:41 PM
A contract is a legal agreement between two or more people. A written agreement is one of the most important communication tools for both the contractor and consumer. It insures there are no misunderstandings about what a job will include. A thorough contract tells how the work will be done, when it will be done, what materials will be used and how much it will cost.
In California, there must be a written contract for all home improvement projects over $500. By law, that contract must include specific information about your rights and responsibilities. This Contractors State License Board (CSLB) brochure outlines the information for you.
A home improvement contract and any changes made to that contract must be in writing, be legible, be easy to understand, and inform the consumer of their rights to cancel or rescind the contract. If you are promised something orally make sure that it is included in writing.
Disagreements over home improvement projects can cost time and money. Besides producing bad feelings, they can also lead to lawsuits or other legal action. A well-written contract prevents that.
Author: Home Owner
•7:34 PM
Business & Professions Code
Division 3, Chapter 9. Contractors, Article 4. Classifications
7057. (a) Except as provided in this section, a general building contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with any structure built, being built, or to be built, for the support, shelter, and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, requiring in its construction the use of at least two unrelated building trades or crafts, or to do or superintend the whole or any part thereof.
This does not include anyone who merely furnishes materials or supplies under Section 7045 without fabricating them into, or consuming them in the performance of the work of the general building contractor.
(b) A general building contractor may take a prime contract or a subcontract for a framing or carpentry project. However, a general building contractor shall not take a prime contract for any project involving trades other than framing or carpentry unless the prime contract requires at least two unrelated building trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry, or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed specialty contractor to perform the work. A general building contractor shall not take a subcontract involving trades other than framing or carpentry, unless the subcontract requires at least two unrelated trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry, or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification. The general building contractor may not count framing or carpentry in calculating the two unrelated trades necessary in order for the general building contractor to be able to take a prime contract or subcontract for a project involving other trades.
(c) No general building contractor shall contract for any project that includes the "C-16" Fire Protection classification as provided for in Section 7026.12 or the "C-57" Well Drilling classification as provided for in Section 13750.5 of the Water Code, unless the general building contractor holds the specialty license, or subcontracts with the appropriately licensed specialty contractor.
(Amended by Stats. 1997, Chapter 812 (SB 857).)
Author: Home Owner
•7:58 PM
Some important things you really want to do before you hire a contractor to do anything on your home! This is very vital to protect yourself so that you do not end up with a nightmare from HELL!
- First thing you want to do is go to the Contractors State License Board in California.
- Check the status of your contractor here: Query by Contractor License Number.
- Make sure you get references and call all of them up. You may even want to check out the work if the home owner will allow you to.
- Make sure you ask to see your contractors contractor card!!! And check to see if his or her name is on it!!
- Make sure you ask to see his or her drivers license to verify that you are dealing with the same person!!
- Make sure your contractor has his or her name on all proposals & contracts typed out so that you can have record of his typed name!!
- Make sure your contractor has his or her signed name above his or her typed name on the proposal and contracts!!
- Make sure everything is in writing, even if it is something that was over looked during the proposal stage!!
Author: Home Owner
•4:43 PM
Hello There! I would like to introduce myself to you, my name is Debi and I live in a very nice small community in Amador County where just about everyone knows everyone! All the children grow up together and are involved in school, friends and extra activities. For the most part, we are all very trusting and love to do things for our neighbors.
Starting the spring of 2009 my husband and I decided that we were going to do a kitchen remodel! Oh My was I ever excited as I have never had or even dreamed of having a nice kitchen before. The excitement was overwhelming to say the least, I was going to go down and start picking out my BRAND NEW KITCHEN! We were going to have a model kitchen like you see in the magazines and on TV.
We had decided on a contemporary look and things were starting to look so beautiful. We had our Cherry Wood/Chocolate Glaze cabinets ordered and installed. We bought our stainless steel appliances and they are just to die for. Then we purchased our granite counter tops for our kitchen area and our island.
Then I decided that I just had to have a new kitchen window! Well that is when everything went down hill. My dream kitchen was put on hold and the Contractor From Hell showed up!
Mind you we still need to finish up with our floor as we are still walking on sub floor and no backsplash and lighting finished yet. Not to mention we didn’t get to the dinning room either.
In a few weeks I will add my entire story about The Contractor From Hell!
