Hi gang, it’s been a while,
I need to find a contract specifically for the building of a house with an area for allowances and exclusions. I looked in “The Contractor’s Legal Kit” but everything there is more general purpose boilerplate. I talked to my attorney and he wants to sit down with me and draw one up from scratch ($$$!!!)(!!!!!!!!!).
Is anyone aware of anything out there or do you have one you’d be willing to share?
Thanks,
Bill Smith
Discover a concrete-free foundation option that doesn't require any digging.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
The Complete guide to Contracting your Home is a pretty good for a house for yourself.
ANDYSZ2
I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
No, I am building the home for someone else. I have been using a marginal pieced together contract that I got from another builder friend, but a question ALMOST came up last time (pertaining to a customer providing his own granite countertops, and his feeling that he should receive a credit for that amount) that wasn't addressed and I want to be better prepared this time.
Thanks for the response, though.
Bill Smith
PS. Is this the Andy that used to hang around the old board? If so Howdy Howdy. If not, Howdy Howdy anyways.
Bill, I started building pre-sold one of a kind custom homes 22 years ago. I bit the bullet and had my attorney make up a custom contract back then I still use today with a few modifications. It was the best money I have ever spent. I still use this attorney to fine tune every contract we do and to deal with the Buyer's attorney when they use one. I include a $400. legal fee in my job costs for each home and consider it cheap insurance. Everyone's business and way of doing things are a little different. My advice is; have an attorney draw up a contract that works for you and don't try to use someone elses. Make sure a very detailed list of specifications is part of that contract and seek out input from others on what they believe are good clauses to be in a contract, but ultimately you decide what works for your system. If you want to review some items I think are important in a good contract let me know. I wounder if a thread has been done on that topic in the past?
PS (Knock on wood) I have never been sued or been to court in that 22 years.