Learning topic
Projects & Practical Guides
Planning work, comparing bids, contracts, payments, and the checklists worth printing before anything starts.
Chapter 1
Planning a project
What to settle before a single day of work is scheduled.
The answers to these questions tell you more than any sales pitch.
- What is your license or registration number, and with which agency?
- Who will do the work, and are they employees or subcontractors?
- Are you insured? Can I see a certificate that names me as an interested party?
- What is the total price? What is included, and what is not included?
- How and when do you get paid? What triggers each payment?
- How do you handle changes after the work starts, and what do they cost?
- What is the schedule? What happens if it slips?
- Who do I call if there is a problem? What is your process for fixing it?
- What warranty or guarantee do you offer, and for how long?
Education & TrainingBefore You Remodel
- Compare at least three itemized bids
- Understand Lump Sum, Cost Plus, and GMP contract types
- Confirm permit and inspection responsibilities
- Verify insurance and workers' compensation
- Set aside a realistic budget for surprises
- Photograph existing conditions before work starts
- Confirm who handles cleanup and disposal
- Get the final walkthrough process in writing
Chapter 2
Contracts and payments
What belongs in writing, and when each payment should fall due.
Education & TrainingBefore You Sign a Contract
- Full legal names and addresses of every party
- Detailed scope of work, including what is excluded
- Total price and how it is calculated
- Payment schedule tied to milestones, not dates
- Start date and completion date
- Written change-order process
- Who is responsible for permits
- Warranty terms and duration
- Cancellation and dispute-resolution terms
Chapter 3
Hiring for a project
Choosing who does the work, and confirming they can.
A simple, repeatable way to check who you are about to work with, in any industry.
- Confirm the legal business name and where it is registered. Use your state's business registry.
- Check whether the job needs a license in your state. Then look the license up on the official board's own site.
- Make sure the license is active. It should not be expired, suspended, or revoked.
- Look for any discipline, complaints, or enforcement history on the official agency site.
- Ask for proof of insurance and, if required, workers' compensation coverage. Confirm it with the insurer or the state, not just the paper you were handed.
- Search the business name with the words 'complaint', 'lawsuit', and 'review' to see what people are saying.
- Get the full legal name, address, and license number in writing before you pay anything.
Education & TrainingBefore You Hire
- Legal business name confirmed
- Business registration found in the state registry
- License looked up on the official board site
- License status is active and current
- Disciplinary or complaint history checked
- Insurance confirmed directly with the insurer
- Workers' compensation coverage or exemption confirmed
- Written scope, price, and schedule received
- Payment schedule agreed in writing
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