The home improvement contract checklist: 12 things to get in writing

Most disputes between contractors and homeowners are not about money. They are about something nobody wrote down: what was included, when it would be finished, who pays for the surprise. The contract is where you settle those questions while everyone is still friendly.

1. Names, addresses and license numbers

Every owner of record, the property address, and your license or registration number exactly as your state issues it. If a spouse or partner is on the deed, get them on the contract too — otherwise you may be chasing someone who never signed.

2. Scope of work, itemized

Line items, not paragraphs. Materials with brand, model, size, color and grade. Labor with what is and is not included. "Replace bathroom vanity" means nothing; "remove and dispose of existing 36-inch vanity, supply and install new 36-inch vanity with quartz top, client to approve faucet and mirror" means everything.

3. What you are NOT doing

Name the trades you are not handling: electrical, plumbing, structural, drywall patching, paint, final clean-up. A short exclusions list prevents the free favors that quietly eat a job's margin.

4. Start date, completion date, and what can move them

Give a realistic start window and a completion date, then list what is allowed to shift them: weather, material lead times, permit review, hidden damage, changes the customer requests. A completion date without an escape clause becomes a breach the first time a shipment slips.

5. Price, payment schedule and change orders

• Total contract price, and what it includes.
• Deposit amount and when it is due — many states cap what you may collect up front.
• Progress payments tied to milestones, not to the calendar.
• Final payment due date and what "complete" means.
• A written change-order step: price and time impact signed before the extra work starts.

Verbal "while you're at it" work is the fastest way to lose money on a good job. A change-order line on the same document takes ninety seconds and protects the relationship.

6. Permits, inspections and who pulls them

Say plainly whether you are pulling permits, whether the permit fee is in your price, and who is responsible if an inspection fails. Homeowners frequently assume the permit is included when it is not.

7. Access, protection and daily conditions

Where your crew parks, whether you need a key or an alarm code, what gets covered or plasticed, how dust and debris are handled, and what time work starts. These are the small things that generate the complaints.

8. Hidden-damage and contingency language

Rot, termite damage, undersized wiring, missing blocking behind tile: it is discovered, not predicted. Write a contingency clause that says prices for hidden conditions will be documented with photos and approved in writing before they are installed.

9. Warranty

What you warrant, for how long, what voids it, and what is excluded — normal wear, water intrusion from poor maintenance, customer-supplied materials. Manufacturer warranties on windows, shingles and fixtures usually require registration; note who registers them.

10. Insurance and liability

Confirm your general liability and workers' compensation coverage in writing, and state responsibility for damage to the property. Customers who ask for a certificate of insurance are normal — send one without fuss.

11. Required disclosures and notices

• Lead-safe practices for homes built before 1978, where disturbing painted surfaces requires certified firms.
• Your state's home improvement contract requirements — many mandate specific contract language, a written estimate, or a notice of how to file a complaint.
• A right-to-cancel notice for jobs signed at someone's home, plus a signed cancellation form they can actually use.
• Financing or assignment language if a third-party lender is involved.

12. Signatures, dates, and a copy for both sides

Every owner signs and dates. You sign and date. Each side keeps a copy — the same version, not two versions. A signature on a phone screen with a timestamp is a legitimate signature; a text message saying "looks good" is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Quote Genius is not a law firm. The contract and state notices it generates are starting points — have a licensed attorney in your state review your terms, and confirm requirements with your state licensing board before customers sign.