Changing the Terms of the Contract
By Michael StoneWhy do clients enter a contract and then think they can unilaterally change the terms?
In Construction, Communicate the Details
By Michael StoneAre you giving your clients the information they need to be confident you’re building the job they want?
Residential Construction Quality Standards
By Michael StoneIn residential construction, it’s not unusual for your client to have an unrealistic quality standard. That’s why you need to establish the standard ahead of time.
Doing Things Wrong
By Michael StoneIt’s painful to see people who don’t know better get taken advantage of by those who do or should know better.
Liquidated Damages in Construction
By Michael StoneWhen customers start talking about liquidated damages in construction, it’s time to ask why.
Contracts Matter; Collecting Final Payment
By Michael StoneWhen you provide a dishonest client a cost breakdown of their job, things can go wrong.
Price Proposal Deadlines
By Michael StoneAll price proposals need a deadline because you never know when material and labor costs will increase rapidly.
Rapidly Increasing Material Costs
By Michael StoneQuoting a firm fixed price is riskier when material costs are increasing rapidly, which is why your contract needs to address unexpected material cost increases.
Why Do You Need a Written Construction Contract?
By Michael StoneAlmost all conflicts contractors face could be avoided or quickly resolved if there is a clear, detailed construction contract between the parties.
Cost Plus Contracts
By Michael StoneWhy cost plus and time & material contracts should be avoided, for both contractors and building owners.
Time and Material Woes
By Michael StoneTime and Material contracts are full of risk, especially on larger jobs.
Protect Your Time
By Michael StoneSome people are used to snapping their fingers and having others jump. It’s irritating, but you have to remember that they’re writing the checks.
Protecting Yourself from the Protector
By Michael StoneI’m not a fan of working with government agencies, but some situations are unique.
Final Payments and Guarantees
By Michael StoneWhen clients try to change the terms of the contract, you don’t have to go along.
Contract Language That Puts You at Risk
By Michael StoneOver the years, I’ve seen contract language evolve, shifting more and more responsibility to general and specialty contractors.
Handyman vs Service Agreement
By Michael StoneIs it a good idea to have a service agreement to cover small jobs under a certain amount?
Protect Your Business – Get Paid
By Michael StoneAvoid losing money by recognizing some of the games that building owners play to avoid paying.
Design Agreements Gone Awry
By Michael StoneWe discussed design agreements last week; today we’re going to look at them from another angle. The first step is setting the budget with the client.
Protecting Design Work
By Michael StoneA contractor who has designed projects asked how to protect his design work.
Dodging Payment
By Michael StoneThere are things you can and should do when a client tries to dodge making payments.
Pricing Handyman and Service Work
By Michael StoneThere are two schools of thought on pricing handyman projects and service work: T&M or flat rate pricing. They both have advantages and disadvantages.
Dishonest Clients
By Michael StoneWe often hear from contractors dealing with a client who, for whatever reason, has decided to change the terms of their contract. Other professionals have the same problem.
Collecting Payment from a Dishonest Homeowner – Updated
By Michael StoneNot all of your clients are honest. There are even a few who have no intention of paying you for the work you do.
Cost Plus with a “Not to Exceed”
By Michael StoneA contractor asked for my opinion on a request he recently received. It’s not a win-win proposition.
Let Them Know What to Expect
By Michael StoneIf you’re doing service work, make sure your client knows what to expect before you start.
Cancelled Design Agreements
By Michael StoneA call came in from a friend recently. It seems that a client of his wants to cancel a signed design agreement.
Clients Changing the Contract
By Michael StoneI’ve written before about clients who decide to make changes to a contract. Last week I heard from two different contractors who had to deal with this, and I want to share their stories.
Mediation or Arbitration?
By Michael StoneYour contract should call for arbitration, not mediation, to settle disputes.
Right of Rescission
By Michael StoneWhen I’m working with a group of contractors, I often ask how many are providing a Right of Rescission form with their contracts. Many contractors aren’t even aware of the document or realize its importance.
Construction Allowances: What They Are, How to Use Them
By Michael StoneA construction allowance is a dollar amount included in the contract for a particular item. There are two types of construction allowances: material and installed.
Clients Wanting Cost Plus
By Michael StoneMany building owners want a Cost Plus contract because they believe they’ll have more control over the total cost of the project. It’s your job to educate them on the downside.
Maintaining Your Right to Lien
By Michael StoneAt least once a week I hear from someone who can’t get paid for work they’ve done.
Documenting Jobs
By Michael StoneThere are two benefits to documenting your jobs. One is protecting yourself in case there is a disagreement about the project. The other is providing information that will help you when you’re promoting your business.
Itemization Woes
By Michael StoneWe’d like to share an email received from an anonymous homeowner. If you believe that it’s smart to provide an itemized invoice, this will make you reconsider.
Dishonest Clients; Collecting the Final Payment
By Michael StoneHow do you deal with a dishonest client? I recently corresponded with a contractor concerning this issue.
A Few More Contract Issues
By Michael StoneRetainage clauses, removing the finance charge clause on the last payment, “we’ll pay you when we get paid”.
Contract Language for Client-Caused Damage
By Michael StoneWhat do you do when a client calls about a problem they created? Preventative measures make the difference between a profitable job and losses.
Business Protection for Contractors
By Michael StoneThe popular belief is that contractors are the villains and homeowners are the victims. But if you’ve worked with the public for very long you know there are also dishonest clients.
Final Payments, Emailed Quotes
By Michael StoneNever let your final payment exceed 2% of the sales price. And your contract should include a finance charge clause for payments not made on time.
Progress Payments: Keeping a Positive Cash Flow
By Michael StoneWe used to get three payments on jobs. 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. That’s not a smart business practice.
Money Changing Hands
By Michael StoneIt's easy to ask someone to do something; it's harder to hand over money. Your client isn't committed until they've written the first check.
Things That Cause Problems, or, How to Upset Your Clients
By Michael StoneSeven issues that upset clients. And when clients are upset, either you won’t make the sale or you might not get paid.
Contracts, Change Work Orders, Punch Lists and More
By Michael StoneA selection of issues that should be written into every contract to protect your profitability.
Contracts to Avoid
By Michael StoneIf you are going to deviate from a standard fixed price contract, look at your approach from your client’s point of view. Make sure they know what to expect and what you’ll do.
Contract Commitment Language
By Michael StoneCommitment language in your contracts, payment schedules that help cash flow, right of rescission language. With a few extra comments.
Contracts – Dates, Times, Conferences
By Michael StoneMany construction-related disputes can be avoided with a well written contract. Here are a few of the things that need to be included.
We Want To See Your Receipts
By Michael StoneWhat if you agreed on a price, now customer wants all receipts for material? Without a clearly written fixed price contract, it's a problem waiting to happen.
A Poorly Written Contract Will Cost You Money
By Michael StoneToo many contractors use a poorly-written construction contract, or no contract at all, leading to different interpretations of an issue.
Making Selections for Their Project
By Michael StoneIf you're a remodeling or new home contractor, how can you get clients to make their selections before you write the contract? Make it easy for your client.
There is No Industry Standard
By Michael StoneDon’t take any job where the client tells you how much you can charge for your work.
Guidelines for Success
By Michael StoneGuidelines to a more successful construction-related business.
Contract Cancellations
By Michael StoneCancellations happen, even with the best of salespeople. Clients have all kinds of reasons to cancel an agreement, and you need to be prepared.
Payment Schedules for Cash Flow
By Michael StoneA good payment schedule keeps you paid for the work you are doing. If you're using a 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3 schedule, you are financing most of the job out of your pocket.
Know Your Cash Flow Needs
By Michael StoneContractors have cash flow problems for two major reasons: poor money management, and poor payment schedules.
Cost Plus – A Homeowner’s View
By Michael StoneA very nice gentleman called me last Friday. He related a story about his home remodeling project. It was done a Cost Plus job, the "plus" was negotiated at 18%.
Use the Right Payment Schedule
By Michael StoneIf you want positive cash flow in your construction business, make sure you're using the right payment schedule on your contracts.
Sending Invoices for Construction or Handyman Work
By Michael StoneInvoicing is one way clients delay paying. "Thanks for doing that work, send me an invoice, okay?" Why do contractors agree? Maybe they believe everyone does it.
Surprises on a Construction Job
By Michael StoneA homeowner commented on a forum. He’d been told to add $3 – $5K to a job just to cover the extras that will come up. He was under the impression this is normal.
Do Construction Jobs Have a Life Expectancy?
By Michael StoneDoes a job have a “life expectancy”? I believe it does and you should be aware of the warning signs.
Downpayment on a construction job
By Michael StoneGot a phone call recently from a contractor doing a job in the $150K range. Everything is fine, contract signed, and the job is going great.
Why You Need a Well-Written Contract
By Michael StoneA client decided to change the rules of their contract. She decided not to pay the full amount or on time as the contract specified.
Business Education and Construction – Willing to Learn
By Michael StoneAt a recent class, I was covering the basics of getting paid for additional work orders. I gave an example to emphasize the necessity of getting paid for your work.
Provide a Service, Make a Profit
By Michael StoneA young businessman called. He was in a state of shock after checking his books over the weekend and found over $11,000 in receivables, much of it over 30 days.
Cost Plus, Cost+, Time and Materials, T & M
By Michael StoneA coaching client was working with a potential customer who wanted a remodeling job on a cost plus basis instead of a fixed fee contract.