Legal Column: A Simple Contract for a Simple Job

Most construction disputes happen because the contractor and the owner have different expectations about how a job will be handled and how it will look when it’s done. The best way to avoid misunderstandings is to furnish the owner with a descriptive construction contract that is appropriate for both the size of the job and the personality of the owner. In other words, the simpler the job and the better you know the owner, the simpler the contract ought to be. You need to provide an adequate level of contract language to govern the business relationship, but you don’t want to overwhelm people with long contracts for small jobs. Short Form Contract What follows is a summary of the first part