For Homeowners
Written for the person paying for the work. How to check a license, what a lien on your house actually is, what a deposit should look like, and what to do when a job goes wrong.
4 guides in this section
Guides in this section
Can a contractor put a lien on my house, and what if I already paid?
A subcontractor you never hired can file a lien on your home. What that means, whether paying in full protects you, and the state protections that only work if you use them.
How to check a contractor's license, and what "licensed" means in your state
26 states license general contracting, 11 register it, and 14 do neither. How to check a license properly, and why the dollar threshold is measured differently in every state.
The work is defective. How long do I have to do something about it?
Two clocks run on a construction defect, and the second can expire before you find the problem. Limitation and repose periods by state, and the fifteen where a contract claim survives.
Am I supposed to be paying sales tax on this job?
35 states do not tax construction labor, 4 always do, and 7 draw a repair versus capital improvement line. Why the tax is often invisible on your invoice, and what to ask.