Lawsuits filed by owners against contractors are usually filed in civil court. To obtain more information on suing a contractor in Pennsylvania, an individual should reach out to a local attorney in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania has strict criminal laws that apply to contractors who negotiate contracts and perform home improvement jobs. A conviction for home improvement fraud can impact your freedom and privilege to work as a contractor in the future.
Pennsylvania's statute of repose sets a hard deadline of 12 years after the completion of construction for bringing any action related to construction defects. This applies regardless of when the defect was discovered, with some exceptions for fraud or intentionally concealed defects.
As a general rule of thumb your contractor rate should be at least 50% more than you'd get for the same work as an employee.