Massachusetts Renovation Contractor Package

A general contractor provides a strong background in framing and carpentry along with many other skills. Because remodeling jobs typically involve several specialty areas, the general contractor serves as a project manager who coordinates the entire job.

Home improvement contractors are involved with all phases of a home improvement project, including supervising other members of the team. They speak to clients and work with them to turn their ideas into a detailed plan. They create a budget and timeline for the work involved and help keep everything on schedule.

To do work as a contractor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you need to be properly licensed.For projects consisting of 35,000 cubic feet of living space or less, an unrestricted construction supervisor license is required.

A: It's not uncommon for contractors to ask for a down payment up front to secure your spot on their schedule or purchase some of the job materials in advance. Asking for more than half of the project cost up front, though, is a big red flag.I recommend tying payments to progress made during the job.

You shouldn't pay more than 10 percent of the estimated contract price upfront, according to the Contractors State License Board.

Massachusetts law prohibits a contractor requiring an initial deposit of over 33% of the total contract price unless special materials are ordered. Any contractor demanding over a 33% deposit should raise a huge red flag .

Home improvement contractors work on one- to four-family occupied and existing structures and do not do any new build projects. To become a home improvement contractor, you need only to pay a fee to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts based on the number of employees you have and then you are issued your license.

If the contractor requests a large sum of money before work has begun, Mozen says you should ask specifically what types of work or materials those payments are covering.Contractors sometimes have other motives, other than purchasing materials, when they ask for large amounts of money in advance, Fowler says.

Payment Schedule In Your ContractBefore any work begins, a contractor will ask a homeowner to secure the job with a down payment. It shouldn't be more than 10-20 percent of the total cost of the job. Homeowners should never pay a contractor more than 10-20% before they've even stepped foot in their home.