FAQs

Housing

I have chosen a contractor to do some work for me. Do I have to sign a contract with him?

Yes. As soon as your choice is made, require a written, detailed contract. The contract should contain several points of information such as the name, address and telephone numbers of both the customer and the contractor, the permit number and the contractor’s licence number, the beginning and end dates of the work (demand a firm date), the guarantee, the number of the contractor’s civil liability insurance policy and the name of his insurance company, a detailed description of the work to be carried out, the types of materials that will be used and the quantities required as well as the total price, including taxes, and the terms of payment. You can add to this dispute settling methods, a cancellation agreement specifying how much it will cost you to cancel the contract depending on the state of progress of the work, as well as a clause concerning cleaning up construction debris at the end of the work.

Under the Civil Code, you are not required to pay for work before it is completed. In reality, however, the majority of contractors require a certain sum upon signature of the contract. If you negotiate the smallest possible deposit (5 to 15% of the total sum), you protect yourselves from possible bankruptcy on the part of the contractor. The majority of the contractors ask that the work be paid for in instalments. If you accept, it is to better to agree to make these instalments based on the progress of the work rather than on precise dates. In addition, keep aside a certain sum that you will give to the contractor once the work is completed and verified (you can do this yourself or hire the professional of your choice). If work not specified in the contract becomes necessary, demand a written agreement with the contractor concerning the nature of this work and the cost involved.