What you will learn from this episode: 

• Why it is critical to understand what is and what isn’t in your contract

• The importance of asking questions if you are unsure

• What is an allowance, and why I don’t agree with them

Contracts. Love them or hate them, they are a part of any construction project.

Whether you’re working on a minor renovation or building a home from the ground up, you should always have a contract. And know how to read them.

If you’re a homeowner hiring a contractor who brings on their own subcontractors, most likely everything is included in one contract. It might not be very detailed, but you need to know where your money is going, so it’s important to ask questions.

As a homeowner, you are in your own right to ask for more details about each part of your project, so don’t be afraid to ask for them.

If you are creating your own team, you will probably get separate contracts from all of the individual trades. Which, in my opinion, is a little easier to understand. It may be annoying to have to manage all the different down payments and write separate checks, but you will be more in control of knowing how much things will cost.

If you’re hesitant about something you see in a contract, be sure to ask questions. If you can’t read their handwriting, ask questions. If something doesn’t sound right, look right, or you don’t get the gist of it, that’s when you have to ask.

As an interior designer, you may be the direct contact between the homeowner and the contractor. The homeowner may also go back to the contractor themselves with any follow-up questions after the contract has been reviewed.

There is a tremendous value in having an educated pair of eyes from an interior designer going over these contracts since they usually have more experience reading contracts and looking at the fine print.

But as long as we get the answers to the questions we have, it doesn’t matter if the homeowner does it or the interior designer does it.

In this episode, I dive deeper into understanding contracts and how to handle allowances. The bottom line to ensuring a successful renovation is to be crystal clear on all of the details of a contract before you sign it and give a deposit. This will hopefully avoid any unwanted surprises in the end.

As always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have or give advice on what you can advocate for in your own contracts. Email me at renee@devignierdesign.com or DM me on Instagram @devignierdesign. 

Like this Episode?

• Be sure to check out Episode #31: Contract Review – Sneak Peek Into My Group

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