1. What, exactly, am I agreeing to buy?
A contract should turn design intentions into identifiable obligations. Start with the parties: does the legal business name and license number match the official CSLB record? Confirm that the license is active and its classification fits the work. Obtain the complete agreement and every referenced attachment before signing. Blank spaces and missing specifications are not details to resolve afterward.
Then read the scope as a sequence of responsibilities. It should address demolition, protection of existing finishes, significant materials, installation, testing, waste removal and cleanup. Identify products by manufacturer, model, size or finish where appropriate, or describe an agreed selection process. Clarify who supplies fixtures, measures for fabrication and checks compatibility.
Ask which figures are fixed and which are allowances. A placeholder for tile, for example, needs to say whether it covers material alone or installation too. Exclusions, approximate start and completion dates, permit duties and designer or engineer responsibilities should also be explicit. A detailed scope establishes the baseline for later decisions; it cannot promise that concealed conditions do not exist.
2. What must happen before each payment is due?
Read the payment schedule alongside the scope, not separately from it. For ordinary covered California home improvement contracts, the down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. A request to reserve a crew or purchase custom products is not automatically an exception. Verify any claimed exception independently using current CSLB guidance or appropriate legal advice.
Subsequent payments should correspond to completed work or delivered materials, not merely dates on a calendar. The schedule should state amounts and identify the work, services, materials or equipment associated with each payment. Ask how you will verify a milestone through records, photographs, deliveries and relevant inspections. An inspection approval alone does not establish that every billed item is complete.
Include lien releases in this conversation. Paying the general contractor does not prove subcontractors and suppliers have been paid. Establish how appropriate conditional and unconditional releases will be coordinated with payment, and which participating businesses must provide them.
3. How will changes, delays and completion be handled?
Require written change orders signed before changed work begins. Each should describe added or deleted work, the price adjustment and the schedule effect. Concealed damage and an owner-selected upgrade are different decisions, but both need a clear record. Ask for an explanation and proposed solution rather than accepting a promise to settle the cost later.
Define completion beyond finished surfaces. The agreement should address inspection signoffs, punch-list work, warranties, manuals, final releases and responsibility for corrections after the main crew leaves. Review dispute-resolution and termination terms before they become relevant.
Finally, read the cancellation notices. Rights generally provide three business days, or five for buyers aged 65 or older, but exceptions and special rules can apply. Preserve the complete signed documents and consult CSLB or qualified counsel about uncertain terms. This is general planning guidance, not individualized legal advice. The related guides link to official sources for checking the current requirements.
