  
Stop "eating" the costs of bad designs, hidden conditions, and job surprises.
The Contractor's Legal Kit offers builders and remodelers a systematic approach to running a more successful and profitable construction company. From your first meeting with the client to collecting the last check, this guide' helps you establish the ground rules that govern your legal and business relationship with the owner.
It’s all in plain English, not "legalese."
For less than the cost of an hour with a lawyer you’ll learn the exclusions to put in your agreements, why your insurance company may pay for your legal defense, how to avoid liability for injuries to your sub and his employees or damages they cause, how to collect on lawsuits you win, and much more.
This valuable resource shows you, step by step, how to use written documents to avoid most construction disputes and to successfully resolve those that are unavoidable.
Contractor's Legal Kit has in-depth coverage of:
- Fixed-Price Contracts
- Cost-Plus Contracts
- Change Orders
- Subcontracts
- Arbitration and Medication
- Settling Lawsuits
- Liens and Lien Releases
- Design-Build Agreements
- Payment Schedules & Invoices
- Express and Implied Warranties
- Customer Relations
- And Much More
Includes a FREE computer disk with contracts and forms you can customize for your own use.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gary Ransone is a practicing construction attorney, licensed general contractor, and certified construction arbitrator. He started in the construction field 20 years ago, and now works closely with many custom building and remodeling companies as an attorney, consultant, and contract administrator.
REVIEWS
"For the cost of 15 to 30 minutes of your lawyer’s time, you will get thousands of dollars of legal worth ... get this book before you lose another dollar!"
- Linda W Case, president, Remodeling Consulting Services, Inc., and nationally recognized author and speaker
"I am pleased to highly recommend The Contractor's Legal Kit ... it will enhance contractors' ability to manage larger projects profitably, professionally, and with a minimum of legal disputes."
-Thomas C. 0’Brien, Esq., rehab contractor and practicing attorney concentrating on construction and real estate law
"The Kit should be required reading for newcomers to the industry ... but its depth and thorough- ness will provide even the most seasoned contractor with a wealth of new ideas and insights."
-Jonas E Carnemark, CR, CKD, award-winning restoration and design-build remodeling contractor
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Fixed Price Agreements, 5
1.1: Short-Form Fixed Price Agreement, 10
Short-Form Fixed Price Agreement (annotated), 16
1.2: Medium-Form Fixed Price Agreement, 29
Medium-Form Fixed Price Agreement (annotated), 36
1.3: Long-Form Fixed Price Agreement, 54
Long-Form Fixed Price Agreement (annotated), 64
1.4: Addendum for Matching Existing Finishes, 86
1.5: Rights of Rescission and Cancellation, 90
Chapter 2
Cost-Plus and Labor-Only Agreements, 93
2.1: Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee Agreement, 96
Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee Agreement (annotated), 106
2.2: Cost-Plus-Percentage-Fee Agreement, 120
2.3: Labor-Only Agreement, 121
Labor-Only Agreement (annotated), 130
Chapter 3
Design-Build Agreements, 143
3.1: Design-Build Preconstruction Services Agreement, 149
Design-Build Preconstruction Services Agreement (annotated), 154
3.2: Design-Build Agreement, 161
Design-Build Agreement (annotated), 173
Chapter 4
Change Orders, 191
4.1: Change Order Contingency Fund, 194
4.2: Change Order Form and Accounting Summary, 196
Change Order Form and Accounting Summary (annotated), 198
Chapter 5
Construction Subcontracts, 201
5.1: Short-Form Subcontract Agreement, 204
Short-Form Subcontract Agreement (annotated), 209
5.2: Long-Form Subcontract Agreement, 221
Long-Form Subcontract Agreement (annotated), 228
5.3: Subcontractor Information Form, 239
Chapter 6
Invoicing For Your Work, 243
6.1: Long-From Construction Invoice, 245
Long-Form Construction Invoice (annotated), 249
6.2: Short-Form Construction Invoice, 252
Short-Form Construction Invoice (annotated), 254
Chapter 7
Customer Relations and Marketing, 257
7.1: The Bidding Phase, 259
7.2: Contract Presentation, 260
7.3: The Peconstruction Conference From, 264
7.4: Ups and Downs of Remodeling, 268
7.5: The Contract Administration Phase, 271
7.6: The Warranty Phase, 273
Chapter 8
Estimate and Bid Preparation, 275
8.1: Subcontractor and Supplier Bidding Checklist, 277
8.2: Estimating Worksheet, 286
8.3: Preliminary Cost Estimate, 294
Preliminary Cost Estimate (annotated), 297
Chapter 9
Mechanic’s Liens, 299
Chapter 10
Warranties, 309
Chapter 11
Dispute Resolution, 315
Chapter 12
Safety Concerns, 329
Appendices:
Glossary, 332
Index, 337
Software Instructions, 342
Includes: Book & CD-ROM
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