1.Lack of a Complete Contract. Homeowners, by law, are required to receive a written statement of job assignment and costs for completion of the assignment before work is performed. In the case of substantial repairs these documents should be received by the General Contractor. Such contract should clearly define the scope of the assignment, the time frame within which the work will be done, the fees to be charged.

2.Lack of Completed and Approved Change Orders. Any changes are to be approved in advance by the homeowner with full disclosure and approval as to changed or additional costs. In the event that an architect is used, he should monitor and approve all invoices from and payments to the General Contractor or Contractor unless otherwise decided by the parties.

3.Contractor Abandonment of Assignment Without Completion. This problem can be somewhat alleviated by carefully scheduling payments.

4.Absence of required Building Permits and subsequent Inspections. This failure is significant in many ways and results in future complications and possible financial loss.

5.Substandard Work. This includes anything from minor superficial problems to significant structural failures. Often, the homeowner may be compelled to employ the services of a professional engineer to determine the quality of the work and /or the need for remediation.