12 clauses and who requires them
| Clause | What it should say | California (CSLB) | New York (AG) | FTC advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Who the contractor is | Name, business address, license number | Required | License required in NYC and five counties | Name, address, phone, license number |
| 2. Scope | Products and work "in detail": size, colour, materials, model numbers, who does what | Required | "Specifics about the project", types or brands of materials | Every spoken promise in writing |
| 3. Permits | Who gets them | "Written direction on who will get the necessary permits" | Final payment after required inspections and certificates | Scammers ask you to get the permits |
| 4. Dates | Start and completion | Date of completion | "A timeline for work to be completed" | Start and completion dates |
| 5. Price | The total, and what it includes | The deposit cap is set against "the contract price" | Part of the payment schedule | Not stated |
| 6. Payment schedule | Payments tied to work done | "Detailed, written payment schedule"; payments may not exceed work performed | "Set a payment schedule and follow it" | Do not pay everything up front |
| 7. Deposit | Within the legal limit | $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less; no exception for special-order materials | Progress payments in escrow, or a bond | Do not pay only in cash |
| 8. Changes | Signed change orders | Written and signed by both before the change | Verbal changes added to the written contract | All promises in writing |
| 9. Warranty | Labour and materials | Must be in writing | Not stated | Not stated |
| 10. Cleanup | Debris removal | Required | Not stated | Not stated |
| 11. Liens | Releases from subcontractors and suppliers | Joint checks are "the simplest way to prevent liens" | Not stated | Not stated |
| 12. Cancellation | Your right to cancel | Must inform you of your rights to cancel or rescind | Not stated | Cooling-Off Rule: until midnight of the third business day for many at-home sales |
Sources: CSLB "Learn About Home Improvement Contracts" and "How to Prevent a Mechanics Lien"; New York Attorney General, "Hiring a home-improvement contractor"; FTC consumer advice; all read 20 to 23 October 2026. California also requires a pool contract to include "a plan and scale drawing". The Texas Attorney General's advice is short: "DO NOT sign a contract with blanks in it."
Two clauses the permit record can set
A completion date you can hold. Contractors' dates are promises; the permit record shows how long the same kind of job actually took in your city. Write the completion date with that in view, and ask what happens if it slips (a reduced price per week, or the right to end the contract).
| City | Job type as filed | Usual days, issue to final | Reached final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County, CA | Remodel, Addition & Repair | 85 | 90.2% |
| Cary, NC | Remodel & Repair | 84 | 88.9% |
| Minneapolis, MN | Remodel | 161 | 75.5% |
| San Francisco, CA | Kitchen, Bath & Remodel | 180 | 81.9% |
| Miami, FL | Remodel & Repair | 182 | 92.8% |
| New York City | Renovation | 433 | 65.1% |
| Miami, FL | Roofing | 38 | 97.5% |
| Minneapolis, MN | Roofing | 85 | 93.0% |
Permits October 2023 to September 2026. "Reached final" is the share of permits a year or more old that the city closed out.
A final payment that waits for the final inspection. The New York Attorney General says to hold the final payment until the work is done to your satisfaction "and all required inspections and certificates of occupancy are complete". The record shows why: only 65.1% of New York City renovation permits a year or more old reached a final, and 75.5% of Minneapolis remodels. Write it as "final payment due on passed final inspection", so the contractor has a reason to book it.
See every Sacramento County remodeler by finished share →
Which contract type
A fixed-price contract puts an overrun on the agreed scope on the contractor. Cost-plus and time-and-materials contracts move that risk to you and need a cap and an open-book clause. Our fixed price vs cost-plus guide covers what Ohio and Vermont law say about each.
Check a contract in five minutes
- Look up the license number on the contract on your state board (how to verify a contractor).
- Read the deposit line against your state's limit (California: $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less).
- Find the permit clause. If it says you will get the permits, ask why; that is the FTC's scam sign (home improvement scams).
- Check the completion date against your city's row above, and the final payment against the final inspection.
- Look for blank spaces and fill or strike every one.
The ten questions to ask a contractor are the conversation before the contract; bonded vs insured has each state's bond and insurance rules.
What this page cannot tell you
We quote two states' rules and the FTC's advice; other states set their own deposit limits and contract requirements, and a lawyer is the right check on a large contract. Permit days measure issue to final, not crew days. Nothing in the record says whether a contract was followed.
How we know this
Contract requirements are quoted from CSLB's consumer pages, the New York Attorney General's guide to hiring a home-improvement contractor, the Texas Attorney General and the FTC, read 20 to 23 October 2026. Days are the median from permit issue to final inspection for each city's remodel, renovation or roofing work type over its window ending September 2026; "reached final" is the share of those permits a year or more old that the city closed out.
Numbers come from San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, with the contractor from the city's permit contacts file; NYC Department of Buildings permits and DOB NOW filings on one- and two-family homes (NYC Open Data); Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer); City of Miami building permits (since 2014); City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS); Town of Cary building permit applications (issued permits only), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- What should be included in a contractor contract?
The contractor's name, address and license number; a detailed scope with materials and model numbers; who pulls the permits; start and completion dates; the price and a payment schedule tied to work done; how changes are handled (a signed change order); warranties in writing; cleanup; and your right to cancel. California's CSLB lists each of these; New York's Attorney General adds a timeline, a payment schedule and project specifics.
- Does a contractor contract have to be in writing?
In California, yes, for any home improvement job over $500 (CSLB). In New York, 'state law requires a contractor to provide a written contract for home improvement work' (NY Attorney General). The FTC advises a written contract even where your state does not require one.
- How much of a deposit should a contractor contract allow?
In California no more than $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less, with no exception for special-order materials (CSLB). In New York, progress payments must go into an escrow account unless the contractor has a bond, and the Attorney General says never to pay the full price up front.
- What is a change order and does it need to be signed?
A written change to the price or scope after the contract is signed. In California a change order must be in writing and signed by both you and the contractor before the change is made, and it becomes part of the contract (CSLB). Get every change on paper, including verbal promises.
- What completion date should go in a remodel contract?
One you can check against the record. The usual remodel permit went from issue to final in 85 days in Sacramento County, 180 in San Francisco and 161 in Minneapolis. A completion date far inside your city's figure is optimistic; tie the final payment to the final inspection, not to the date.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Hiring a remodeling contractor: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against remodel permits in 49 cities
- Permit vs no permit: what happens if you build or remodel without one, what it costs, and how to get a permit after
- Scammed by a contractor? What to do this week, in order
- Why is my permit still open? What it means and how to close it
For one city
- Learn About Home Improvement Contracts — CSLB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Hiring a home-improvement contractor — New York Attorney General (accessed 2026-10-23)
- How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam — FTC Consumer Advice (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Buyer's Remorse: The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule May Help — FTC Consumer Advice (September 2025; accessed 2026-10-20)
- How to Prevent a Mechanics Lien — CSLB (accessed 2026-10-21)
- How to Avoid Home Improvement Scams — Texas Attorney General (accessed 2026-10-20)