A homebuilder manages relationships with building subcontractors through clear, concise, enforceable contracts. A good contract specifies not just the agreed scope of the work but also how to handle dispute resolution, payment, change orders, etc.

John Fredley and John Schaufelberger explain the issues in their book, "Contracts with the Trades" (out of print as of Feburary 2006). Get their sample agreement and other documents from the accompanying diskette, in attractive and useful MS Word and Word Perfect formats.

The less-useful raw-text versions are provided here as fair-use advertising in the hope of increasing demand for this invaluable book.

Contract Documents
Scope of Work Descriptions
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer; nothing herein should be considered as legal advice; consult your attorney before signing any contract.