New York City is known worldwide for its buildings, and is a site of constant construction throughout every year. Construction project range from renovations of single family homes to the development of towering skyscrapers. Of course, with so many projects underway every day, there are often disputes which can require the services of attorneys who are experienced in construction litigation. Those disputes are often between the contractor who is working on the project and the owner of the property.
For that reason, it is important to know as much as possible about the contractor working on your property. To start with, you’ll want to get their contact information, including their emergency phone number. That way, you can contact them when you need to.
Additionally, you’ll want to know if they use in-house staff or if they subcontract. That information will let you know who you can hold accountable for specific parts of the work. If your contractor will be employing a subcontractor, you have a right to get the subcontractor’s contact information so that you can communicate with them directly.
It is also important to know when your contractor, and their subcontractors, will be on the property. This is another facet of holding them accountable by making sure that they have a set schedule for doing the work and are holding to it. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be able to assign fault based on who was on the property at the time. Knowing when the contractor and their subcontractors will be on the property also gives you the opportunity to observe their work.
Before your contractor starts working, confirm their qualifications and experience. Talking to other people they have worked for in the past is a very good investment of your time too. Doing so will give you an understanding of how they approach work and how well they do it.
Source: NYC Consumer Affairs, “Home Improvement Consumer Guide,” accessed Sept. 1, 2017
