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Construction Law

Home Contractor vs. Homeowner

Information about how to prevent and address construction disputes that is helpful to both lawyers and consumers.
By Andrea Goldman, Esq.

Post Frequency: 1.2/day

Last Entry: July 21, 2010 at 01:51:30

The Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Law Goes Went Into Effect on April 22, 2010

Posted on July 21, 2010
Homeowners who are considering doing a renovation must know that if their homes were built prior to 1978, their contractors are required to follow certain procedures if they are going to disturb more than 6 interior square feet of paint or 20 exterior square feet of paint...

Exterior Remodeling Offers the Best Value for Home Improvement Projects

Posted on February 05, 2010
If you're trying to decide on a renovation project, here's one way to make your decision:http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2009121701?OpenDocument&WT.cg_n=RMO&WT.cg_s=RSSDaily

Green Houses are Booming

Posted on December 11, 2009
Statistics keep supporting the fact that green construction is up, even though the construction industry has been hit hard by the economy. If you aren't learning about green construction, you should be.http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2009/12/green-home-sector-booms-despite-housing-slump/1

Challenge to Massachusetts Contractors

Posted on December 11, 2009
Send me your residential renovation or new construction contracts (residential or commercial). After signing an engagement letter, I will review your contracts for free! If I don't find five things that might hurt your business, I will donate $50.00 to charity...

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Why Builders Shouldn't Cut Their Prices

Posted on October 21, 2009
In a previous post, I discussed why now is a good time to renovate. I pointed out that builders are not as busy and can devote more time to their projects, the economy has weeded out a number of "fly by night" contractors who were not truly dedicated to the profession and there have been sales on supplies and materials...

Time and Materials Contracts-Are They Illegal in Massachusetts?

Posted on October 17, 2009
I must admit, this question has been plaguing me as it pertains to Massachusetts. This issue applies to residential renovation only, but I know of many high-end contractors who use this method for their projects.Massachusetts law provides:Chapter 142A: Section 2...

Protecting & Preserving Fine Wine

Posted on October 15, 2009
Here's a great guest post from Paul G. Cox, the Business Development Manager at Vigilant Woodworks on wine cellars: If you have a growing collection of wine, it may be time to think about building a wine cellar or tasting/entertainment area in your home...

Stylish Solar Roof Panels-A New Product

Posted on September 04, 2009
Check out these solar roof panels that look like traditional roofing tiles:http://www.solarfeeds.com/energy-boom/8756-stylish-roof-solar-panels-are-coming.html

Five Excellent Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Fall

Posted on September 03, 2009
All of these tips are quite doable and environmentally friendly.http://www.managemyhome.com/mmh/authored/articles/5+Tips+for+the+Dog+Days+of+Summer?sid=twitter

13 Top Bathroom Remodel Trends

Posted on August 21, 2009
http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108041This is a great article for contractors and homeowners alike.

Preventing Fire in Your Home

Posted on August 21, 2009
An important post on preventing fire in your home:http://www.managemyhome.com/mmh/authored/articles/Preventing+Fire+in+Your+Home?sid=twitterThis article provides a great public service.

Home-Energy Plan Spreads Out Costs

Posted on August 20, 2009
Why can't Massachusetts do this?http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125064722656442071.htmlI know a contractor who has started a business doing energy audits and I am going to ask him to guest blog. Now we just need local loan programs to defray the costs of doing energy-saving retrofits...

Five Misconceptions About Home Energy Performance

Posted on August 19, 2009
I really like this post about the latest options in green products, because it points out that one should educate oneself before "jumping on the bandwagon" when choosing green materials.http://earth2tech.com/2009/08/13/top-5-misconceptions-about-home-energy-performance/#more-38989

Remodeling Magazine's article on Energy Retrofitting.

Posted on August 01, 2009
Part of dealing with the difficult economy is considering whether it is time to focus on new areas of practice or developments in construction. This article by Leah Thayer suggests that retrofitting houses with energy efficient improvements can benefit both contractors and homeowners alike...

Do Homeowners Need an Advocate

Posted on July 23, 2009
http://users.homepros.com/content/blog/656-3An informative and useful post from HomePros.

What the New Home Buyer Wants-From BuilderOnline

Posted on June 21, 2009
From: BUILDER 2009 Posted on: June 19, 2009 4:14:00 PMWhat the New Home Buyer Wantshttp://www.builderonline.com/sales-and-marketing/what-the-new-home-buyer-wants.aspx?rssLink=What+the+New+Home+Buyer+WantsResponsibility has replaced indulgence, according to speakers at PCBC...

The Unrealized Value of Owning a Green High Performance Home.

Posted on June 20, 2009
From Tony Marnella's Blog at http://tonymarnella.wordpress.com/.I wrote back in January about the behind the scenes inspections and testing that the green high performance homes get that many don?t know about or if they do, don?t appreciate the intensity of them...

Renovation Junky

Posted on June 13, 2009
Here's a fun, new site for renovation ideas and information: http://renovationjunky.com/

Building Products Top 100 List-53 Are Green Products

Posted on June 11, 2009
http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/green-products/readers-top-requested-products-shine-spotlight-on-green.aspx

When Your Contractor Runs Out of Money

Posted on June 04, 2009
I have gotten numerous calls over the last few weeks from homeowners whose contractors have run out of money. Either the contractors tell the homeowners that they are unable to continue, or warning signs occur. The contractor starts asking for payments ahead of the work, he presses you to sign new contracts or change orders for additional work, subcontractors start to complain that they aren't being paid, or he just disappears...

Solar Panels for Rent for Homeowners

Posted on May 25, 2009
This was in yesterday's Boston Globe:SUN FOR RENTBoston GlobeIt's an old energy problem with a new solution: After decades of facing prohibitively high costs to install solar panels, Massachusetts residents will be able to lease the panels for a tiny fraction of their upfront cost...

Build Green and Save

Posted on May 07, 2009
Kim Hibbs interviews the author of Build Green and Save. http://www.itsthecustom.com/

How to Hire a Home Contractor

Posted on May 05, 2009
Here's a helpful post by Daniel Mackey Construction:http://danielmackey.livejournal.com/5703.html

Construction Deal-A Blog with Excellent Home Construction Articles

Posted on April 29, 2009
http://www.constructiondeal.com/blog/

Meadowview Construction Offers Great Advice for Contractors and Homeowners

Posted on April 12, 2009
http://www.mvconstruction.com/index.htm

10 Things You Must Put in Your Next House

Posted on March 29, 2009
This is a reprint from the Builder magazine website:http://www.builderonline.com/products/10-things-you-must-put-in-your-new-house.aspx?page=1From: BUILDER 2008 Posted on: December 15, 2008 8:44:00 AM10 Things You Must Put in Your Next HouseAdd these features to boost the value of your homes with your buyers...

Moving Away from the Billable Hour in Construction Law

Posted on March 04, 2009

Why You Need a Good Renovation Contract

Posted on March 03, 2009

Home Owner/Contractor Patterns That Raise Red Flags

Posted on February 15, 2009
One of the advantages of having handled numerous home contractor/homeowner disputes is that I have a global view of the problems that arise. Homeowners and contractors are frequently shocked when something goes wrong during a renovation project, but if they are made aware of the "signs," the problems may be preventable...

BAGB Economic Forecast Dinner

Posted on January 30, 2009
Last night I attended the Builders Association of Greater Boston economic forecast dinner. The speakers were excellent, and they provided some encouraging news for Massachusetts and the nation. To summarize, their view is that the first quarter of 2009 is going to be the worst, and then things are going to gradually get better...

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