You wanted to hire a contractor to do some work on your home. You set a deadline and gave him a budget. The contractor agreed and signed a contract with you.
For a while, everything was going well. You liked how the project was coming along and felt that good quality items were being used in the construction of your project. However, that didn’t last for long.
Now, you’re approaching the deadline, but you’re not happy with how far the work has come. If the contractor misses the deadline, you won’t be able to have guests in your home or enjoy the activities you planned. How should you address this situation?
One thing to keep in mind is that planning to fire a contractor can be a costly challenge without the right information in your contract. If you don’t have a cancellation or termination clause, you could end up being held liable for lost profits.
You’ll also need to make sure you have a good reason for firing a contractor. You might want to fire one because you’re not getting along, but that’s not really a good reason. Doing the work differently usually isn’t a good reason to fire someone, either, unless it creates a hazard or results in a poor-quality finish to the job.
When either party fails to live up to an agreement, there’s a material breach of contract. In that case, you can sue to collect damages, which could help you find someone new to complete the project correctly. Your attorney can help you learn if you have a case.
Source: Bankrate, “Fire your home contractor? Do it carefully,” Poonkulali Thangavelu, accessed June 01, 2018
