Guide

Before you sign: Michigan license and contract checks

Michigan licenses the people who repair and alter homes for pay. Here is what to check, and what the written agreement should say, before any siding work starts.

Who must be licensed

Article 24 of Michigan's Occupational Code (Public Act 299 of 1980) licenses people who build homes or repair, alter or improve them for pay (LARA, Residential Builders). There are two licenses:

Residential builder: can build a complete home and do maintenance and alteration work on one.
Maintenance & alteration contractor: licensed for one or more named trades. Siding is one of them, alongside roofing, gutters, carpentry, insulation and others.

LARA says the trades a maintenance & alteration contractor is qualified for are listed on the license, and that contractors and their salespeople carry a pocket card you can ask to see (LARA homeowner guidance).

What LARA says the contract should include

Company name, address and phone, and the license number of the builder or contractor
Detailed job specifications, including brands, colors, grades and styles of material
Start and completion dates
A statement that the contractor obtains the required permits before work begins
Liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage
The written warranty on labor and materials, and clean-up
Clear payment terms
Signatures and dates from both sides, with changes dated and initialed, and a copy for you

Cancellation rights

Michigan's Attorney General explains that, depending on the circumstances, you may be able to cancel a home improvement contract after signing it: sales solicited at your home carry three days to cancel, and contracts where you agree to pay a home improvement contractor over time carry one day.

LARA's guidance adds that to cancel a contract signed at home you send the contractor a registered letter. Read the cancellation clause in the contract itself, and send notice in writing within the time it gives.

Sources: Attorney General, Building and Remodeling advice; LARA homeowner guidance.

Paying and resolving problems

LARA advises never paying for the whole job in advance, paying a deposit when work begins and scheduled payments as it progresses, paying by check to the company and always getting a receipt. The Attorney General suggests arranging payments as parts of the job are completed and not making the final payment until the work is done.

If something goes wrong, try the contractor first. Complaints about licensed contractors go to LARA's Bureau of Professional Licensing; the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team takes complaints on 877-765-8388.

The City of Rochester Hills' permit application also cites section 23a of the State Construction Code Act, which prohibits conspiring to get round Michigan's licensing rules for residential work (application form).

Call (248) 750-8472

Rochester Hills and nearby

Speak with a siding contractor who works around Rochester Hills

One call connects you with an independent siding contractor serving Rochester Hills, Rochester, Troy, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township and Shelby Township. Repairs are welcome, so is a full re-side.

Cracked panels, a wall that needs re-siding, or a new addition to clad? Talk it through.

Your call goes to an independent siding contractor that works in Rochester Hills and nearby towns. Describe the house and the problem; ask for an inspection and a written price.

Call (248) 750-8472

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