When a contractor is hired to complete a job and the contractor asks the homeowner to provide money to buy the materials, who owns the materials - the contractor or the owner?
Hi
All materials would be owned by the homeowner unless otherwise stated prior to the job being started. It is a good idea and practise for the contractor/homeowner to provide/ask for a contract before starting a job which would most likely state this as well as other legalities pertaining to the job.
Hope this helps
Brice Mattson
B&L Construction
Hello Norma,
Depending on how the contract is formed. But a reasonable contractor would allow the client ownership of the materials if they have been paid for. It is important to know the contractor you hire, read the contract, and ensure that the invoice states what the payment is for.
Usually the owner get the materials. Unless the deal was different.
Hi Norma
This sounds fairly straight forward, and most
all reasonable contractors would agree that if you are paying a deposit for materials in advance of the job being done, YOU own the materials you purchased.
If the contractor has been paid for the materials ( Either in advance or after ) and then starts to remove the materials from the jobsite. The Contractor is now stealing from you and you can put a claim in against them.
Hi there...
As far as I am concerned, the owner.
And hopefully he gave you the receipts
Even if the contractor paid for the materials himself, his rights are limited, with the materials being on the customers property.....and only a lien might solve that one and is to be avoided.
Of course a lawyer would know the ins and outs of this, but sometimes they do not come cheap either.
Hope this helps,
Gerard Schoeman
I think the homeowner has misstated the question.
The contractor submitted an estimate inclusive of labour and materials. The contractor requested a deposit to commence work. Naturally, that deposit as is customary, goes towards the purchase of materials. The contractor in that case is under no obligation to leave any materials on completion of job. Similarly, the contractor cannot request additional money for material purchase in the event that he or she underestimates the amount of materials required.
On the other, if the estimate that the contractor submitted is only for labour- and he or she purchases materials on behalf of homeowner, then receipts must be submitted to homeowner and all materials which remain belong to the homeowner. And in the event that such is the arrangement, the contractor is allowed to put an additional charge on material purchase, for his or her time, for pick up and transportation of materials.
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