The need for lien waivers hit home recently when I got a call from our son. They had a new roof installed on their home after a storm, paid the contractor and didn’t think any more about it…until they got notice that the supplier of the shingles had placed a mechanic’s lien on their property for nonpayment. The roofing contractor went out of business and never paid the supplier!
Whenever you hire a contractor to do work on your property, be sure to get a lien waiver upon completion of the work and your full payment. The waiver should state that not only has the contractor received full payment from you for the project, but also that the contractor has paid all of its subcontractors and suppliers on the project.
Most of the time there isn’t a problem, which is why it is so easy to forget about getting lien waivers when you are having work done on your home. Don’t learn this lesson the hard way!
If you don’t get a lien waiver you run the risk of…
- having to pay for the work and/or materials again
- having a cloud on the title of your property which can restrict your ability to refinance or sell your property
- having to sell your property if you cannot afford to pay the lien
Once you have the waiver be sure to keep it in a safe place should you ever need it to file a lien release.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – Email – HomesMSP.com
The construction of a roof is determined by its method of support and how the underneath space is bridged and whether or not the roof is pitched. The pitch is the angle at which the roof rises from its lowest to highest point. Most domestic architecture, except in very dry regions, has roofs that are sloped, or pitched. The pitch is partly dependent upon stylistic factors, but has more to do with practicalities. Some types of roofing, for example thatch, require a steep pitch in order to be waterproof and durable.[1] Other types of roofing, for example pantiles, are unstable on a steeply pitched roof but provide excellent weather protection at a relatively low angle. In regions where there is little rain, an almost flat roof with a slight run-off provides adequate protection against an occasional downpour.
Houses are good living beings. Under the right conditions they become homes. They protect their inhabitants from nature’s elements. They expand and contract. They breathe. They care for you. In turn, from time to time in gentle repayment, you must care for them.
There are a number of pitfalls to which homeowners can fall victim, including evaluating and hiring a contractor without a personal interview, judging estimates on low price only, selecting products without comparison shopping, and not understanding reroofing basics. Thus we must consider all the factors before hiring a remodeling company.