Home Improvement Contracts

A home improvement contract means an agreement between a contractor or salesperson and owner or tenant that totals over $500 for the repair, remodel, or alteration of a dwelling. A home improvement contract can cover either goods or services. This means it can cover labor, services, or materials. Certain exclusions apply to this definition.

California law contains precise information describing the information that must be in a home improvement contract. For example, the seller must give the buyer a completely filled in contract. The contract must be legible and contain all pricing and financing information. It must also contain the statutory three- or five-day right to cancel. The contract must also be written in the language in which it was negotiated.

You are entitled to receive a copy of all documents you sign. Make sure that you receive copies of every single document you sign, along with all brochures and manuals. You may have signed multiple contracts or documents. Make sure you have a copy of everything. If you sign anything on a tablet or e-sign on a computer, make sure you receive a copy immediately.

If the goods are not delivered or the contractor does not perform the work, you may have other claims against the company and any bank that financed the work, including for breach of warranty or consumer fraud. You should retain all documents and make a note of all conversations you have had with the company and contact an attorney.

Our office frequently handles cases involving fraudulent home improvement contracts for solar panels. Oftentimes, the installer will sign up the consumer for a home improvement contract and loan agreement, followed by going out of business or otherwise never completing the work. The finance company then denies all liability and tells the consumer it is not their problem. Under California law, it is the finance company’s problem.

Reach out to our office for a free consultation if you have any of the following issues:

1. Your contract does not include the price of the goods or services along with financing terms,
2. You think your contract does not contain the appropriate right to cancel;
3. If you tried to cancel and the seller did not honor your request;
4. If the product you purchased is not working or was not installed;
5. If you did not receive the goods or services to which you think you were entitled;
6. If the goods do not work or the home improvement was not performed properly;
7. If negotiations took place in a language different than the written contract; or
8. Anything about the transaction seems amiss.

Have you been targeted by one of these companies? If so, give us a call to see if we can help out.

• GreenSky
• GoodLeap
• Solar Mosaic
• Modern Pro Solutions
• Pacific Energy Network
• Sunlight Financial
• Vivint
• SunRun
• Solgen
• Sunpower
• LeafFilter
• Sunergy
• Green Power Pros
• EnerBank
• Dividend Finance
• Service Finance Company