kvnjhndhrty Help with Insurance Wording/Down Payment in Contract for Remodeling

Hello -


There is some language we're not quite getting in our contract for some light kitchen remodeling (cabinets/appliances/backsplash/trim) and wondered if anyone is familiar with "half" liability.


"The Contractor agrees that the Owner shall now be half accountable for, and the Contractor agrees to hold them harmless against, and claims or damages (including incidental cost associated therewith such as attorney fees) resulting from the bodily injury or death and damage or destruction to tangible property, caused by the negligent acts or omissions of the Contractor in the performance of the work by the Contactor."


Is this standard? Is that because it's our house?


It also stipulates a downpayment of 50% on start day, 25% halfway, and 25% on sign off. This is a quick, 2-week job that's around $11K. I've checked these guys out and they've pulled lots of permits for pretty big jobs, have good reviews, a large presence on Instagram where you can see the passion they have for the craft, showed up in a very nice, neat truck with branding, and I couldn't find any BBB complaints, negative reviews, or court appearances. They are providing certificate of insurance. That said, we've been burned in the past and are a little nervous about that after doing research. Would it be out of place for us to ask that the first 50% and 25% be reversed? Should we ask why they require that much?


Thanks!

It certainly won't hurt you.

It's always better to have insurance in these cases. Once you say that they offer insurance and a certificate, it immediately makes you trust them more. That insurance will make them do a better job because they don't want to return and do the same thing again.
I recently got flat roof home insurance, and I feel like it's a great option. My insurance didn't cover flat roofs, and I couldn't live like that. House insurances don't cover flat roofs because their maintenance is harder. The good thing is that I managed to find insurance that covers it. It wasn't easy, but I managed to do it with the help of the agilerates website.