General Contractor Warning Signs Gresham Homeowners Should Not Ignore

Use Oregon CCB Consumer Tools and compare the legal business and license record with the proposal. A trade name, salesperson or payment destination that cannot be connected to the contracting entity weakens accountability. Ask who signs, supervises and provides warranty service.

A title such as kitchen remodel or deck rebuild does not define demolition, structure, trades, materials, protection, disposal, finish and closeout. Require drawings, quantities, selections, exclusions and assumptions. Vague scope creates room for incompatible bids and later disputes.

The City of Gresham publishes permit and inspection information. A contractor should be able to explain who confirms the exact address and scope, prepares documents, answers corrections, schedules inspections and retains approval. A universal no-permit claim is not property-specific evidence.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work require the appropriately licensed businesses. Ask which entities perform those tasks and who coordinates permits, rough inspections and final tests. A general contractor proposal should not conceal regulated work inside a generic allowance.

An allowance should state the product or quality basis, quantity, included labor, markup and credit or charge method. A large undefined allowance can make a low total appear comparable while postponing important cost decisions.

Use milestones tied to delivered materials, completed phases, inspections and accepted documents. Ask how deposits are applied and how changes update the contract total. Pressure for payment without corresponding verifiable progress is a reason to stop and reconcile the record.

Concealed conditions and owner revisions happen. Require a description, photograph or drawing, price, schedule effect and written approval before permanent changed work except immediate stabilization. End-of-project memory is not an adequate change-control system.

A credible schedule identifies design release, selections, long-lead products, permits, inspections, cure times and owner decisions. Ask what conditions support the promised date and how delays are communicated. A calendar promise without inputs cannot be evaluated.

Occupied homes need dust control, access, utility shutdown notice, weather protection, security and daily cleanup. Exterior projects need staging, landscaping and neighbor protection. Ask who restores disturbed surfaces and removes debris.

The contract should state what happens when demolition reveals moisture, altered framing or utilities. Require evidence, measured extent, proposed correction and approval before expanded work. Without that rule, investigation can turn into open-ended production.

Availability changes can happen, but substitutions should compare model, dimensions, performance, finish, compatibility, warranty, price and schedule. An unspecified equivalent can materially change the result without lowering the contract.

Define testing, required inspections, product records, warranties, manuals, concealed-work photographs, cleanup and punch-list resolution. A project is not complete when visible construction ends but evidence and system testing remain missing.

Ask for the missing document or clarification in writing and compare it with the scope. Verify official records directly. Do not use urgency as a substitute for evidence, and consult appropriate legal or technical advisers when contract or safety questions exceed a hiring comparison.