If you are employing a builder, it’s common practice to have a contract to spell out the terms of your agreement so make sure you both sign on the dotted line.

Like any insurance policy, you don’t really want it until it’s needed, but a written contract is
a form of insurance which can be used to help ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget, that insurances and warranties are in place, that work and materials are to the standards required, that the terms under which changes are made are agreed to in advance, and that contractors are correctly paid.

Typically, a building contract is for a large sum of money and frequently the single biggest financial transaction for a self-builder in his or her lifetime. The contract outlines the agreement and obligations of each contracted party, i.e. the client and the builder.