Terms of Service

Please read first: this is a template

This document is a working template. It has not been reviewed by a licensed attorney and it is not legal advice. It describes how we intend to operate, written in plain language, so that a lawyer has something concrete to correct rather than a blank page.

Before Saint Works relies on this document publicly, an attorney licensed in the state where we do business must review and revise it, including the consumer-protection, home-improvement-contract, and privacy rules that apply to residential contractors in this jurisdiction. Until that review is complete, treat this text as a description of our practices and not as an enforceable agreement or a complete privacy notice.

Scope of work and written estimates

Every project Saint Works performs is governed by a written estimate and contract signed by both parties. The written scope controls. Conversations, text messages, emails, and drawings are useful context, but if something is not in the written scope it is not in the price and it is not in the schedule.

Estimates are valid for thirty days from the date issued, because material pricing and crew availability move. Where you have not yet selected a finish — tile, fixtures, hardware, decking — the estimate carries a stated dollar allowance for that item. If your final selection costs more or less than the allowance, the difference is reconciled on the final invoice.

Deposit and milestone payments

A deposit is due when you accept the estimate. It reserves your position on the schedule and funds the initial material order, and it is stated as a dollar amount on the estimate before you sign. Work is not scheduled and materials are not ordered until the deposit clears.

The remaining balance is divided into milestone payments tied to completed stages of the work, each listed on the contract. A milestone invoice is issued in the client portal only after that stage is complete. Invoices are due on receipt, and work on the next stage may be paused where an invoice remains unpaid. Payments are made through Stripe-hosted checkout; we do not accept or store card details ourselves.

Change orders

Any change to the scope — an addition you request, a substitution, or a condition we uncover once a wall or floor is open — is handled as a written change order stating the revised price and any schedule impact.

No change order takes effect until you approve it in the client portal. We will continue with unaffected parts of the project while a change order is pending. Verbal approvals do not create an obligation on either side, which protects you as much as it protects us.

• Concealed conditions — rot, failed framing, unpermitted prior work, code violations — are priced as change orders because they cannot be seen at the estimate stage.
• Materials you supply yourself are accepted only by written agreement, and defects or shortfalls in them are not our responsibility.
• Where a change order alters the total by more than a threshold stated in your contract, the milestone schedule is reissued alongside it.

Cancellation

You may cancel within the rescission period that state home-improvement law gives you after signing, and receive a full refund of the deposit. Your contract states that period explicitly.

After that period, cancellation entitles you to a refund of the deposit less the cost of materials already ordered or cut to size, permit fees already paid, and work already performed, each itemized for you. We may cancel for non-payment, unsafe site conditions, or denial of reasonable site access, in each case after written notice and a chance to cure. Either party may cancel without penalty where a permit is denied or a required inspection cannot be passed for reasons outside our control.

Warranty on workmanship

We warrant our installation and craftsmanship for the period stated in your contract, beginning on the date of the final walkthrough. If a defect in our work appears within that period, we will repair it at no charge to you. Tell us in writing and give us reasonable access to inspect and correct it.

Materials carry their manufacturer's own warranty, which runs separately from ours and is claimed against the manufacturer; we will help you file. The workmanship warranty does not cover normal wear, seasonal movement of wood and masonry, damage from misuse, neglect, or weather events, failure to perform stated maintenance such as re-sealing or re-staining on schedule, or work later altered by someone else.

License, bonding, and insurance

Saint Works is licensed and bonded. Our license and bond numbers appear on every written estimate and contract. You are entitled to verify it with the state licensing board, and we encourage you to do so before signing anything with any contractor.

We carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage for our crew. A certificate of insurance is available on request and will be provided to your HOA or insurer where one is required. Licensed trades such as electrical and plumbing are performed by appropriately licensed subcontractors who carry their own coverage.

Limitation of liability

Our liability arising out of a project is limited to the total contract price for that project, except where the law does not permit that limit — which includes personal injury, gross negligence, and willful misconduct, none of which are limited here.

We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses such as lost rental income, alternative accommodation, or lost business, nor for delays caused by weather, permit and inspection timelines, material shortages, or other circumstances outside our reasonable control. Nothing in this section removes a right that consumer-protection law gives you and that cannot be waived by agreement.

Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the law of the state in which the project property is located, and disputes are heard in the courts serving that county — our work is performed within roughly 50 miles of our shop, so that is the practical forum for both of us.

Before filing anything, tell us in writing what is wrong and give us thirty days to inspect and fix it. Most disputes on a remodeling project are a defect that can be corrected, and we would rather correct it. If a court finds any provision of these terms unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.

Reminder: have a lawyer review this

The sections above describe our intended practice in plain language. They are a starting point for an attorney, not a substitute for one. Specific state requirements — mandatory contract disclosures, rescission notice wording, lien-law notices, bond-claim procedures, and limits on liability caps in consumer contracts — must be added or corrected by a licensed attorney before these terms are used for a real project.