General / CivilFixed feeContract review before you sign

Home renovation contract review

Review of a contractor's quote or contract before signing: payments, holdbacks, warranties.

Ideally done before you sign or pay a deposit; timing is confirmed in writing before work starts. Ontario Licensed paralegal firm (LSO P21785)

What is included

  • Reading the contractor's quote or contract
  • Pointing out payment terms, holdbacks, warranties and cancellation rights to ask about
  • Suggesting questions to raise with the contractor
  • Explaining what usually happens if a dispute comes up later

What is not included

  • Court filing fees, searches, reports and other disbursements
  • Claims over $50,000, injunctions, boundary or title disputes and other Superior Court of Justice matters, which are referred to a lawyer
  • Serious personal injury claims, which usually belong in the Superior Court and are referred to a lawyer
  • Enforcing a judgment once it is made, unless your service includes it
  • Appeals

Who this service is for

  • Homeowners about to hire a contractor
  • Anyone asked to pay a large deposit before work starts

Information to have ready

  1. 1The quote or contract
  2. 2Any drawings, schedules or permits
  3. 3Messages with the contractor

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost?

The fee is $400 plus 13% HST ($452.00 in all) for the work described on this page. Court, tribunal or government fees and other disbursements are extra. We confirm the scope and the fee in a written retainer agreement before any work starts.

What happens when I check out?

You book a time for your intake call, then save a card on Stripe's secure page. Nothing is charged today: the card is only charged later, for an invoice for work already done, as your retainer agreement sets out. A licensed paralegal confirms the details, checks for conflicts of interest and, if we can act for you, sends the retainer agreement. Fees paid before the work is done are held in our trust account.

Will a review prevent a dispute later?

No one can promise that, but understanding the payment terms, warranties and cancellation rights before signing often helps avoid common problems.

General information only, not legal advice. NEO Legal Services Professional Corporation is a licensed paralegal firm regulated by the Law Society of Ontario.

Important limitations

  • No outcome can be guaranteed
  • Limited to what a licensed paralegal may do; Superior Court work is referred to a lawyer
  • Deadlines, including the limitation period, depend on you acting promptly
  • Claims over the Small Claims Court limit of $50,000, serious injury claims, injunctions, disputes over title or boundaries and other matters that must go to the Superior Court of Justice are outside a licensed paralegal's scope, so the firm does only the parts a licensed paralegal is permitted to do and refers the rest to a lawyer.
Law Society of Ontario — Barreau de l'Ontario
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