(NC) Professional contractors provide homeowners with a clearly defined warranty on materials and workmanship, and set this out as part of the contract they sign with you. When you hire a contractor to work on your home, make sure such warranty information is included.

Unfortunately, some under-the-table contractors prefer to work for cash, with nothing written down so they can evade taxes, business insurance, workers' compensation and other costs. Although these contractors may say they'll come back and fix anything that goes wrong, it can be very difficult to enforce this after the job is finished.

The contractor's written warranty should specify what is covered and for how long. Your contractor should also provide you with any manufacturers' warranty documents on the products and materials used in your project, so make sure to ask for these.

Find more information from the Canadian Home Builders' Association at www.getitinwriting.ca.

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