3 Tips When Working with Contractors

✅ Red Flags Aren’t Just “Little Things” Early on, I brushed off signs like contractors ignoring my emails, showing up late to meetings, or dismissing my design decisions. Big mistake. Those “little things” often snowball into project delays, sloppy work, or, worst of all, undermining my relationship with the client. Pay attention—red flags rarely fade away on their own.

✅ Difficult Conversations Are Inevitable—But They Don’t Have to Be Ugly I once had a contractor swap out a light fixture I carefully sourced, all without asking. Instead of blowing up, I leaned on facts: the signed proposal, the budget line item, and the client-approved spec sheet. Keeping my tone calm but firm helped redirect the conversation without burning bridges. The lesson? Lead with clarity, not conflict.

✅ Your Designs Are Your Property—Protect Them Like Gold Early in my career, I handed over full drawing sets too soon and learned the hard way that contractors sometimes use them however they please. Now, I watermark my drawings, share only what’s necessary until contracts are signed, and add clear copyright language in my agreements. It’s about safeguarding your expertise—and the hours you’ve poured into it.

2 Resources to Consider

📌 Contract Clauses That Saved Me (And Could Save You)​
After one painful project where a contractor went completely rogue, I realized my contract didn’t clearly spell out ownership of drawings or how decisions had to be approved. Lesson learned. Now, my contract has clauses around intellectual property, communication protocols, and scope changes—and they’ve saved me more than once. If you don’t already have this in writing, make it a priority.

📌 The Checklist That Keeps Everyone Honest​
Early in my career, I assumed a handshake agreement and a few emails would keep projects on track. Spoiler: it didn’t. Now I use a project management checklist that covers meetings, approvals, and sign-offs with contractors. It’s simple, but it sets the tone that every step gets documented and nothing slips through the cracks.

1 Question for You

👉 Have you ever had a contractor horror story? Hit reply and share—I’d love to hear how you handled it (and what you’d do differently next time). Or send me a question and I'll answer it in next week's newsletter!