About Timberworks Housewrights

Our Owner, Mitch, sat on the Pennsylvania Builders Association Task Force for several years trying to get the statewide building code passed here. We believe that minimum code standards are good for businesses, consumers and the building trade overall.

Now that the statewide code is in effect (finally!) these protections are in place. That said, there are still some folks out there that resent that they are being "forced" to build to code standards, and therefore are circumventing the process. Let us emphatically state here, the building code is there for the public safety and the standardization, by setting minimum standards, of the building industry. The minimum code requirements are not something to strive to meet, but are the MINIMUM requirements to create safe & healthy structures. Please do not jeopardize your investment by working with anyone suggesting that you do not adhere to State & Federal laws.

All Contractors are required by law to carry business insurance, not so much to protect them, but to protect the consumer.

General Liability insurance needs to be in place to protect the public from all operations of the Contractor. In today's world, Timberworks recommends a minimum coverage of $500,000.

Workers Compensation (WC) insurance is a requirement to protect workers from workplace injuries, the Contractor from excessive medical claims, and you, the property Owner from suits brought by parties injured while on your premises. Yes, an injured worker, not covered by WC, can quite effectively come after you as the property Owner for medical costs and suffering if they are injured while working on your property. Any Contractor claiming that they have no employees had better be working completely alone. Any helpers, laborers or workers, unless they are Owners or Partners of the Company, are required to be covered by WC. If the Contractor is not providing WC coverage, they most likely are not following Federal or State laws for employment taxes and working conditions either.

If the Contractor does not provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) indicating coverages, you need to be sure to request it and receive one before signing any Agreement, and most definately before any work is done on your property. To view a recent COI from Timberworks Click Here. If you look at this you will see the industry required format for a COI. There should be listings for liability insurance, workers compensation & auto coverages. Finally, the Certificate Holder should contain your name & address, not just a generic blank form. This is so that you are on record as the holder. This ensures that you will be contacted if the Contractor drops coverage while working on your project! Finally, the form should be signed by the issueing agent. If any of this is missing you should be seeing red flags.

Ever since the passing of the Federal Truth in Lending Act some 20+ years ago, Timberworks has provided Right of Rescission (ROR) clauses in all our Agreements with consumers. This is a Federal law requiring the ROR on all Agreements with homeowners that allow you a three day "cooling off" period in which to reconsider your signing an Agreement, and possibly providing a down-payment. This came about from high-pressure tactics of salepersons and later regret of consumers. The law allows you three days to consider your decision and, if you like, to completely cancel the Agrement and get your deposit back.

We repeat, this is a Federal law. This is also now covered by the PA Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration law. Every Contractor must abide to this law. Some States may also have particular requirements for ROR, but that's it in a nutshell. Emergency repairs may be exempted, although be careful of "Special Order Materials". You may be able to get your deposit back, except for special order materials.

Whatever you call them, Agreements, Contracts, Proposals, Work Order...they are like good fences. They make good neighbors and protect both parties. All Agreements provided by Timberworks Housewrights are written in plain english and contain all the requirements of Federal & State legislation. Yes, they are long. They need to be to protect both of us. We do not use that proverbial "small print" that comes back to bite you. Beware of anyone that rushes you to sign or does not give you time to review the Agreement wording. Timberworks also strongly recommends that you have your legal advisor review the Agreement to ensure that the wording meets requirements and protects you.

"If you must play, decide on three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time."
Chinese Proverb

Here at Timberworks we have long been advocates for statewide Contractor licensing. This is very much like building codes...it sets a minimum bar that everyone must clear.

Some states currently have licensing requirements, while Pennsylvania is starting to catch up. As of July 1, 2009 all Home Improvement Contractors (HIC) are required to register with the State. The registration number will be required on all vehicles, advertising and Agreements. Maybe next we will get up to speed on Home Builders...

Licensing can be a fun topic. You may have seen advertising in Pennsylvania stating "Licensed & Insured". Insured, that's nice. Just dismiss that one as it is a requirement. As of June 2009 there is no statewide license for a contractor in PA, only a "registration" for Home Improvement Contractors (HIC). Even then, it only applies to HIC contractors. It might mean something when ALL contractors must be licensed and pass minimum requirements!

Licensing, in the past, was done in PA is done on a municipal level. You may need to have a "license" to work in a town, but this does not allow you to work in another town. You would need to get a "license" in that town as well. To get a "license" you pay a fee to that town. Some towns require proof of insurance, some don't. What this means is that these licenses are purchased, not based on qualifications. The new PA HIC registration overrides this mess and is enforceable and means that the Contractor has met minimum requirements. It also requires particular wording in Agreements, including ROR, to protect the consumer. All good things! Unfortunately, the HIC law is only a registration, not any indication of the skill or knowledge level of any contractor, and should not be used as a sign that any contractor is qualified or able to perform on your project. It's only a start until we can get some form of knowledge and skill based licensing.

In April 2010 new EPA Lead Rules went into effect and may effect renovation, repair and painting on your home. Be sure that all work done on your home is performed by a EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm and a Certified Renovator.

Any firm working on a building that falls under the EPA rules must provide you with information concerning the work to be performed and the dangers of lead exposure to your family. You will be required to sign a document verifying that you have been provided with this information.

Your contractor must provide you a copy of their certificates showing that they are both an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm (indicates that the firm is registered with the EPA) and that they are a Lead Based Paint Certified Renovator (indicates that they have taken and passed the training program to adhere to the regulations that protect your family).

The contractor must also outline what lead-safe methods will be used to perform the job, how access will be controlled in the work area, and create and maintain records to demonstrate that all workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices, and that lead-safe work practices were properly executed on the job.

If you want to learn more about the EPA Lead-Safe Rule, please click the link below:

EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule

This is not legal advice, only our attempt to alert you to some of the dangers out there. Please consult with your legal advisor.

For more consumer protection information:

PA Attorney General

NJ Attorney General

NY Attorney General

Or, search for the Attorney General in your home area.

Some States also allow you to verify licensing or registration on-line. Please search for this information as well as consumer complaints and unsatisfactory ratings on your prospective Contractor.

Just one last note on business ratings...Timberworks has severed our membership in the BBB. The BBB is basically a club that a business pays to belong to. Their rating system is extremely over-valued as they have no enforcement powers. We decided to drop our membership after sharing our affiliation with companies that we know do not offer ethical business practices, whose BBB ratings remained "satisfactory". Be careful!