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Construction & Trades Read before you sign.

Construction contracts involve complex payment structures, risk allocation, and regulatory requirements. BeforeJD checks retainage terms, change order procedures, substantial completion criteria, and warranty periods. We flag missing mechanics lien protections, verify insurance certificate requirements, and ensure liquidated damages provisions are proportional to actual potential loss.

Informational only. Not legal advice.

Chapter

Documents this read covers

BeforeJD surfaces retainage traps, missing mechanics lien protections, and change order loopholes that shift risk.

  1. General contractor agreements

  2. Subcontractor agreements

  3. AIA standard contracts

  4. Design-build agreements

  5. Lien waivers

Chapter

What a read has found

Three findings from real reads of this kind of contract.

  1. Retainage at 10% with no release timeline after completion

  2. Pay-when-paid clause shifting non-payment risk to subcontractor

  3. No written change order requirement, enabling disputed scope additions

Chapter

Questions people ask

What Construction & Trades documents can BeforeJD review?
The read covers General contractor agreements, Subcontractor agreements, AIA standard contracts, Design-build agreements, Lien waivers, uploaded as a PDF, a Word file, or a photo. BeforeJD surfaces retainage traps, missing mechanics lien protections, and change order loopholes that shift risk.
What does BeforeJD look for in Construction & Trades documents?
Construction & Trades: a review that works clause by clause, comparing the document against common trouble spots for this kind of agreement, flagging anything unusual, and telling you what to ask for before you sign.
What does it cost to have Construction & Trades documents read, and how long does it take?
$4.99 for one read, $19.99 for five, or $34.99 for ten, with no subscription. Under five minutes for most agreements. You receive the report by email with the marked-up copy attached.

Chapter

Guides on this kind of contract

Written by the BeforeJD team, in plain English.

  1. Pay-When-Paid vs Pay-If-Paid: What Subcontractors Need to Know

    Pay-when-paid delays your payment; pay-if-paid can erase it if the owner never pays the general contractor. Learn the difference before you sign a subcontract.
    Read the guide

  2. Indemnification Clauses: What They Mean

    Indemnification clauses shift risk between contract parties. Learn what hold harmless, duty to defend, and reimbursement mean for you.
    Read the guide

  3. What Is a Liquidated Damages Clause, and Is It Fair?

    A liquidated damages clause fixes what you owe for a breach in advance. Learn the test courts use, how to tell a fair estimate from a penalty, and what to push back on.
    Read the guide

Whatever you are about to sign, you do not have to read it alone.

Ready to read your contract?

Upload any document and get a plain-English read in minutes. It tells you what is fair, and what is worth pushing back on.

Read a contractOne read is $4.99. No subscription.

A starting point for your conversation, not legal advice.