Small Claims Walk-Thru
Chapter 12 walks you through the complete escalation procedure, from your first written notice to the contractor, to small claims court if it comes to that.
The homeowner's field guide
How to Hire a Contractor Without Getting Burned!
You're not an experienced home renovator, a lawyer, or a project manager — but now you have to hire and manage a contractor. If you're asking yourself, “I have no idea what questions I should even be asking”... “16 Things” is written for you.
Likely, your bank will require you to hire a contractor.
Which means you're on the hook to manage your project on your own.
You may be privately asking yourself these questions...
“I've never read a contractor contract before.”
“I don't know what a fair payment schedule looks like.”
“I have no idea what questions I should be asking.”
● These are real issues. This system addresses every one of them — in plain language, with exact steps, before your first call goes out.
“What if I can't tell the difference between a good contractor and a convincing one?”
“What if I miss something obvious that everyone else would have caught?”
“What if I trust the wrong person because I just don't know enough to know better?”
● You don't need to become a construction expert — you need a framework that tells you exactly what to look for, and what a good answer looks like versus a red flag. That's what this system was built around.
“What if I spend $40,000 and end up with nothing to show for it?”
“What if my family pays the price for a decision I got wrong?”
“What if I become the cautionary tale?”
● This system doesn't just give you checklists. It gives you the understanding behind the checklists — so you know why each protection matters.
If so, you're not the only one...
$1,800
Median loss per home improvement scam
FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, 2024 Data Book
81,925
Home improvement fraud reports filed in 2024
Federal Trade Commission
ONLY 35%
of homeowners stayed on budget in 2025
Houzz & Home Study
50%
of Canadian homeowners report a contractor problem
Leger Opinion / Service Line Warranties of Canada
When asked which parts of the renovation process could have been improved, homeowners who completed projects in 2025 said:
44%
Better schedule tracking
Houzz35%
Clearer communication
Houzz26%
Greater cost transparency
HouzzGood news... “16 Things” addresses all three of these top issues!
I'm an engineer, and the son of a house builder — and I still had no idea how to manage a renovation!
These photos show my family of five the day we moved into our home on August 1, 2023 — with a full year of work still ahead of us to finish what our contractor left behind.
More to the point: after the second time I had to call my bank for more money to finish the job, and two years of waking up at 3:30am terrified we were about to lose the house, one thought kept coming back:
“There are about 16 things I'd do differently if I had to do it all over again. I should write a book — and save everyone else the trouble.”
So I put together “16 Things I Wish I'd Known BEFORE I Hired A Contractor!”
Real photos from the Treece family renovation.
So I put it all into
“16 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Hired A Contractor!”
This is the complete system, built so that by the last page, you'll know exactly what to do and when...
- 1.The most powerful asset every homeowner already holds — and the exact moment they lose it
- 2.One word contractors use instead of a real number — and why agreeing to it costs you thousands
- 3.How to question and filter out the contractors who cause problems — before they ever quote you
- 4.How to negotiate your contract — including the clause that quietly undermines the work
- 5.The simple paper trail that protects you if things ever go sideways
- 6.One rule nobody tells you to follow — and what happens to your money if you don't
- 7.How to handle your own change requests as seriously as the contractor handles theirs
- 8.How to make site visits actually count, instead of just showing up
- 9.What your real options are when things go sideways — and exactly who to call
...and more.
Built for U.S. and Canadian Homeowners
Every chapter in this guide accounts for both markets. Licensing verification guidance covers US state boards and Canadian provincial registries — including the RBQ in Quebec, the Safety Codes Council in Alberta, Consumer Protection BC, and Ontario's consumer protection statutes. Small claims court guidance addresses US state limits and procedures alongside Canadian provincial equivalents. Rules that differ between jurisdictions are highlighted.
Small Claims Court:
If The Project Goes Sideways — You'll Be Ready for That Too
Most homeowners who end up in a dispute don't lose because they had a weak case. They lose because they didn't escalate in the right order, and didn't know when they'd need to. This system addresses all three — before you ever need it.
Contractor Dispute Letter
The Contractor Dispute Letter in the Template Toolbox gives you a ready-to-use, modular document to formally address contractor issues, covering 10 dispute types.
Small Claims Prep Guide
The Small Claims Court Prep Guide explains your rights, evidence, timeline, and filing checklist, for all 51 US and 13 Canadian jurisdictions. If you work with a lawyer, you walk in prepared.
A $23.99 Book for a $40,000+ Renovation
Less than one-tenth of one percent of your renovation budget — to help you avoid:
Contractor disputes going sideways
Thousands more in legal fees
Overages
Unfinished or shoddy work
Delays and walk-offs
Months of frustration and stress
The 3:30am “second-guessing panic”
For less than your contractor charges for a single hour, you'll get more peace of mind than your contract gives you.
Two Ways to Protect Your Project
Choose the version that fits where you are.
The Book
$23.99
Print Book · $10 Digital PDF
“16 Things I Wish I'd Known BEFORE I Hired A Contractor!”
Best for: Most first-time homeowners in the planning stage who want the complete picture before speaking to contractors.
Book + Toolbox
$49
Print Book + Toolbox · Toolbox standalone: $18
“16 Things” + The Complete 8-Document Toolbox
- 1. Bid Request Template
- 2. Contractor Interview Toolkit with Red Flag List
- 3. Contractor Bid Checklist
- 4. Contract Clause Checklist
- 5. Contractor Dispute Letter
- 6. Small Claims Court Prep Guide
- 7. Payment Schedule Calculator (fully coded interactive spreadsheet)
- 8. Project Tracker (fully coded interactive spreadsheet)
Best for: Homeowners who want both the plan and the paperwork — ready to turn what you know into leverage before the first call.
Download the Toolbox!
You'll have done more to protect your project than nine out of ten homeowners who spend ten times as much on the same work.
Your 60-Day “Keep The Book” Guarantee
Get your copy — or the full bundle — and put it to work. If within 60 days you don't feel more confident, more prepared, and ready to hire a contractor without getting burned, email me and I'll refund you in full.
You don't need to send anything back — keep the book, keep the Toolbox. No forms, no questions asked, refunded within 3 business days. Pre-ordered and changed your mind before it ships? Same deal, easier — email me any time before your copy goes out for a full, no-explanation refund.
I'm not a company hiding behind a policy. I'm the guy who lived through this and wrote it down so you wouldn't have to. If it doesn't help you, I don't want your money.
— Clinton Treece, Author
About Clinton
Clinton Treece is an engineer and the son of a house builder — and still got blindsided managing his own renovation. “16 Things” is the guide he wishes someone had handed him before he signed anything. He's not a contractor, a lawyer, or a project manager. He's a homeowner who did the research the hard way, so you don't have to.
Not Ready to Buy Yet? Start Here — Free.
Grab the Contractor Interview Toolkit with Red Flag List, free — 18 scored questions across 6 categories, plus the exact green flags and red flags to listen for on your very first call.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best time to read this is before you sign anything.
Once the contract's signed, most of what's in here becomes damage control instead of prevention.