Originally Posted by
Steve Panting
...Does anybody know of any way to achieve a binding contract...
Binding? Ha!
Sorry. My cynicism got the better of me.
I try to get the client to at least read the contract, by email or on the web, prior to the inspection, so they can't claim they signed it "under duress". If the client isn't going to attend the inspection, I definitely want a signed contract before starting. If they don't do fax, or email, etc., it can be a problem. The client's agent has often helped me with this.