Number of Agreement Pages

[Gary Redmond]

I'm curious how many of you have 1,2, or 3 page contract agreement. Is 3 to much that will scare clients?. Is 1 not enough to cover more liability? I would like to hear experience.

Thank you,
Gary

[Mark Reinmiller]

Mine is one page, but references the ASHI standards. I think three pages is too many.

[BARRY ADAIR]

i do a lot of commercial for some large corp and it's not uncommon for their subcontractor agreement/contract forms to be up to 8pgs not including ins, w-9, or other required form to perform work for them
most of my agreements depending on scope of work are 3 to 5pgs
your biz atty would be the 1 to best advise your specific needs
hth

[Gunnar Alquist]

I'm curious how many of you have 1,2, or 3 page contract agreement. Is 3 to much that will scare clients?. Is 1 not enough to cover more liability? I would like to hear experience.

I use the CREIA contract. 3 pages. It includes the CREIA SOP. Never had anyone balk. Does NM have an association and do they have a contract?

[Scott Patterson]

Mine is electronic on ISN so the number of pages is really not an issue… Prior to having everything electronic I had everything include radon testing on one page using the front and back of a sheet of paper.

[Raymond Wand]

The length of any contract depends on size of print, number of exculpatory clauses, and other conditions/limitations.

You might ask how long is a piece of string. :)

This is something only you and your lawyer can answer. Fwiw my contract is two pages.

And one very important fact - always get your contract in front of the client prior to start of inspection - its amazing how many inspectors are still taking chances by presenting the inspection immediately before the start of inspection or post inspection.

[Gary Redmond]

I use the CREIA contract. 3 pages. It includes the CREIA SOP. Never had anyone balk. Does NM have an association and do they have a contract?

Hey Gunner,
No NM Doesn't not to my knowledge, They were trying to get licensing here through legislation, and it was voted down, due to some issues the REC had proposed. died on the Senate floor after objections to it being heard were raised by two senators.

New Mexico Legislature (http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/legislation.aspx?chamber=H&legtype=B&legno=166&year=16)

However, We are planning to move to NC as soon as we sell our house. I had been looking over my contract agreement and was wondering if 3 pages is too much I know our agreement isn't invincible, however do we try to limit it to 1 maybe 2 pages. Thanks for the input

[Gary Redmond]

The length of any contract depends on size of print, number of exculpatory clauses, and other conditions/limitations.

You might ask how long is a piece of string. :)

This is something only you and your lawyer can answer. Fwiw my contract is two pages.

And one very important fact - always get your contract in front of the client prior to start of inspection - its amazing how many inspectors are still taking chances by presenting the inspection immediately before the start of inspection or post inspection.

Hey Raymond,
I totally hear you about having it signed before. I'm planning to either having it electronically signed or email it. (prob electronic) Its not a good idea to have them sign it at time of inspection. Objections can be raised and time standing around waiting for them to read it.
On the other hand I had signed a listing agreement with REA 16 pages long..lol and most people do not even read a contract. A house is one of the biggest investment anyone will make..and we/us are some part of that. Scott made a point of having it signed electronically, now thinking bout it and not having to worry about pages and intimidating the client. Thanks Raymond

[Jack Feldmann]

While I use ISN now, there was a time I would email it as a document, and before that, have them sign a paper contract at the inspection (or fax it).
I really don't see a problem having them read it and sign at the inspection. There are lots of places where you are given something to read and sign right then.
Just recently we bought a car. I must have had to sign 5 or six documents while I was sitting at a guys desk.
Reading a two or even three page document should take no more than 5 minutes. Even if they had to read it a couple times and had questions, 15 minutes max. Its not exactly a complex contract (shouldn't be anyway), so there really shouldn't be anything they have to really dwell over.
If there is something they don't like about the contract, then we can talk about it. That maybe has happened 4 times in 26 years. I have never had anyone refuse to sign the contract.
Lets say for some reason they thought the contract was too confining, and refused to sign, and I refused to do the inspection. They might claim they didn't have enough time to find a replacement firm. Ok got that, however, any other inspection company is going to have just about the same contract (limit of liability is the main point I suppose), so it would be hard to prove they were somehow damaged (IMHO).

[Eric Barker]

One legal size page, one side. People usually don't read it so I don't see much point in two or three pages. I'd be kind of interesting to once in a while use a modified agreement that had a line indicating that I had no idea what I was doing.

[Markus Keller]

3 pages
I email out at least the day before the inspection if not sooner, they can sign and email back or I have hardcopy with during inspection for them to sign. Nobody complains about it. Its all the same legalese everyone else uses.

[John Kogel]

Mine is one page, but references the ASHI standards. I think three pages is too many.When our CAHPI contract was refurbished a few years ago, it was bloated to 2 pages. I decreased the font size and shrank borders until it all fit on one printed page.

Why? Just convenient, please sign the bottom. The emailed 2 pager never scared anybody away.

[Bruce Ramsey]

US Inspect contract is 11 pages. Yep. 11. Potential clients periodically balk. Feature of working with a national corporation vs a local company.

Sent to the client electronically as soon as the inspection is booked. They sign online.

[Eric Barker]

Eleven page contract would send me packing.

- - - Updated - - -

Eleven page contract would send me packing.

[Mark Reinmiller]

US Inspect contract is 11 pages. Yep. 11. Potential clients periodically balk. Feature of working with a national corporation vs a local company.

Sent to the client electronically as soon as the inspection is booked. They sign online.

If the 11 pages include the standards that they follow, that may be fine. If the 11 pages is disclaimers, that is too much. It also could work against them in court. I'm sure their thinking is that it will discourage clients from going to court.

[Raymond Wand]

I found this contract from US Inspect and its 2-3 pages?

http://www.usinspect.com/sites/default/files/asset/document/agreement/Inspection%20Services%20Agreement%20-%20January%202014.pdf

[Ian Page]

I'm curious how many of you have 1,2, or 3 page contract agreement. Is 3 to much that will scare clients?. Is 1 not enough to cover more liability? I would like to hear experience.

Thank you,
Gary
The quantity of pages is not the issue, though anything more than 3 is a turn-off, IMO. It's the content that matters and should be drawn up with regard to your own State or governing body's requirements.
Mine is two pages long with places for initials and signatures.

[Raymond Wand]

Any lawyer worth his salt will most likely tell you.

1. Avoid small type
2. Avoid legalize, write in every day language, be concise and don't be wordy
3. Put exculpatory clauses towards top of contract followed by clauses what you do and what you don't
4. Use bold text where necessary to draw attention to the clause
5. Number paragraphs
6. Be consistent with terms. If term 'client' is used don't change the terms to read 'buyer'. One term or the other
7.Write numbers both in words and numbers.
8. Signatures beside paragraphs indicate client read each and every paragraph clause (personally I don't do this) Mike Holmes contract is laid out this way.