text:  now it's also important to do a contract review make sure all of your agreements with the contractors are in writing because a good contract is going to include a clear statement of the scope of work a list of the materials and a total contract price as well as a schedule of payments job start dates and completion dates are also important to include now for small projects here's a workaround get in the habit of writing a quick email back to the contractor who gave you the price for the project to confirm the details including the price and the schedule these steps