Source library

Hiring and contracting

Consumer-protection pages on vetting a contractor, what belongs in a contract, deposits and payment. Dollar thresholds and deposit caps in the state entries are that state's rule only.

• FTC: Hiring a Contractor General (federal agency). Finding and checking contractors, written estimates, what a contract should include, payment advice, warning signs, and the three-day right to cancel for contracts signed at your home. Notable: it says to ask for a written agreement even where your state does not require one, warns against paying in full up front, and lists a contractor asking you to pull the permits as a scam warning sign. It does not cover lien waivers. Verified 2026-10-09.
• CSLB: What should I look for in a contract? Location-specific (state licensing board, California). Home improvement contract basics: a written contract is required when labor and materials together exceed $500, the contract should say who gets permits and set the payment schedule, and it must carry cancellation and mechanics lien notices. Notable: the down payment may "never exceed 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less," with a narrow bond exception. Verified 2026-10-09.
• CSLB: What You Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor (PDF brochure, May 2025) Location-specific (state licensing board, California). A checklist: verify the license, ask for the pocket license and photo ID, get contact details for subs and suppliers, confirm the contractor pulls permits, get three bids, ask about workers' compensation and liability insurance, keep a job file, change orders in writing. Notable: it states that any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials requires a licensed contractor, and advises "Do not let payments get ahead of the work." Verified 2026-10-09.
• Washington L&I: Hiring a Contractor Location-specific (state labor and industries agency, Washington). Verify active registration and history, confirm bond and insurance, consider a performance bond on larger projects, get three written bids and a written contract. Notable: it explains the state's workers' compensation system ("Industrial Insurance") and the test for whether someone you hire is an independent contractor or your employee, and describes a Homeowner Recovery Fund for eligible homeowners. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Washington L&I: Hiring a Contractor, Remodeler, or Handyman (PDF, F625-084-000) Location-specific (state labor and industries agency, Washington). What a registered contractor is (bond, liability insurance, business license), which work requires registration, how bonds and insurance protect homeowners, and three "Hire Smart" steps. Notable: as of July 2024 general contractors post a $30,000 bond and specialty contractors $15,000; the state says it does not require contractors to pass a skills test, though electricians and plumbers are separately licensed. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Massachusetts General Laws c.142A, section 2 (statute text) Location-specific (state legislature, Massachusetts). The law that requires residential contracting agreements over $1,000 to be in writing and lists what they must contain: the parties, registration number, start and substantial-completion dates, payment schedule, signatures and notices. Notable: the deposit may not exceed the greater of one-third of the contract price or the actual cost of special-order materials, and no final payment may be demanded until the contract is completed. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Illinois Attorney General: Home Repair Location-specific (state attorney general, Illinois). Get more than one written estimate; what a contract should state (names, description, start and completion dates, total cost, payment schedule); warning signs such as cash demands, full payment up front and checks made out to third parties. Notable: for work of $1,000 or more, the contractor must present the state's Home Repair Consumer Rights document, and a contract signed at home can be cancelled within three business days (fifteen for people over 65). Verified 2026-10-09.
• Texas Attorney General: How to Avoid Home Improvement Scams Location-specific (state attorney general, Texas). Choosing a contractor, bids, references, checking licenses, contracts (do not sign one with blanks), lien warnings specific to a homestead, and the rule that the contractor must deposit payments in a construction account when a homestead improvement exceeds $5,000. Notable: it tells owners plainly that if the contractor fails to pay subcontractors and suppliers, the owner is responsible. Verified 2026-10-09.

Owner-builder responsibilities as official sources describe them

Licensing boards, statutes and permit-counter forms that spell out what a homeowner takes on by pulling their own permit. Eligibility, frequency limits and resale look-backs differ in every one of these; the pattern of responsibilities is what transfers.

• CSLB: Know the Risks of Being an Owner-Builder Location-specific (state licensing board, California). The entry page to the board's owner-builder section, citing Business and Professions Code section 7044 as its basis and linking the responsibilities, risks and warning pages. Notable: it warns against "consultants" who push owner-builder status as a way to save money, saying they "are usually the ones who illegally profit." The board's older owner-builder URLs now return errors; use this hub and the page below. Verified 2026-10-09.
• CSLB: The Downside of Being an Owner-Builder Location-specific (state licensing board, California). A plain list of what can go wrong when a homeowner acts as general contractor: costly mistakes, liens from unpaid subs and suppliers, exposure to injured-worker claims, and full responsibility for the project. Notable: it says that if subcontractors lack liability or workers' compensation insurance and are hurt, you could be asked to cover injuries through your homeowner's policy, or be sued. Verified 2026-10-09.
• CSLB: Owner/builders take note! (one-page PDF) Location-specific (state licensing board, California). A caution sheet defining owner/builder as the homeowner becoming the general contractor, and listing what that can involve: state and federal taxes, workers' compensation insurance and other legal liabilities. Notable: it states that hiring an unlicensed "consultant" to run the project "does not save you money in the long run." The footer is dated 2004; the board still posts it, but treat it as old. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Florida Statutes section 489.103(7): owner-builder exemption (statute text) Location-specific (state legislature, Florida). The actual exemption wording: an owner may act as their own contractor on a one- or two-family residence or farm outbuilding for their own use (or a commercial building up to $75,000) if they provide "direct, onsite supervision" of work not done by licensed contractors, personally appear and sign the permit application, and sign a disclosure statement before the permit issues. Notable: if the property is sold or leased within one year of completion, the law presumes it was built for sale. The twelve-item disclosure is set out in the statute. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Volusia County, FL: Owner Builder Disclosure Statement (PDF form) Location-specific (county building department, Florida). The numbered disclosure a Florida owner-builder initials at the permit counter, implementing the statute above; a clear example of the acknowledgments involved. Notable: item 3 says the owner-builder "is the responsible party of record" on the permit; item 7 warns of serious financial risk for injuries to unlicensed workers and that homeowner's insurance may not cover it; item 8 says unlicensed workers must be employed by the owner, which brings federal withholding and workers' compensation duties. Form dated April 2022. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Oregon CCB: Information Notice to Owners About Construction Responsibilities (PDF; index at CCB Consumer Tools) Location-specific (state contractors board, Oregon). The two-page notice given to owners pulling their own residential permits, plus the statement they sign. Notable: homeowners using workers not licensed by the board "may be considered an employer," with a list of what follows (withholding tax, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, a federal employer number); the permit holder must call for inspections and resolve code failures; and owners should have the expertise to coordinate "both rough-in and finish trades." Form stamped 2016. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Washington RCW 18.27.090: contractor registration exemptions (statute text) Location-specific (state legislature, Washington). The statutory list of who need not register as a contractor, including an owner who contracts with a registered contractor and any person working on their own property or residence. Notable: the own-property exemption does not apply when the work is done "for the purpose of selling, demolishing, or leasing the property," and the other exemption excludes property owned for less than twelve months. Washington has no dedicated state owner-builder page; cities implement this with affidavits like the next entry. Verified 2026-10-09.
• City of Tukwila, WA: Affidavit of Owner Acting as Contractor (PDF form) Location-specific (city building department, Washington). An example of a city permit affidavit citing the statute above; the owner initials statements on liability, insurance, supervision, subcontractor licensing and scheduling inspections. Notable: it warns of serious financial risk for injuries to an unregistered person, that homeowner's insurance may not cover it, and commits the owner to "schedule all required inspections." The posted PDF contains a stray internal reviewer comment, so read it as an illustrative form rather than polished guidance. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Massachusetts: Homeowners' Exemption Eligibility Affidavit (780 CMR 110.R5) (PDF; Town of Andover's copy of the state sample) Location-specific (town building department, Massachusetts). The affidavit a Massachusetts homeowner signs to pull a permit without a Construction Supervisor License, quoting the code's definition of "homeowner" and the supervision condition. Notable: a homeowner is someone who owns and lives (or intends to live) in a one- or two-family dwelling on the parcel; a person who builds more than one home in two years is not a homeowner under the rule; and if the homeowner engages anyone for hire they acknowledge they "will act as the supervisor," signed under penalty of perjury. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Denver: Applying for Permits as a Homeowner Location-specific (city planning and development department, Colorado). Eligibility and process for homeowners acting as their own general contractor or doing the work themselves: the owner must be the legal owner and resident, permits cannot go to trusts or LLCs, no homeowner permits for ADUs, townhomes, condos or duplexes, a homeowner exam is required for electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, the owner must live in the home at least a year after completion, and a new-home homeowner permit is allowed only once every five years. Notable: it describes two paths, acting as your own GC with city-licensed subs who pull their own trade permits, or doing the work personally with a helper who "cannot accept payment." Verified 2026-10-09.

Permits, plan review and inspections (building department examples)

How different building departments explain their own process. Each has its own forms, portals and sequence; read them for the shape of the process, then find your own department's version.

• Seattle SDCI: Inspections Location-specific (city construction and inspections department, Washington). An overview of eleven inspection types, scheduling by web or a 24-hour phone line, which inspections are scheduled automatically, and special inspections carried out by third-party agencies. Notable: "We require a set of inspections for all permits." Verified 2026-10-09.
• Seattle SDCI: Residential Inspection Quick Sheets Location-specific (city construction and inspections department, Washington). Eight one-page sheets written "to clarify the sequence of inspections": setback and foundation before concrete, framing-subfloor, structural before exterior sheathing is covered, mechanical cover, framing (after all electrical, mechanical, plumbing and sprinkler rough-ins are approved and before insulation), insulation, mechanical final, and building final after all related permits have passed. Notable as one of the clearest public explanations of why rough-ins come before cover and trade finals before the building final. Verified 2026-10-09.
• LADBS: About the Construction Process Location-specific (city building and safety department, California). A six-step overview: check zoning, design and draw plans, submit and apply (an express program may skip plan check), permit issued, inspections recorded on a building card during construction, then final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy. Notable: the department requires an inspection "before any work is covered or concealed." Verified 2026-10-09.
• NYC Department of Buildings: Does my project require a permit? Location-specific (city buildings department, New York). States that most construction in the city needs department approval and lists examples that do not (painting, plastering, cabinets, replacing plumbing fixtures, floor resurfacing, non-structural roof repair), while noting exempt work must still comply with other laws. Notable: home improvement contractors must hold a city consumer-affairs license, and ordinary plumbing must be done by a Licensed Master Plumber. Verified 2026-10-09.
• NYC DOB: Guide to Work Permits (PDF) Location-specific (city buildings department, New York). A step-by-step snapshot: determine permits, file applications and drawings (a state-licensed engineer or architect must file), plan examiner meeting, approval, obtain and post permits, perform work, request inspections, pass finals, receive a Certificate of Occupancy or Letter of Completion. Notable: "Owners are ultimately responsible for all work that is done on their property." The guide is signed by a former commissioner and undated, though consistent with the current site. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Austin Development Services: Homeowner Permitting Resources and Schedule a Building Inspection Location-specific (city development services department, Texas). A homeowner guide to permit types (new construction, remodel, demolition, express permits) and the online portal for applications and scheduling; homeowners can register as a contractor and manage their own permit and inspections. Notable: the inspection page states the permit holder and owner-general contractor are "responsible for ensuring the proper sequence of inspections." Verified 2026-10-09.
• Portland BDS: Residential Permitting Location-specific (city development services bureau, Oregon). A navigation hub for one- and two-family projects: a "do you need a permit" guide, a start guide, a site-plan drawing guide, how to respond to checksheet corrections, a start-to-finish residential inspections guide, permit timelines and the inspection scheduling line. Notable: it flags new residential codes effective October 1 with phase-in periods, a reminder that code editions change on a date. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Chicago Department of Buildings: Standard Plan Review Permit Program Location-specific (city buildings department, Illinois). Explains the main permit path for projects needing architectural plans, including single-family new construction, additions and alterations; all projects need zoning approval first, and applications go through an electronic plan system with an assigned project manager. Notable: the program "requires an architect to prepare the drawings." Verified 2026-10-09.
• Phoenix Planning & Development: Residential Inspections Location-specific (city planning and development department, Arizona). Describes what is checked at each stage: before concrete or underground work is covered (footings, rebar, underground plumbing and electrical, grounding), after rough framing, at pre-drywall (rough plumbing, mechanical and electrical, glazing, exterior weather barrier) and at final, after which utilities are notified. Notable: the permit and stamped plans must be on site, and remote video inspection is available for some permits. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Oregon Building Codes Division: Nailing your plan submission (PDF, 2023) Location-specific (state building codes agency, Oregon). A plain guide to plan review: what it is, when plans are required, who can prepare them, common submission problems, how to respond to a hold notice, revisions after a permit issues, and project completion. It applies to programs the division administers directly, but it is one of the clearest generic explanations of plan review available. Verified 2026-10-09.

Liens and lien waivers

Notice periods, recording deadlines and dollar thresholds here are each one state's. The pattern to learn is: notice from subs and suppliers, a waiver or release with every payment, a final release and affidavit before final payment.

• CSLB: How to Prevent a Mechanics Lien Location-specific (state licensing board, California). Explains the preliminary notice that subcontractors and suppliers who may lien must serve (within 20 days of starting work, or recovery is limited), joint checks, conditional releases before paying and unconditional releases after, withholding the next payment until releases for the previous one arrive, and a Notice of Completion that shortens the lien window. Notable: it calls joint checks "the simplest way to prevent liens." Verified 2026-10-09.
• CSLB: A Homeowner's Guide to Preventing Mechanics Liens (PDF brochure) Location-specific (state licensing board, California). The longer version: a preliminary notice "isn't a lien," the prime contractor need not send one because the warning is in the contract, the 20-day rule, a 90-day window to record a lien after completion, a lien requirements checklist, and steps to remove an invalid lien. Notable: it says a lien "can cause difficulties when borrowing, refinancing, or selling." Verified 2026-10-09.
• Oregon CCB: Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens (PDF) Location-specific (state contractors board, Oregon). The notice contractors must give owners when a contract exceeds $2,000. It explains that unpaid subs and suppliers can lien the property even if the owner paid the contractor in full, that a Notice of Right to Lien must be sent to owner-occupants before a lien is filed, and that liens are generally recorded within 75 days of substantial completion or last work. Notable: it tells owners it is in their interest to verify that every bill related to the contract has been paid. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Florida Statutes section 713.06: Notice to Owner (statute text) Location-specific (state legislature, Florida). The statutory form that subs and suppliers without a direct contract with the owner must serve before or within 45 days of first furnishing labor or materials. Notable: the form itself warns that to avoid a lien and paying twice, the owner must obtain a written release each time the contractor is paid. Verified 2026-10-09.
• Miami-Dade County: Construction Lien Law for Owners (PDF brochure, 2015) Location-specific (county permitting department, Florida). A plain county explanation: the owner signs and records a Notice of Commencement for improvements over $2,500, posts a certified copy at the job site or the first inspection is disapproved, and gets a final release of lien and a contractor's affidavit before final payment; where a lender is involved the lender may handle the notice. The thresholds are from a 2015 brochure; confirm them against current statute before relying on them. Verified 2026-10-09.

See also the Texas Attorney General page under Hiring and contracting for Texas homestead lien warnings.

Hazardous materials

Federal pages on lead paint, asbestos and radon. Some states and localities run their own, sometimes stricter, programs; the federal page is the floor, not the ceiling.

• EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program General (federal agency). The program overview: the rule applies to "anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces" in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities, firms must be certified and use certified renovators and lead-safe practices, and some states and tribes run their own authorized programs. Notable: in general the rule does not apply to homeowners doing the work in their own pre-1978 home, with exceptions for renting, operating childcare, or renovating to sell for profit; about three-quarters of pre-1978 homes contain some lead paint. Verified 2026-10-09.
• EPA: RRP Program for Consumers General (federal agency). Why to hire a Lead-Safe Certified firm, what the certified-firm logo looks like, a firm locator, and links to the Renovate Right pamphlet and do-it-yourself guidance. Useful when checking a bidder's certification claim. Verified 2026-10-09.
• EPA: Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers General (federal agency). Confirms homeowners doing their own work are generally outside the RRP rule, then gives recommended practice anyway: find out whether lead paint is present (or assume it is), set up containment, use an N-100 respirator and disposable coveralls, mist surfaces, HEPA vacuum, bag waste, final cleaning, and optional dust-lead clearance testing. Verified 2026-10-09.
• EPA: Renovate Right pamphlet (download page) General (federal agency). The download page for "The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right" in English and Spanish. The page itself does not restate who must hand it out; the RRP rule and HUD guidance state that certified firms must give it to owners and occupants before starting renovation. Verified 2026-10-09.
• EPA: Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards General (federal agency). A summary of the Lead Disclosure Rule for sale and lease of most pre-1978 housing: sellers, landlords and agents must disclose known lead information, provide the "Protect Your Family From Lead" pamphlet, include a lead warning statement, give buyers a ten-day inspection opportunity and keep records for three years. Relevant at handover and resale, and a different rule with a different pamphlet from RRP. Verified 2026-10-09.
• EPA: Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos General (federal agency). Undamaged asbestos materials left alone are usually not a risk, but remodeling can disturb them, so check before work; homeowners should not sample materials themselves; use separate firms for inspection and removal; get a written contract with a work plan and cleanup. Notable: it warns that improper removal may actually increase exposure, and that while federal law does not require accredited workers for certain work in detached single-family homes, some states and localities do. Verified 2026-10-09.
• EPA: Radon and What is EPA's action level for radon General (federal agency). The agency's position that all homes should be tested for radon, that homes at 4 pCi/L or higher should be fixed and action considered between 2 and 4, that the average indoor level is about 1.3 pCi/L, and that there is "no known safe level." Relevant to new construction, basements and additions. Verified 2026-10-09.
• HUD Guidelines, Chapter 4: Lead-Based Paint and Housing Renovation (PDF, technical chapter) General (federal agency). The hazards renovation creates (dust, fumes, chips, soil), combining renovation with abatement, safe older-home renovation procedures (testing, occupant protection, containment, relocation, cleaning, clearance, waste) and prohibited methods such as flame treatment. Written for assisted housing but the methods apply anywhere. HUD's consumer lead pages were unavailable during a site migration on the verification date; use the EPA pages above for the consumer version. Verified 2026-10-09.

Insurance

Only one general insurance page survived verification. The official owner-builder forms above (Florida, Oregon, Washington, California) are the best sources on workers' compensation exposure, and each says the same thing in its own way: a homeowner's policy may not cover an injured worker. Ask your insurer and your state workers' compensation agency; do not take any of these pages as your answer.

• Insurance Information Institute: Remodeling your home General (insurance industry nonprofit). Advises contacting your agent before or shortly after construction begins to raise dwelling coverage to the rebuilt value, asking the general contractor for a copy of their workers' compensation policy, raising your own liability limits if the contractor's coverage is thin, and adding new contents to your home inventory. Notable: it points out that subcontractors' workers may not be covered by the general contractor's policy. It does not mention builder's risk insurance. Verified 2026-10-09.

Financing

Federal consumer and program pages. Dollar limits on government programs are reviewed annually; date-stamp any figure you write down.

• CFPB: What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit (PDF booklet) General (federal agency). The booklet lenders must give HELOC applicants. It defines a HELOC as borrowing, spending and repaying "as you go, using your home as collateral," compares it with a home equity loan, cash-out refinance and other options, and notes that a line's terms may prohibit renting out the home. Notable: it warns plainly that you could lose your home if you cannot repay. Verified 2026-10-09.
• CFPB: Difference between a home equity loan and a HELOC General (federal agency). A short answer: a home equity loan is a lump sum at a fixed or adjustable rate, a HELOC is a revolving line that is usually adjustable with payments that vary with the balance, and both are second mortgages if you already have a first. The CFPB does not appear to publish a construction-loan or draw-inspection explainer; the HUD page below is the official description of a draw process. Verified 2026-10-09.
• HUD/FHA: 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program and consumer fact sheet (PDF, revised November 2024) General (federal agency). The Limited 203(k) finances up to $75,000 of non-structural work; the Standard 203(k) covers major rehabilitation with a $5,000 minimum and a required FHA-approved consultant. The stages are a useful model of any lender-controlled draw: consultant work write-up, lender funds, contractor pulls permits, consultant inspects and certifies each phase, lender issues a two-party check to borrower and contractor, repeat. Notable: the program requires all building permits to be obtained before work starts and posted on site. Verified 2026-10-09.

Codes and standards organizations

These pages describe what the model codes are and where to read them. They do not tell you which edition, with which local amendments, your jurisdiction has adopted; only your building department can.

• ICC: The International Codes (I-Codes) General (nonprofit code council). Describes the I-Codes as "a family of fifteen coordinated, modern building safety codes," adopted in all fifty states and updated every three years through a governmental consensus process, and lists the titles, including the International Residential Code, International Building Code, International Energy Conservation Code and International Existing Building Code. Adoption and amendment happen locally. Verified 2026-10-09.
• ICC Digital Codes General (nonprofit code council). The council's online code library, which its own listings describe as offering a free basic view of the I-Codes and of jurisdiction-specific adoptions, with a paid tier adding commentary and revision history. The site loaded on the verification date but renders only in a browser, so the free-view description is as ICC states it rather than confirmed by reading the page. Verified 2026-10-09.
• NFPA: Free access to codes and standards General (nonprofit fire protection association). States that NFPA makes its codes and standards "available online to the public for free" through a read-only site where documents cannot be downloaded or printed; sign-in to a free profile is required. The National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) has its own development page. Verified 2026-10-09.

Construction education and extension resources

University extension services and industry associations writing for homeowners. Association pages promote their members; the method advice is still sound.

• Ohio State University Extension: Hiring a Contractor (PDF, Universal Design series) General (university extension). Explains that a general contractor takes charge of ordering materials, getting permits and hiring subcontractors, and that if you hire subs directly you "will become the general contractor with all the responsibility." Also: get everything in writing, ask the contractor and subs to certify their insurance, put start and completion dates and a maximum price in the contract, and never pay in full in advance. Verified 2026-10-09.
• University of Illinois Extension: A Kitchen Remodel, Excitement and Trepidation (blog, 2019) General (university extension). A first-person planning walk-through: research expected cost first, decide the budget and how to pay, get at least three written estimates "based on the same work," insist on a complete written contract (work, material quality, warranties, timetable, price, payment schedule) and beware anyone asking for full payment up front. Verified 2026-10-09.
• NAHB: Consumer Resources General (industry association, home builders). A knowledge center covering home buying, maintenance and design, remodeling, disaster preparedness and green building, plus a guide to buying a home, an article on choosing a builder, and a directory of local home builders associations for finding builders and remodelers in your area. Verified 2026-10-09.
• AIA: Before you begin your project General (industry association, architects). Owner self-assessment questions (what you can "realistically afford," time constraints, how much disruption you can tolerate, whether you will do any work yourself) and questions to ask an architect (fees and how scope changes affect them, cost-estimating experience, deliverables, services during construction). Notable: it recommends naming one primary contact to avoid "confusion and mixed messages." The association's longer "You and Your Architect" publication could not be located on the verification date. Verified 2026-10-09.
• CSI: MasterFormat 2026 and MasterFormat FAQs General (industry association, specifications). Describes MasterFormat as the construction industry's shared, standardized language for project documentation, organized by numbered divisions (01 General Requirements, 09 Finishes, 26 Electrical and so on) so that drawings, specifications, estimates and product data "point to the same intent." Notable: the FAQ states that MasterFormat does not contain specifications or templates, and that the full list is licensed, meaning it is a paid product. The pages do not state the total division count. Verified 2026-10-09.

Project management and safety references

Free, authoritative pages on commissioning (defining requirements, then verifying against them) and on what the law expects of an employer on a job site. The OSHA pages matter to a homeowner mainly as a picture of what attaches if you become an employer.

• WBDG: Building Commissioning, The Process General (nonprofit building sciences institute). Defines commissioning as the practice of verifying that planning, design, construction, testing, documentation and operation "conform to the Owner's Project Requirements (OPR)," across new construction and existing buildings. Institutional in focus, but the cycle of define requirements, verify, document transfers directly to a homeowner's project. The main wbdg.org pages were blank to automated tools during a site relaunch on the verification date; the legacy copies load. Verified 2026-10-09.
• WBDG: Roles and Responsibilities in the Commissioning Process General (nonprofit building sciences institute). The owner initiates the process, sets the scope, selects the commissioning provider and approves the requirements; the provider acts as "the general manager of the commissioning process"; the designers write commissioning requirements into the documents; the contractor is responsible for providing, installing and testing equipment. Notable: roles "ideally, are assigned at the predesign phase." Verified 2026-10-09.
• OSHA: Employer Responsibilities General (federal agency). The list of what an employer must do under the Occupational Safety and Health Act: keep the workplace "free from serious recognized hazards," provide safe tools and equipment, post warnings, train workers "in a language and vocabulary employees can understand," report a death within 8 hours and hospitalizations, amputations or eye loss within 24 hours, keep records, and not retaliate. Useful for seeing what attaches if a homeowner becomes an employer. Verified 2026-10-09.
• OSHA: 29 CFR 1926.32, Definitions (regulation text) General (federal agency). The construction-standard definitions of two terms you will hear on site. A "competent person" is one "capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards" who also has authority to correct them promptly; a "qualified" person is defined by degree, certificate, professional standing or demonstrated ability. Verified 2026-10-09.
• OSHA: Fall Protection in Residential Construction, Guidance Document (companion page: Fall protection in construction) General (federal agency). Explains that under 1926.501(b)(13) workers in residential construction six feet or more above a lower level must be protected by guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest, that fall restraint is accepted if rigged so the worker cannot reach the edge, and that where conventional protection is infeasible the employer "must instead implement a written fall protection plan." The document notes it "is not itself a standard or regulation." Useful for knowing what a roofer or framer's crew should be doing, not for doing it yourself. Verified 2026-10-09.

Sequencing examples

Two departments that publish an explicit inspection order. Compare them and notice they differ; the generic logic (nothing covered before inspection, trade rough-ins before framing and insulation, trade finals before the building final, Certificate of Occupancy last) is what the course teaches.

• City of College Station, TX: Inspections Location-specific (city building department, Texas). States that new single-family and duplex construction needs "a minimum of 12 inspections" and lists them in order: plumbing rough-in, building foundation, electrical rough-in, plumbing top-out, mechanical rough-in, framing, insulation, electrical new service, plumbing final, electrical final, mechanical final, building final. Notable: trade rough-ins may occur in any order but "before the framing inspection," trade finals in any order but before the building final, and each inspection must be approved before "proceeding to the next phase." Verified 2026-10-09.
• Town of Foxborough, MA: Inspection Info for New Construction Location-specific (town inspections department, Massachusetts). A ten-step minimum sequence: excavation, electrical grounding electrode if applicable, footing, foundation, rough plumbing, gas and electrical (only once the structure is weather-tight, meaning "roof installed, windows and doors in place, and siding installed"), rough framing with fire stopping, insulation, trade finals, a fire department inspection of smoke, heat and CO detection, and the final building inspection. Notable: blower-door and duct-leakage results and the energy compliance report must be posted at the panel before final, and the Certificate of Occupancy "indicates full project completion." Verified 2026-10-09.

See also, under Permits, plan review and inspections: the Seattle quick sheets (all rough-ins approved before framing and insulation), Phoenix (pre-concrete, framing, pre-drywall, final) and LADBS (inspection before anything is covered); and under Owner-builder responsibilities, the Oregon CCB notice on coordinating rough-in and finish trades.

Warranties and handover

Federal warranty basics for the products that go into a project, and one state's new-home warranty program as an example of what to look for in yours.

• FTC: Warranties General (federal agency). Written warranties "must be available for you to read before you buy"; what to check (duration, what is covered, whether the remedy is repair, replacement or refund, how to claim); get spoken promises in writing; service contracts and extended warranties are not warranties; keep receipts. Notable: implied warranties of merchantability and fitness arise under state law and can last "as long as four years in some states." Verified 2026-10-09.
• FTC: Businessperson's Guide to Federal Warranty Law General (federal agency). The Magnuson-Moss Act explained for sellers: it covers written warranties on consumer goods, and "Only warranties on goods are covered," though a warranty on parts and workmanship of a repair counts; warranties must be available before sale on products over $15 and titled "full" or "limited" on products over $10; a written warranty may not disclaim implied warranties, though a limited one may limit their duration. Relevant to the appliances, fixtures and materials in your project. Verified 2026-10-09.
• New Jersey DCA: Bureau of Homeowner Protection and Homeowner's Booklet (PDF, revised September 2025) Location-specific (state community affairs department, New Jersey). The bureau administers the state's New Home Warranty Program, builder registration and warranty claims. The booklet describes "a limited warranty, valid for periods of one, two and ten years": the builder is the warrantor in years one and two, years three to ten cover major structural defects, the clock starts at first occupancy or settlement, whichever is sooner, and the warranty must be assigned on resale; performance standards are appended. A model of what a state new-home warranty program looks like. Verified 2026-10-09.

Outside the United States

Pointers for readers in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The same pattern holds: the regulator's own page, in its own words, for one place.

• Ontario HCRA: Do You Need a Licence to Build or Sell in Ontario? Location-specific (provincial regulator, Ontario, Canada). A person building a home on their own land for their own use generally does not need a builder licence if they do not sell it. Notable: "an owner-built home is not eligible for warranty coverage" under the provincial new-home warranty plan, and the owner-builder "assumes the role of the builder," including workplace safety and insurance, municipal permits and contracting directly with trades. Verified 2026-10-09.
• City of Guelph, Ontario: Residential Building Permits Location-specific (city building department, Ontario, Canada). States that it is the homeowner's responsibility to obtain a building permit before starting any work, and that building without one "is illegal and a Provincial Offence." Notable: "Inspections do not happen automatically"; the owner books them with 48 hours' notice, and electrical permits and inspections are handled by the provincial Electrical Safety Authority, not the city. Verified 2026-10-09.
• UK Planning Portal Location-specific (government-backed service, England and Wales). Common-projects guidance, an interactive house covering "permitted development and building regulations," a building control section, online applications for planning permission or building control, and a local-council finder. Verified 2026-10-09.
• GOV.UK: Building regulations approval Location-specific (national government, United Kingdom). When approval is needed, local authority versus private registered building control, competent-person schemes where the installer handles approval, and the consequences of skipping it (prosecution or fines, paying to fix work, missing certificates when selling). Notable: "Building regulations approval is different from planning permission. You might need both." Verified 2026-10-09.
• LABC: Homeowners Location-specific (local authority building control body, England and Wales). The entry page to more than two hundred homeowner guides, including why you need a completion certificate, project guides for loft and garage conversions, a competent-person search, an inspection app and a link to the LABC warranty. Verified 2026-10-09.
• NSW Government: Owner-builder, when a permit is needed Location-specific (state government, New South Wales, Australia). An owner-builder permit is required when the reasonable market cost of the work exceeds $10,000 and no licensed builder is supervising; the applicant must be over 18, hold a white card, own or jointly own the property (or hold a registered three-year lease), intend to live there, complete education for work of $20,000 or more, and may hold one permit per five years. Notable: the permit is not a builder's licence and does not cover electrical, plumbing, gasfitting or air-conditioning work, and the owner-builder is "just as responsible for the building work as a fully licensed builder." Verified 2026-10-09.