How do you take over a job another contractor abandoned?
Short answer. Never inherit the previous contractor's liability: sign a new written contract for your scope, pull permits in your name, have existing work inspected, and document pre-existing conditions. The homeowner may recover through the Guaranty Fund.
Work it through
You're the contractor. Pick what you'd do, then see how each choice plays out.
A previous contractor abandoned a bathroom renovation halfway through. The homeowner hired you to finish it. When you arrive, you find: open walls with exposed wiring, disconnected plumbing, no permits on file, and substandard framing.
"Just finish what he started. I already paid him $18,000."
- Correct
Never inherit another contractor's liability. You need: (1) a new written contract for YOUR scope of work; (2) permits in YOUR name; (3) inspection of all existing work before building on it; (4) documentation of pre-existing conditions. Advise the homeowner to file with the MHIC — they may recover through the Guaranty Fund. The previous contractor's unpermitted, abandoned work is their violation, not yours — unless you build on top of it.
- Dangerous
Building on top of unpermitted, uninspected, substandard work makes YOU liable for the entire project. If that exposed wiring causes a fire, or the framing fails, the inspector isn't going to care that someone else started it. The moment you continue work without permits and inspections, you own every deficiency. Pull permits, get the existing work inspected, fix what's wrong, then proceed.
- Wrong
A waiver doesn't protect you from building code violations, inspection failures, or personal injury. If you build on substandard framing and it fails, 'the homeowner signed a waiver' doesn't hold up. You cannot waive code compliance. Get permits, get the existing work inspected, fix what's wrong, and proceed properly. That's the only way to protect both of you.
All 26 permits, inspections & building codes questions
- Who is responsible for permits on a Maryland home improvement job?
- Can you skip permits if the homeowner asks you to?
- How do you build permit costs into a contract?
- Which home projects need a permit in Maryland?
- Do cosmetic bathroom refreshes in rentals need permits?
- What happens when an inspector finds work without a permit?
- What is your liability when unpermitted work fails?
- How should you handle a problem the inspector finds?
- Why do building inspections happen in stages?
- How do you get a building permit approved faster?
- Where is fire blocking required under IRC R302.11?
- When does a basement bedroom need an egress window?
- Where are smoke alarms required after a renovation?
- Can a homeowner refuse GFCI outlets in the kitchen?
- When does a deck stairway need a handrail?
- Does a bathroom need an exhaust fan under the IRC?
- How must a deck ledger be attached to the house?
- How is energy code compliance checked on an addition?
- Does the ADA apply to a single-family bathroom remodel?
- When does a retaining wall need an engineered design?
- What is required before removing a load-bearing wall?
- Can you build a deck over a utility easement?
- When does a patio trigger stormwater management in Maryland?
- Does a building permit override HOA approval?
- How do you take over a job another contractor abandoned?
- How do you assess a homeowner's failed DIY renovation?