Maine Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement) (2026)

A contract between a homeowner and a contractor for building, remodeling or repair work — scope, schedule, price, payment milestones, change orders, insurance, warranty and the notices your state requires in the contract.

Updated September 2026≈ 9 minReviewed against 10 M.R.S. § 1487 · 16 C.F.R. § 429.1

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What you'll get

Sample first page of the Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement). Your answers fill in the blanks; the clauses required in Maine are added automatically.

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What this document covers

Owner, contractor and licence number
Project address and full scope of work
Start date and substantial completion date
Fixed price, cost-plus or time and materials
Down payment inside your state's legal cap
Payment milestones tied to the work
Written change-order procedure
Permits, inspections and code compliance
General liability and workers' compensation
Warranty, termination, disputes and the notices your state mandates

Maine rules that this document follows

Contractor license	Not confirmed — no statewide residential contractor licence was found; a city or county registration may still apply
License number on the contract	Not required by a confirmed statute; printing it anyway is good practice
Written contract required	Above $3,000.00 — A home construction contract over $3,000 must be in writing and must state the parties, the property, the estimated start and completion dates, the total price or the cost-plus formula, the payment method, a description of the work and materials, a warranty statement, the dispute-resolution option chosen, the change-order procedure and the Attorney General's consumer information.Source: 10 M.R.S. § 1487
Down payment cap	one-third of the contract price — The initial down payment on a home construction contract is limited to no more than one-third of the total contract price.Source: 10 M.R.S. § 1487
Required notices	DISPUTE RESOLUTIONSource: 10 M.R.S. § 1487
Right to cancel	3 business days — Federal law gives the owner three business days to cancel a home improvement sale of $25 or more that was signed away from the contractor's regular place of business (at the owner's home, a fair, a hotel or a jobsite). The contract must carry the cancellation notice and two copies of a cancellation form.Source: 16 C.F.R. § 429.1(a) (FTC Cooling-Off Rule)

Rules current as of 2026-09-14. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement) in Maine

In Maine the contract is regulated, not just recommended: A home construction contract over $3,000 must be in writing and must state the parties, the property, the estimated start and completion dates, the total price or the cost-plus formula, the payment method, a description of the work and materials, a warranty statement, the dispute-resolution option chosen, the change-order procedure and the Attorney General's consumer information. (10 M.R.S. § 1487) This template writes the scope, the dates, the price, the payment milestones and the change-order rule into one document and prints the notices your state requires around it.

Price the job in one of three ways. A fixed price puts the risk of overruns on the contractor and is what most homeowners should ask for. Cost plus a fee makes sense for open-ended renovation, but only with a not-to-exceed number and access to the books. Time and materials suits small repairs where nobody can scope the work in advance. Whatever you choose, the money at signing is capped: one-third of the contract price (10 M.R.S. § 1487). Tie the rest to milestones a person can stand in the room and verify — never to a calendar.

No statewide residential contractor licence was confirmed for Maine, so check whether the city or county registers contractors before the work starts. Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance and, where the contractor has employees, workers' compensation. An uninsured injury on your property is the one construction risk a homeowner cannot fix afterwards.

The contract has to carry the notices Maine prescribes — DISPUTE RESOLUTION — and this template prints each of them. If the owner signs anywhere other than the contractor's regular place of business, the federal Cooling-Off Rule gives three business days to cancel and requires two copies of a cancellation form (16 C.F.R. § 429.1(a) (FTC Cooling-Off Rule)). Sign before any work begins, hand the owner a full copy the same day, and collect a lien waiver with every payment.

Frequently asked questions

Does Maine require a written home improvement contract?

Yes, above $3,000.00. A home construction contract over $3,000 must be in writing and must state the parties, the property, the estimated start and completion dates, the total price or the cost-plus formula, the payment method, a description of the work and materials, a warranty statement, the dispute-resolution option chosen, the change-order procedure and the Attorney General's consumer information. (10 M.R.S. § 1487)

How big a down payment can a contractor ask for in Maine?

Yes. Maine limits the down payment to one-third of the contract price (10 M.R.S. § 1487). Taking more is a licensing violation, and the owner can normally recover the excess.

Can I cancel a signed contract in Maine?

Usually yes. Federal law gives the owner three business days to cancel a home improvement sale of $25 or more that was signed away from the contractor's regular place of business (at the owner's home, a fair, a hotel or a jobsite). The contract must carry the cancellation notice and two copies of a cancellation form. (16 C.F.R. § 429.1(a) (FTC Cooling-Off Rule)) If the contract was signed at the contractor's own showroom or office, that federal right does not apply and the contract's own termination clause governs.

What notices must the contract itself contain in Maine?

These: DISPUTE RESOLUTION (10 M.R.S. § 1487). This template prints each of them, using the statutory wording where the statute prescribes the words.

Does the contractor's license number have to be on the contract?

No statewide residential contractor licence was confirmed for Maine. Local registration may still apply, so check the city or county before signing.

Who pays if a subcontractor liens my house after I paid the contractor?

In most states the lien attaches to the house even though the owner paid, which is why this contract makes the contractor pay downstream and deliver a lien waiver with every payment. Collect the waivers before releasing each milestone, and keep the final payment until the last waiver is in hand.

Other names

home improvement contract
residential construction contract
remodeling contract
contractor agreement
general contractor contract
home remodeling agreement
renovation contract
construction agreement homeowner
home repair contract
builder contract

Other states

FormsByState provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. For advice about your situation consult a licensed attorney in your state.