What to Do First When a Contractor Walks Off Your Job
A contractor disappearing mid-project is common in Indiana. Here is the exact order of steps to protect your money, your permit, and your timeline.
An abandoned job site is one of the most stressful things a homeowner or investor can walk into. The good news: most of these projects are recoverable if you move in the right order.
1. Stop paying immediately
Do not release another draw, even if the contractor promises to return "next week." Money already paid is your leverage gone.
2. Document everything on site
Photograph every room, every rough-in, and every pile of material. Date-stamped photos become your baseline for what the next contractor inherits.
3. Check your permit status
Permits are pulled in someone's name. If your original contractor pulled it, the permit may need to be transferred or re-pulled before work can legally resume.
4. Get a real scope of the remaining work
A rescue estimate is not the same as a new-build estimate. You need a line-by-line list of what is finished, what is wrong, and what still has to happen.
What we do differently
On rescue projects we price the remaining scope as a fixed number and send daily photos so you always know what your money bought that day.
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