A homeowner asks a contractor to begin a $15,000 kitchen remodel based only on a verbal agreement. The contractor should:

Explanation

B&P §7159(a) requires a home improvement contract, and any change to it, to be in writing and signed by the parties before the work it covers begins, once the aggregate price exceeds $500. A $15,000 remodel on a handshake is unenforceable by the contractor and is cause for discipline, so the size of the job is no reason to start. Taking the deposit first fails twice over: the contract must come first, and §7159.5 caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less - here $1,000, not the $1,500 that 10% would give. And papering the contract later, whether at the first billing or at the end, does not cure work that began without one.