The contract with a renovation crew: what to include

Why a contract if the contractor seems “fine”

A contract isn't about distrust, it's so both sides understand the work the same way. Renovation disputes often start with different understandings: “I thought that was included in the price”, “how flat is flat”, “nobody discussed paying for extra work”. Writing it down settles these questions before they turn into a quarrel.

A renovation done to someone's order is a work contract (chapter 37 of part two of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). If the contractor is a company or a sole trader and the renovation is for personal needs, it's usually a consumer work contract (article 730), and the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” applies as well. Below is a summary of the articles; read them in their current wording at pravo.gov.ru. These are Russian rules; other countries have their own.

What to include: a list of terms

1. The parties and the property

Who the client is, who the contractor is (passport details or the details of the sole trader or company), the apartment address.

2. Scope of work

What is done - as an estimate or a list of work by room, with the design or diagrams attached if you have them. It helps when the list follows the renovation stages: demolition, partitions, plumbing, electrical, rough finishing, screed, waterproofing, tiling, walls, floors, final installation. Then each stage is a separate point of acceptance and payment.

3. Deadlines

Under article 708, a work contract states the start and end dates of the work and, if the parties agree, deadlines for individual stages. Write down the interim deadlines: without them it's hard to tell whether the crew is falling behind.

4. Price and estimate

Under article 709, the price (estimate) can be approximate or fixed; unless the contract says otherwise, it's considered fixed. If the price is approximate and extra work means it has to be exceeded significantly, the contractor must warn the client in good time. Write down how extra work is agreed: in writing and before it starts, with a price. How to draw up an estimate is in How to draw up a renovation estimate.

5. Payment terms

Under article 711, if the contract doesn't provide for prepayment of the work or its stages, the client pays after the final handover of the work. In practice people agree on stage payments: an advance for materials and payment for each accepted stage. More in Paying a crew by stage.

6. Materials

Under article 704, the work is done with the contractor's materials, by their own means, unless the contract says otherwise. Often the client buys the materials - then that needs to be written down. Under article 713, the contractor must use the client's material economically, report on its use after the work and return what's left. Write down who buys the rough materials and who buys the finishing ones: tiles, plumbing fixtures, doors.

7. Quality requirements

Since 1 February 2026, Amendment No. 3 to SP 71.13330.2017 has been in force: the quality of plastering must meet the client's requirements (clause 7.2.13), tiling must meet the client's requirements (clause 7.4.17), and the surface category for tiles is set by the design (clause 7.4.4). The tolerance tables were removed from the code. So the contract states:

• the plaster grade and the permitted wall deviations - for example, the former values of table 7.4 as a guideline;
• the surface category for the finish: for tiles, wallpaper, paint;
• tile tolerances: flatness, joint width;
• screed flatness for your floor covering.

Which figures to use and how to check them is in Wall flatness: how to check it and what to put in the contract.

8. Acceptance

Under article 720, the client inspects and accepts the work with the contractor taking part and reports any deviations straight away. Write down:

• acceptance is stage by stage, each stage has a certificate or a note of acceptance;
• hidden work - pipes, cables, underfloor heating, waterproofing - is accepted before it's closed up;
• the contractor photographs hidden work: each wall in full, a tape measure in the shot;
• the water pressure test and the insulation measurement are done in the client's presence or with a report;
• remarks are given in writing, each with a deadline for the fix.

9. Warranty

State the warranty period for the work and from which day it runs. Under article 724, if the contract has no warranty, claims about defects can be made within a reasonable time, but within two years from the day the work was handed over, unless otherwise established. What to do if a defect appears is in Warranty on renovation and materials.

10. Rules on site

• who removes construction waste and how;
• noisy work hours - they are set by regional law and the building's rules;
• rules for using the elevator and protecting the stairwell, if building management requires them;
• who is liable for damage to neighbors if they are flooded or common property is damaged;
• who keeps the keys and how to get into the property.

11. Termination

How the parties can end the contract, how completed work is counted, and what happens to materials and the advance.

Contract checklist

• A list of work or an estimate by room and stage.
• Start date, end date and stage deadlines.
• Fixed or approximate price; how extra work is agreed.
• Payment by stage after acceptance.
• Who buys materials, a report on their use.
• Requirements for walls, tiles and screed - in figures.
• Acceptance of stages and hidden work, photos, tests.
• Warranty period.
• Waste, noisy hours, damage to neighbors.
• Termination procedure.

How to run it in the Doma app

Put a scan of the signed contract and estimates in the “Documents” tab → “Contracts”. The route stages in the app match the acceptance points: the contractor checks off items and sends the stage for review, you accept or write remarks, and the decision stays in the property history. The contractor doesn't see the budget - only the owner and designer do. How to accept work stage by stage is in How to accept a crew's work.