10 Things to Know Before Taking On a New Project 承接新工程前必须知道的 10 件事
A free plain-language starter guide from Contractor Alliance. Print it, save it, share it. 承包商联盟出品的免费通俗入门指南。可以打印、保存、分享。
1Vet the client before you vet the project先审查客户，再审查项目
A project’s risk often starts with who’s paying. Before you bid, ask other contractors about the client, check for past payment disputes, and look up the property’s history. A bad payer with a good project is still a bad project. 项目的风险常常从付款方开始。投标前，向其他承包商打听这位客户，查一下过往是否有付款纠纷，查一下该物业的历史。付款差的客户，再好的项目也是坏项目。
2Never start work without a signed contract没有签合同，绝不开工
Verbal promises don’t hold up when money is disputed. Your contract should spell out scope, price, payment schedule, change-order process, and what happens if payment is late. If a client won’t sign, that’s your answer. 一旦涉及工程款纠纷，口头承诺站不住脚。合同应写明工程范围、价格、付款节点、变更单流程，以及逾期付款怎么办。如果客户不愿签字，这本身就是答案。
3Price the job, then protect the price先算好价格，再保护好价格
Document what your price is based on — labor, materials, timeline. When the client asks for extras, put every change in a written change order with a price before you do the work. Free extras are the fastest way to lose money. 把报价依据留档——人工、材料、工期。客户要求加项时，先签书面变更单、定好价格再干活。免费加项是亏钱最快的方式。
4Set payment milestones, not just a finish line设置付款节点，不要只看尾款
Structure payments around milestones — deposit, rough-in, completion — so you’re never too deep before money moves. Be wary of jobs that demand heavy upfront work with payment “at the end.” 按节点设置付款——定金、隐蔽工程验收、完工——别让自己垫得太深再等钱。对要求前期大量投入、尾款才结算的项目要警惕。
5Know your lien rights and their deadlines了解你的留置权和它的期限
Mechanic’s lien laws protect contractors who go unpaid, but every state has strict notice and filing deadlines — miss one and the right disappears. Learn your state’s rules before you need them, not after. 工程款留置权（mechanic’s lien）法律保护拿不到钱的承包商，但每个州都有严格的通知和登记期限——错过就失效。在需要之前先学好你所在州的规则，而不是之后。
6Document everything with photos and dates用照片和日期记录一切
Take dated photos of conditions before, during, and after your work. Save texts and emails about scope and payment. When a dispute arises, the contractor with records wins the argument that the contractor with only memory loses. 开工前、施工中、完工后，都拍下带日期的现场照片。保存好关于工程范围和付款的短信和邮件。发生纠纷时，有记录的承包商能赢下这场争论，只靠记忆的承包商会输。
7Communicate in writing, not just by phone书面沟通，不只打电话
Phone calls are fast; written records are proof. After any important call, send a short email confirming what was agreed. “Per our call today…” has saved more contractors than any tool in the truck. 电话快，书面记录才是证据。重要通话后，发一封简短邮件确认达成的一致。“按我们今天电话所说……”这句话救过的承包商，比车上任何工具都多。
8Check the address history查一下这个地址的历史
Construction happens at real locations, and project history matters. Ask around or search whether prior contractors had payment or dispute problems at this property. Patterns repeat — make sure you’re not next. 建筑发生在真实的地点，项目历史很重要。打听或查一下这个地址之前的承包商是否遇到过付款或纠纷问题。模式会重演——别让自己成为下一个。
9Know when to walk away知道什么时候该转身离开
Red flags — no written contract, vague scope, pressure to start tomorrow, “we’ll figure out payment later” — are the project telling you the ending upfront. Walking away from a bad job is not losing work; it’s protecting your business. 危险信号——不签书面合同、范围含糊、催你明天就开工、“付款以后再说”——这些就是项目提前告诉你的结局。放弃一个坏项目不是丢业务，是在保护你的企业。
10Share your experience professionally以专业的方式分享你的经验
When a project goes wrong, write down what happened — factually, professionally — and share it with other contractors through proper channels. Your experience is the warning that saves the next contractor. That’s how the industry gets healthier. 项目出问题时，把经过写下来——基于事实、专业表达——通过正规渠道分享给其他承包商。你的经验就是救下下一个承包商的预警。行业就是这样变健康的。
You don’t have to learn the hard way你不必非要吃亏才学会
Contractor Alliance exists so contractors can learn from each other’s project experiences — before signing, before mobilizing, before the dispute. Join the community, and help balance the review system. 承包商联盟的存在，就是让承包商能从彼此的项目经验中学习——在签约之前，在进场之前，在纠纷发生之前。加入社区，一起平衡评价体系。