Feature Contractor insurance
Pennsylvania sets $50,000 minimums for a contractor's injury and property damage coverage. Conshohocken's registration form asks for $100,000 or more.
Feature Remodeling allowances
Producer prices for plumbing fixture fittings rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026, to a record, a rise that a remodeling allowance can pass to you.
Feature Remodeling outlook
Harvard's Joint Center projects U.S. homeowner improvement and repair spending of $527 billion in the year to September 2027, up 1.5%.
Feature Contract clauses
Pennsylvania lets a homeowner void a home improvement contract that holds any of ten clauses, including a jury waiver and an attorney-fee clause.
Feature AG settlement
Gillece Services will pay $700,000 in restitution and must document sewer defects and confirm gas leaks before selling repairs, under an AG settlement.
Feature Deposit refunds
If no substantial work is done 45 days after the contract's start date, Pennsylvania law gives the contractor 10 days to refund a certified-mail request.
Feature Emergency work
To start emergency repairs without the three-day wait, Pennsylvania requires a written estimate and a signed card at least 4 by 6 inches.
Pennsylvania's home improvement law sets contractor registration, required contract terms, a one-third deposit cap and a three-day right to cancel.
Conshohocken, West Conshohocken, Plymouth and Whitemarsh each enforce the state building code through their own office. Who to call and what each asks for.
Producer prices for goods used in home repair and remodeling rose 7.7% in the year to August 2026. How to read that index and a quote.
Pennsylvania law requires a signed, written change order for any material change to the plans and caps the deposit. The payment schedule is yours to negotiate.
An unpaid contractor or subcontractor can file a lien against your house. Pennsylvania's Mechanics' Lien Law sets who can file, the deadlines and the owner's defenses.
| Date | Trend | Category | Title | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guide notes | Pennsylvania requires $50,000 in liability coverage from a home improvement contractor, and Conshohocken's registration form asks for at least $100,000 Feature | Pennsylvania sets $50,000 minimums for a contractor's injury and property damage coverage. Conshohocken's registration form asks for $100,000 or more. | ||
| Guide notes | Plumbing fitting prices rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026, a record, which can push a remodel past the allowances in its quote Feature | Producer prices for plumbing fixture fittings rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026, to a record, a rise that a remodeling allowance can pass to you. | ||
| Data | Harvard's Joint Center projects homeowners will spend $527 billion on improvements and repairs in the year to September 2027, up 1.5% Feature | Harvard's Joint Center projects U.S. homeowner improvement and repair spending of $527 billion in the year to September 2027, up 1.5%. | ||
| Rules | Pennsylvania lets a homeowner void a home improvement contract that contains any of ten clauses, from confession of judgment to attorney fees Feature | Pennsylvania lets a homeowner void a home improvement contract that holds any of ten clauses, including a jury waiver and an attorney-fee clause. | ||
| Rules | A sewer and heating company will pay $700,000 in restitution under a Pennsylvania Attorney General settlement that sets rules for its diagnoses Feature | Gillece Services will pay $700,000 in restitution and must document sewer defects and confirm gas leaks before selling repairs, under an AG settlement. | ||
| Rules | A Pennsylvania contractor must refund a deposit within 10 days of a certified-mail request once a job is more than 45 days past its start date Feature | If no substantial work is done 45 days after the contract's start date, Pennsylvania law gives the contractor 10 days to refund a certified-mail request. | ||
| Rules | Pennsylvania lets you give up the three-day right to cancel emergency repairs only by signing a 4-by-6-inch card after a written estimate Feature | To start emergency repairs without the three-day wait, Pennsylvania requires a written estimate and a signed card at least 4 by 6 inches. | ||
| Rules | Pennsylvania lets you cancel a home improvement contract within three business days of signing and requires a refund within ten Feature | Pennsylvania lets you cancel a home improvement contract within three business days of signing, and the contractor must refund you within ten business days. | ||
| Data | Prices of goods for home repair rose 9.7% in the year to September 2026, the largest gain since November 2022 Feature | The BLS index of goods for home repair reached a record 342.8 in September 2026, up 9.7% on the year, and its energy part rose 13.5% in a month. | ||
| Rules | On a $45,000 remodel, Pennsylvania law caps the deposit at $15,000 plus any special-order materials the contract names Feature | Pennsylvania caps the deposit on a home improvement job over $5,000 at one-third of the price, $15,000 on a $45,000 job, plus designated special-order materials. | ||
| Guide notes | Pennsylvania caps a time-and-materials home improvement bill at 10% above the written estimate unless both sides sign a change order Feature | On a $20,000 time-and-materials estimate, Pennsylvania law caps the bill at $22,000 unless you and the contractor sign a written change order. | ||
| Rules | Pennsylvania opened a 120-day public comment period on the 2024 building codes, running to February 2, 2027 Feature | Pennsylvania's code council takes comments on the 2024 model building codes from October 5, 2026, to February 2, 2027, one code section per form. | ||
| Data | Montgomery County permits for new homes fell 10.4% in 2025, to 2,231 units, as single-family permits dropped 34.8% Feature | Montgomery County permits covered 2,231 new housing units in 2025, 10.4% fewer than in 2024. Single-family units fell 34.8%, Census data show. | ||
| Data | Plumbers earned a median $35.99 an hour in the Philadelphia area in May 2025, the most of nine home repair trades Feature | Plumbers' median wage in the Philadelphia area was $35.99 an hour in May 2025 and construction laborers' $26.50, BLS estimates show. | ||
| Data | Prices of goods for home repair and remodeling hit a record in August 2026, with steel up 23.4% Feature | The BLS index of goods used in home repair and remodeling reached 336.7 in August 2026, up 7.7% on the year. Steel rose 23.4% and gypsum 0.2%. |