About the Authors
Bill Dexter is the former Director of the California Center for Construction Education for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a nationally recognized risk management-consultant. His industry training company serves construction organizations nationwide in the areas of liability mitigation. His overall experience in construction activities spans 34 years as a craftsman, business owner, contractor, consultant, educator and trainer. He is a former National Panelist for the American Arbitration Association.
Bill has participated as an industry spokesman before The American Institute of Architects, The Construction Specifications Institute, The Texas Society of Architects, The National Utility Locating Contractors Association, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, and the California and Nevada Contractors State License Board. His video and television broadcast on establishing a code of ethics for contractors, produced in cooperation with the Contractors State License Board is setting new standards for consumer service.
Bill authored the book and seminar entitled "HAVING IT BUILT" and "THE LIGHT GAUGE STEEL FRAMING MANUAL" for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. He has numerous articles published in national professional magazines on risk management for architects and builders.
Mary S. Jones is an attorney and has practiced law in California for over 20 years. Since 1994, Ms. Jones has devoted her practice principally to alternate dispute resolution. She is a full-time professional neutral, specializing in arbitrating and mediating all types of business disputes. Mary has been on the Panel of Arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association since 1982 and over the past 5 years she has arbitrated and/or mediated more than 300 matters. Her experience in contract language and performance spans two decades.
Mary is a member of the Century City Bar Association and has served on the Board of Governors since 1996.Ý She served as Corporate Counsel Section Chair since 1993 and Alternate Dispute Resolution Section Chair since 1999. Her involvement in continuing education for the Industry and the bar has been a focal point in her distinguished career. In 1991 and 1992, Mary was a volunteer trainer for the American Arbitration Association Advanced Training of Commercial and Construction Arbitrators. From 1982 to 1988, Mary was a Referee for the State Bar of California where she heard admissions and discipline cases.
Mary is a frequent presenter for the California Contractors State License Board on topics of Alternative Dispute Resolution and creating effective contracts for residential and light commercial projects.
This self-study contract course on CD-ROM contains background information on the nature of contracts, the legal consequences of contract language and tips to writing your own contract. The sample contract that is included on the disk can be modified to suit the manner in which each contractor manages his or her business and can be used after review by an attorney. This is a study course to write an agreement for contractors to be used with owners for new construction or home improvement projects. The contract course lists notices required by Contractors License Law and provides templates for creating a detailed schedule of costs, a project schedule, a suggested format for billing and budget reporting and many other documents and forms that can be adapted to any residential or light commercial project. This course is not a substitute for legal advice.