Louisiana contract template: what you are required to include, and how much deposit you can take

Published November 3, 2026 · Louisiana statutes, Acts 757 and 908 of 2026 and the FTC Cooling-Off Rule checked November 3, 2026

• Free. The download links come by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and what it doesn't do.
• Not legal advice. Have a Louisiana attorney read the template before you use it.

Louisiana requires a written contract for every job that needs a license or registration from the State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC): repairs and remodels of an existing home at $7,500 or more, new homes at $50,000 or more, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing work at $10,000 or more.¹² The contract has to carry six things, including your license number and your insurance certificates, and no work may start before everyone signs. There is no cap on deposits. But if you take a payment and then do no work for 45 days, the criminal code lets a prosecutor infer residential contractor fraud, unless your contract set a longer period.³

I read the statutes for this on November 3, 2026, including two 2026 acts that the legislature's own statute pages don't show yet: Act 757 raised the liability insurance minimum to $500,000 on August 1, and Act 908 moves plumber licensing to the LSLBC on January 1, 2027. The template is a complete residential contract with every clause below already in it. Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs, download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Does Louisiana's contract law apply to you?

The rule is La. R.S. 37:2159, and its first words set the scope: "Every agreement to perform contracting services that requires licensure or registration as defined by this Chapter."¹ So the question is whether your job needs anything from the LSLBC. That turns on project value, which "includes the entire cost of the labor, materials, rentals, and all direct and indirect project expenses," counted "regardless of who pays the costs."² A $6,000 labor quote on a bathroom where the owner buys $3,000 of tile is a $9,000 project. And splitting one job into two contracts doesn't help: the board treats "the divided parts" as one.⁴

Thresholds are from R.S. 37:2150.1, with the four-unit roofing rule from Act 757 of 2026 and the roofing classification from R.S. 37:2156.4.²⁵⁶ One odd thing if you read the board's rule book: its classification list still says home improvement "is limited to a value of $75,000."⁷ The statute says "less than fifty thousand dollars," and the statute wins.

By trade, here's who the rule reaches:

• General and residential contractors. Every residential job from $7,500 and every new home from $50,000. Commercial jobs from $50,000 too, though this template is written for homes.
• Home improvement registrants. Every job you can legally take, since your registration starts at $7,500 and stops below $50,000. It never covers structural work or roofing systems, so those jobs need a residential license.²
• Roofers. Since January 1, 2026, residential roofing from $7,500 needs the Residential Roofing or Residential Construction classification, and since August 1, 2026 that covers buildings of up to four units.⁵⁸ The contract rule applies, and so do the insurance-claim rules further down.
• Electricians, HVAC and mechanical contractors, plumbers. Any job of $10,000 or more needs your LSLBC license, so the contract rule applies to it. R.S. 37:2157(A) exempts "Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing licensees who are acting exclusively within the scope of their classification" from the licensing law. Act 757 of 2026 moved that line from (A)(19) to (A)(18) and then repealed the empty (A)(19), which is easy to misread as a repeal of the exemption; the board's August 2026 law book still prints the old numbering.⁶⁹ For a residential trade job between $7,500 and $10,000, call the board (225-765-2301) and ask which license it needs.
• Plumbers, from 2027. On January 1, 2027, Act 908 abolishes the State Plumbing Board, moves plumber licensing to the LSLBC, and drops the $10,000 floor from the definition of a plumbing contractor.¹⁰ My reading: from then on every plumbing job needs an LSLBC license, and so every plumbing job falls under the contract rule. Start using the contract now.
• Landscapers and interior painters. The law exempts work "exclusively" in landscaping or interior painting and wall covering from home improvement licensing, so 2159 doesn't reach it by its words.⁹ The federal 3-day rule still does when you sell at the home.

Under the thresholds nothing forces a written contract. Use one anyway. It's the only record of what you promised, and Louisiana's residential contractor fraud statute covers "any alteration, repair, modification, construction, or other improvement" to a home, whatever the price.³

What a Louisiana home improvement contract must include

R.S. 37:2159(A) lists six items. Here they are in the statute's words, with what I put in the template for each.¹

1. The complete agreement and the documents that are part of it

The statute: "The complete agreement between the parties, including a clear description of any other documents which are or shall be incorporated into the agreement." Plans, specs, your estimate and the selection sheets are part of the deal only if the contract says so. Section 1 of the template is a checklist of those documents with dates, and a line that says which one wins if two disagree. Sample wording: "This contract, plus the documents checked below, is the complete agreement between you and us about this work."

2. Your full name, address and license number

The statute: "The full names, addresses, and the license number of the contractor." Use your name exactly as it is on your license. The board's rules say a licensee "shall bid, contract, and perform work in the name as it appears on the current license or registration," and contracting under any other name is a separate violation.⁷⁴ Page 1 of the template has your legal name, address, license number and classification, and the owner's details below it.

3. A description of the work

The statute: "A description of the work to be performed." Section 2 holds a plain description, what's included and what isn't, and a hidden-conditions clause. Appendix A is the line-by-line scope with brands, models and quantities. Write it like you'll have to defend it, because you might.

4. The price, or an approximation of the owner's cost

The statute: "(a) The total amount agreed to be paid for the work to be performed under the contract. (b) An approximation of the cost expected to be borne by the owner under a cost-plus contract or a time-and-materials contract." On cost-plus and time-and-materials jobs that approximation is required. Section 3.3 of the template: "We expect the total cost to you to be about $[Estimate]. We will not go more than [10]% over that figure without your written approval on a change order."

5. The signatures of all parties

The statute: "The signature of all parties." The board can also discipline you for "Failure to have a written contract signed and dated by all parties," so every signature line in the template has a date next to it, and there's room for two owners.⁴

6. Your insurance certificates

The statute: "Current certificates of insurance providing proof of workers' compensation coverage and the amount of liability coverage maintained for any licensee for which insurance is a requirement." Insurance is required for residential construction and its subclassifications (roofing included), home improvement and mold remediation. Since August 1, 2026 the minimum liability coverage for those licensees is $500,000, up from $100,000.⁶⁸ Appendix B is where the certificates go.

Two more rules sit in 2159(B): "At the time of signing, all parties shall be furnished with a copy of the signed contract. No work shall begin prior to the signing of the contract by all parties." The signature page has a box the owner initials to confirm they got their copy.

The statute doesn't require a start date, a payment schedule, a change order process or a warranty. The template has all four. The start date matters most in Louisiana, for the reason in the next section.

How much deposit can a contractor ask for in Louisiana?

Louisiana has no deposit cap. I went through the contractor licensing chapter (R.S. 37:2150 to 2166, with the 2026 amendments), the board's rules, the home solicitation statutes, the deductible statutes, the misapplication statutes in the criminal and civil codes, and the residential contractor fraud statute. None sets a percentage, and none requires an escrow or trust account or a separate bank account. So when a contractor on Reddit asks "are you allowed legally to charge that much deposit?"¹¹, in Louisiana the statutes say yes. What limits the deposit is what you do after you take it.

The 45-day rule

R.S. 14:202.1 defines residential contractor fraud as misappropriating anything of value "by a person who has contracted to perform any home improvement or residential construction," and says the taking "may be inferred" when the contractor "Fails to perform any work during a forty-five-day period of time or longer after receiving payment, unless a longer period is specified in the contract."³ The penalties are on a scale: up to six months for less than $1,000, up to ten years for $5,000 to $25,000, and up to twenty years at hard labor at $25,000 or more, plus full restitution.

The "unless a longer period is specified in the contract" part is the one to use. If your windows have a ten-week lead time or your roofing crew is booked two months out, say so in the contract. Section 5.2 of the template sets the start date and the number of days after the deposit, and 5.3 is a checkbox for a longer period with the reason written in.

Spend the deposit on the job

R.S. 14:202 makes it a crime for a contractor who "has received money on account of a contract for the construction, erection, or repair of a building" to "knowingly fail to apply the money received as necessary to settle claims for material and labor due for the construction or under the contract."¹² The civil version, R.S. 9:4856, adds penalties of up to $1,000 for every $1,000 misapplied, plus attorney fees.¹³ And since August 1, 2026 the board can discipline you for "Failure to pay for materials or services rendered... when the contractor has received sufficient funds as payment."⁶ In plain terms: the deposit on the Smith job pays the supply house for the Smith job.

Setting the payment schedule

With no cap, size the deposit to what you'll spend before the first milestone: the special-order materials for that job and the cost of getting started. I wouldn't ask for more than that. Then tie each payment to something the owner can see, like delivery, a passed rough-in inspection or substantial completion, and keep a final payment for after the punch list. Section 4 of the template is that table, with a line that says the deposit is fully refunded if the owner cancels within three business days.

Cancellation: Louisiana's 3-day rule and the FTC rule

Two rules give the homeowner three business days to cancel, and on most jobs you sell at the kitchen table both apply.

Louisiana's home solicitation rule

R.S. 9:2711.1 covers a "noncredit home solicitation sale": a consumer sale with "a cash price of twenty-five dollars or more" where you personally solicit the sale anywhere other than your business and the customer agrees there too. It also covers phone sales you started that the customer accepts at home. It doesn't cover a sale the customer started by calling or visiting your business, or one that follows negotiations at your business.¹⁴ Credit sales are covered by R.S. 9:3538 directly.¹⁵

The customer can cancel "until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the consumer signs."¹⁵ The contract must be dated the day the customer signs and carry a statement "under the conspicuous caption: 'CONSUMER'S RIGHT TO CANCEL'" in wording the statute prescribes. Section 15 of the template has it word for word. Until you give that notice, the customer can cancel "in any manner and by any means."¹⁶

The FTC Cooling-Off Rule

The federal rule (16 CFR Part 429) covers a consumer sale made at the buyer's home for $25 or more, or at another temporary location for $130 or more. You must put a bold statement of the right to cancel next to the buyer's signature, hand over two completed copies of a "Notice of Cancellation" form, tell the buyer about the right out loud, and refund "all payments made under the contract" within 10 business days of a cancellation.¹⁷ The template has the statement above the signature lines and the two forms as Appendices D and E.

Louisiana accepts the federal notice: compliance with the FTC rule "shall constitute compliance" with the state notice rule.¹⁶ The template carries both anyway. They say the same thing.

Where the two rules differ

• Cancellation fee. Louisiana lets a seller keep "five percent of the cash price but not exceeding the amount of the cash down payment."¹⁸ The FTC rule treats a state law that permits "any fee or penalty on the buyer for the exercise of such right" as directly inconsistent with it.¹⁷ Refund everything. The template charges no fee.
• Emergencies. Louisiana drops the right when the customer asks for the work "without delay because of an emergency" and you've made a good-faith "substantial beginning."¹⁵ The FTC exemption is narrower: the buyer must have contacted you and must give you "a separate dated and signed personal statement in the buyer's handwriting describing the situation requiring immediate remedy and expressly acknowledging and waiving the right to cancel."¹⁷ Follow the federal version. Section 15.4 of the template does.

One more reason not to start early: if the customer cancels, Louisiana says you are "entitled to no compensation" for services already performed.¹⁹ Wait out the three business days.

After the three days

The Civil Code gives the owner a broader right. Under article 2765 the owner can "cancel at pleasure the bargain he has made, even in case the work has already been commenced, by paying the undertaker for the expense and labor already incurred, and such damages as the nature of the case may require."²⁰ Section 16 of the template spells out what the owner pays if they use it.

If you've read older guides: Louisiana used to let homeowners cancel a roofing contract within 72 hours after their insurer denied the claim. That rule was in R.S. 37:2175.1, which Act 195 of 2022 repealed.²¹

Other notices and paperwork

Jobs paid from an insurance claim

This matters most to roofers and anyone doing storm or water work. R.S. 51:452 says a contract "reasonably expected to be paid wholly or partly with the proceeds from a claim under a property insurance policy" with a price of $1,000 or more "shall contain the following notice in at least twelve-point boldfaced type." The notice tells the owner they must pay their deductible and that it's illegal for you to help them skip it.²² Section 14 of the template has the exact wording in 12-point bold. R.S. 51:451 bars you from paying, waiving, absorbing or rebating the deductible, or padding the price to cover it, with a fine of up to $500 per offense.²³

R.S. 37:2159.1 adds more. You may not interpret the owner's policy, act as their public adjuster, or present a repair agreement "without first providing a good faith estimate of the itemized and detailed costs of services and materials." You also can't take an assignment of the owner's insurance benefits. The insurance code has made that void since 2023 ("A person shall not solicit or accept an assignment, in whole or in part, of any post-loss insurance benefit"), and Act 757 copied the ban into the contractor law on August 1, 2026: any "such assignment agreement shall be against public policy and void."²⁴⁶ Section 14 records the date you gave the estimate and says the claim stays the owner's.

Liens

Louisiana's Private Works Act gives contractors a privilege (the state's word for a lien) on the property "for the price of their work."²⁵ No lien notice has to go into the contract itself, but on an owner-occupied home you must hand the owner a separate signed "NOTICE OF LIEN RIGHTS" before or when they sign. The Residential Truth in Construction Act sets its wording, and if liens are later perfected on the job and you never gave it, the owner "shall be entitled to reasonable damages and attorney fees" unless you bond the liens or reimburse them.³⁶ The full notice is on our Louisiana mechanics lien page. Two deadlines matter. A general contractor files a statement of claim within 60 days after the owner files a notice of termination, or after substantial completion if they don't (if you filed a notice of contract, that second deadline becomes seven months).²⁶ And on any contract over $100,000 you lose the privilege unless you file a notice of contract before work starts.²⁷ Section 13 of the template covers both and has the owner agree to file the notice of termination when you ask.

New homes

If you build a new home, the New Home Warranty Act gives the owner a one-year warranty on materials and workmanship, two years on the plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling and ventilating systems, and five years on major structural defects. For an owner-occupied home those warranties "shall not be waived by the owner or reduced by the builder."²⁸ Section 10.3 of the template refers to them.

I found no Louisiana requirement for an arbitration notice or a recovery fund notice in a residential contract.

What happens if you get it wrong

• The contract still stands. "Contracts which fail to comply with the requirements of this Section shall not be invalid solely because of noncompliance."¹ The customer can't walk away from the price because you forgot the certificates.
• The board can fine you. Failing to comply with the chapter, or not having a contract "signed and dated by all parties," are grounds for discipline.⁴ The fine is "up to ten percent of the total contract," plus administrative costs and attorney fees.²⁹ On a $40,000 kitchen that's up to $4,000.
• A bad cancellation notice keeps the door open. Until you give the Louisiana notice, the customer can cancel "in any manner and by any means," and failing to comply is an unfair trade practice.¹⁶¹⁴ Under the Unfair Trade Practices Act the customer recovers actual damages and attorney fees, and three times the damages if you kept at it "after being put on notice by the attorney general."³⁰
• Working without the right license costs more. It's a misdemeanor with fines of up to $500 a day, and up to five years if someone is harmed by more than $300.³¹ You can't file a lien on that job.¹ Lacking "the required license" is also one of the facts from which residential contractor fraud may be inferred.³
• Sitting on a deposit can be a crime. See the 45-day rule above.

The Louisiana contract template

One contractor on Reddit put the usual approach plainly: "I got Chat GPT to write me up a contract template."³² Another said "just googling a contract and hoping for the best won't get one that's written specifically for the state he works in."³³ This one is written for Louisiana. What's in it:

• Page 1 with your name as licensed, LSLBC number and classification, the owner, the job address, where the contract was signed, the price type and the dates. The six required items are marked § throughout.
• The complete-agreement checklist, the scope, a fixed price or a cost-plus approximation, and a milestone payment schedule with the deposit line.
• A start date tied to the deposit, with a checkbox for a longer period (the 45-day rule), plus permits, written change orders, use of payments, license and insurance, and a workmanship warranty.
• A section for insurance-claim jobs with the 12-point deductible notice, the good faith estimate date and the no-assignment clause.
• The Louisiana "CONSUMER'S RIGHT TO CANCEL" statement, the federal statement above the signatures, and two Notice of Cancellation forms (Appendices D and E).
• Liens, the owner's Civil Code right to end the contract, disputes, signatures with dates, and a change order form.
• Appendix F: notes for you on thresholds, deposits and roofing. Delete it before you send the contract.

Copy it in Google Docs, or download the Word file or the PDF. Then pay a Louisiana attorney for an hour to read it against how you sell. That's a small cost next to a 10 percent fine.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors. You build quotes with options, and a shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every quote, so the Louisiana clauses from this template can sit there. The customer approves the quote online and signs it on screen. You can ask for a deposit, a percent or a fixed amount, which they pay by card when they approve, and the deposit is credited on the final invoice. On Pro, this Louisiana contract is built in. Attach it to the estimate, and the customer reads it on the quote page, notices included, and signs it when they approve; your saved signature goes on when you send, and you both get the signed copy to print or save as PDF. Template, not legal advice. Have it reviewed for your business. Deepsel doesn't know Louisiana law, though. The terms text alone won't add the notices, nothing attaches your insurance certificates for you, the 45-day start rule is yours to watch, and it takes the card deposit the moment the customer approves, so on a job sold at the home that money is still refundable for three business days. The Free plan covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team, with scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments, and customer and equipment records. Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices. Details are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

How much work can you do without a contractor license in Louisiana?

On an existing home, up to $7,499 in project value, and project value counts all labor and materials, even materials the homeowner buys. From $7,500 you need at least a home improvement registration from the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (R.S. 37:2150.1). New homes and commercial jobs need a license from $50,000, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing work from $10,000. Splitting one job into smaller contracts doesn't get you under a line: the board treats the pieces as one job (R.S. 37:2158(B)). Parishes and cities can add their own requirements (R.S. 37:2160), and plumbers hold an individual plumbing license, issued by the State Plumbing Board until the LSLBC takes it over on January 1, 2027.

What should be in a Louisiana home improvement contract?

Six things are required by R.S. 37:2159: the complete agreement with a list of any documents that are part of it, your full name, address and LSLBC license number, a description of the work, the total price (or, for cost-plus and time-and-materials work, an approximation of the owner's total cost), the signatures of all parties, and current certificates of workers' compensation and liability insurance. Give everyone a signed copy at signing, and start no work before then. I'd add a start date (because of the 45-day rule in R.S. 14:202.1), a payment schedule, written change orders, a warranty, and the 3-day cancellation notices for any job sold at the customer's home.

What makes a contract legally binding in Louisiana?

Under the Louisiana Civil Code, a contract is formed by the consent of the parties through offer and acceptance, which can be oral, written or shown by conduct unless the law requires a particular form (article 1927). The parties need capacity (article 1918), the obligation needs a lawful cause (article 1966), and the object must be lawful, possible and determined or determinable (article 1971). For licensed contracting work the law also requires a written, signed contract (R.S. 37:2159). A contract that misses some of 2159's items is not invalid for that reason alone, but missing them is a licensing violation the board can fine.

Does a handyman need a license in Louisiana?

Not from the State Licensing Board for Contractors for repairs to an existing home under $7,500 in total project value. At $7,500 the work is home improvement and needs at least a home improvement registration. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work needs the matching LSLBC license from $10,000, and plumbers are licensed individually by the State Plumbing Board until the LSLBC takes that over in 2027. Parish and city rules can add more. Below the thresholds, Louisiana's written contract statute doesn't apply, but the 3-day cancellation rules do whenever you sell the job at the customer's home, and a written contract is still the best protection you have.

How much deposit can a contractor ask for in Louisiana?

Louisiana sets no limit. I checked the contractor licensing law, the board's rules, the home solicitation statutes and the criminal code, and found no percentage cap and no escrow rule. Two rules shape the deposit anyway: if you take a payment and do no work for 45 days, a prosecutor may infer residential contractor fraud unless the contract specifies a longer period (R.S. 14:202.1), and the money has to go to the labor and materials for that job (R.S. 14:202). On a job sold at the customer's home the deposit is fully refundable for three business days.

Is there a Google Docs, Word or PDF version?

All three, free. The Google Docs link makes a copy in your own Drive, the .docx opens in Word, and the PDF prints as is. Appendix F holds the notes for you; delete it before you send the contract to a customer.

Sources

1. La. R.S. 37:2159, "Written contract required; claims of unlicensed persons" - subsections A (six required items), B (copy at signing; "No work shall begin prior to the signing of the contract by all parties"), C (not invalid solely for noncompliance), D (no lien for unlicensed contractors). legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026 (last amended by Acts 2025, No. 422; not changed by the 2026 acts).
2. La. R.S. 37:2150.1, definitions - "Contract" and project value; "Contractor" ($50,000 commercial and new residential, $7,500 for "improvements or repairs to an existing residential structure"); electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors at $10,000; "Home improvement contractor" from $7,500 to "less than fifty thousand dollars," no structural work or roofing systems; residential contractor; residential roofing. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026, checked against Act 757 of 2026 (source 6).
3. La. R.S. 14:202.1, "Residential contractor fraud; penalties" - inference when a contractor "Fails to perform any work during a forty-five-day period of time or longer after receiving payment, unless a longer period is specified in the contract" or "Fails to possess the required license"; penalties by amount; restitution. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026 (amended by Acts 2024, No. 728).
4. La. R.S. 37:2158, revocation, suspension and violations - grounds include "(6) Failure to comply with the provisions of this Chapter," "(20) Failure to have a written contract signed and dated by all parties," "(21) Failure to bid, contract, or perform work in the name as it appears on the current license"; (B)(1) divided contracts "treated as one contract." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
5. La. R.S. 37:2156.4, "Residential roofing" - from January 1, 2026, roofing work on a residential structure of $7,500 or more requires "the classification of Residential Roofing or Residential Construction." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
6. Act 757 of the 2026 Regular Session (Senate Bill 326), enrolled - liability insurance minimum raised from one hundred thousand to "five hundred thousand dollars" (R.S. 37:2156.1); residential roofing on buildings with "no more than four separate dwellings"; new grounds for discipline in R.S. 37:2158(A)(24) to (27), including "(26) Failure to pay for materials or services rendered... when the contractor has received sufficient funds as payment"; assignment of benefits banned in R.S. 37:2159.1; fines in R.S. 37:2164; "Section 2. R.S. 37:2157(A)(19) is hereby repealed." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
7. Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, "Contractors Licensing Law and Rules and Regulations" (the blue book), updated August 1, 2026 - statutes as amended and LAC 46:XXIX, including §127 ("shall bid, contract, and perform work in the name as it appears on the current license or registration") and the §301 classification list ("Home improvement is limited to a value of $75,000"). lslbc.gov, read November 3, 2026.
8. LSLBC, memorandum "Changes to Contractor Licensing Laws," July 13, 2026 - residential roofing up to four dwelling units and the $500,000 liability minimum, both effective August 1, 2026 under Act 757 of 2026. lslbc.gov, read November 3, 2026.
9. La. R.S. 37:2157, exemptions - (A)(15)(c) exempts from home improvement licensure anyone who "works exclusively" in landscaping or interior painting or wall covering; (A)(19) "Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing licensees who are acting exclusively within the scope of their classification" (renumbered (A)(18) by Act 757 of 2026, source 6, whose Section 2 repeals the emptied (A)(19)). legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
10. Act 908 of the 2026 Regular Session (House Bill 953), enrolled - transfers plumber licensing to the State Licensing Board for Contractors, abolishes the State Plumbing Board, redefines "Plumbing contractor" without the ten-thousand-dollar project value; "Sections 1 through 5 of this Act shall become effective on January 1, 2027." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
11. Reddit, r/GeneralContractor - "are you allowed legally to charge that much deposit?" reddit.com.
12. La. R.S. 14:202, "Contractors; misapplication of payments prohibited; penalty." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
13. La. R.S. 9:4856, "Contractors; misapplication of payments prohibited; civil penalties" - $250 to $750 when $1,000 or less is misapplied; $500 to $1,000 for each $1,000 above that; attorney fees. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
14. La. R.S. 9:2711.1, "Consumer's right to cancel noncredit home solicitation sale" - definition ("a cash price of twenty-five dollars or more"), exclusions, duty to comply with R.S. 9:3539 and 9:3540, and "(C) It shall be an unfair trade practice" not to. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
15. La. R.S. 9:3538, "Consumer's right to cancel" - "until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the consumer signs"; written notice; emergency exception in subsection E. Credit sales defined in R.S. 9:3516(20), legis.la.gov. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
16. La. R.S. 9:3539, "Form of agreement or offer; statement of consumer's right; compliance" - the "CONSUMER'S RIGHT TO CANCEL" caption and wording; (C) cancel "in any manner and by any means" until compliance; (D) FTC compliance "shall constitute compliance with this Section." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
17. Federal Trade Commission, Cooling-Off Rule, 16 CFR Part 429 - 429.0(a) $25 at the buyer's residence, $130 elsewhere, and the emergency exclusion; 429.1(a) and (b) the statement and the Notice of Cancellation form; 429.1(e) oral notice; 429.1(g) refund within 10 business days; 429.2(b) state laws permitting "any fee or penalty on the buyer" are directly inconsistent. ecfr.gov, version of October 1, 2026, read November 3, 2026.
18. La. R.S. 9:3540, "Restoration of down payment; retention of cancellation fee." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
19. La. R.S. 9:3541(C) - "If the seller has performed any services pursuant to a home solicitation sale prior to its cancellation, the seller is entitled to no compensation except the cancellation fee." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
20. Louisiana Civil Code article 2765, "Cancellation of contract by owner." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
21. La. R.S. 37:2175.1, "Repealed by Acts 2022, No. 195, §2," legis.la.gov; the former text ("You may cancel this contract in connection with the repair or replacement of a roof system at any time within seventy-two hours after you have been notified that your insurer has denied all or any part of your claim"), 2014 edition, law.justia.com. Both read November 3, 2026.
22. La. R.S. 51:452, "Contract paid with insurance policy proceeds; notice required." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
23. La. R.S. 51:451, "Payments and rebates charged against insurance deductibles; sellers of goods or services prohibited" - fine of not more than $500 or 30 days, "each offense shall constitute a separate violation." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
24. La. R.S. 37:2159.1, "Contracting; prohibited acts; property insurance" - policy interpretation, public adjusting and the good faith itemized estimate. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026; the assignment-of-benefits ban added by Act 757 of 2026 (source 6) and printed in the blue book (source 7). La. R.S. 22:1275(B)(1) (Acts 2023, No. 364): "A person shall not solicit or accept an assignment, in whole or in part, of any post-loss insurance benefit under a residential or commercial property insurance policy. An assignment agreement is against public policy and is null and void." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
25. La. R.S. 9:4801 and 9:4802, Private Works Act - privilege for "Contractors, for the price of their work"; claims of subcontractors and suppliers; "A contractor shall indemnify the owner for claims against the owner arising from the work." 9:4801, 9:4802, legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
26. La. R.S. 9:4822, "Preservation of claims and privileges" - 60 days after a notice of termination or substantial completion; seven months for a general contractor with a timely notice of contract; owner files notice of termination within 10 days of the contractor's request. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
27. La. R.S. 9:4811, "Notice of a contract with a general contractor to be filed" - (D) no privilege when the price "exceeds one hundred thousand dollars unless notice of the contract is timely filed." legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
28. La. R.S. 9:3143 and 9:3144, New Home Warranty Act - definitions of "Builder" and "Home"; one-, two- and five-year warranties; (C) not waivable for owner-occupied homes. 9:3143, 9:3144, legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
29. La. R.S. 37:2164(A), "Violations; civil penalty; jurisdiction" - "a fine of up to ten percent of the total contract or the value of the work bid or being performed," plus administrative costs and attorney fees. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026, with the 2026 amendment in source 6.
30. La. R.S. 51:1405(A) and 51:1409(A), Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law - unfair or deceptive acts unlawful; actual damages, attorney fees, and three times actual damages when the practice was knowingly used "after being put on notice by the attorney general." 51:1405, 51:1409, legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
31. La. R.S. 37:2163, "Engaging in business of contracting without authority prohibited; penalty" - up to $500 per day or three months; $500 to $5,000 or six months to five years when harm exceeds $300. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
32. Reddit, r/Carpentry - "I got Chat GPT to write me up a contract template." reddit.com.
33. Reddit, r/Contractor - "just googling a contract and hoping for the best won't get one that's written specifically for the state he works in." reddit.com.
34. Louisiana Civil Code articles 1918 (capacity), 1927 (consent), 1966 (cause) and 1971 (object), used in the FAQ. 1918, 1927, 1966, 1971, legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
35. La. R.S. 37:2160(D) - local governments "may provide requirements not less stringent than those specified by the state," used in the FAQ. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
36. La. R.S. 9:4851 to 9:4855, Residential Truth in Construction Act - nonwaivable; applies to improvements to property "occupied by the owner thereof principally as a single-family dwelling or residence"; (4852) "Prior to or at the time of entering into a contract for residential home improvements ... the contractor shall deliver to the owner ... written notice in substantially the following form: NOTICE OF LIEN RIGHTS," not a condition of the contract; (4853) signed copy to the owner; (4855) "reasonable damages and attorney fees" if liens are perfected and the contractor failed to comply, unless the contractor bonds the liens or reimburses the owner. legis.la.gov, read November 4, 2026.