There's an old saying that "we do three kinds of work: good, fast, and cheap. You can have any two of the three".

The pandemic has made it so that you can't even guarantee one of the three. You never know what material will be affected. or what crew is going to be infected.

You're just going to have to be flexible and work with contractors and suppliers that have good reputations, so that you can at least feel they are doing the best they can.

If you must have certain materials, gather them all before you begin work. And be prepared to be flexible on some of the materials or ready to pay a premium on acquiring exactly what you want.

We lucked out last fall to get our patio/ fence/ retaining walls, trees and sod put in in just 8 working days over the course of 2 weeks. The furniture took 10 weeks and I’m still waiting for the custom patio heater (yep, ordered Dec 1, today is April 30) that was supposed to ship within 8 weeks. It is what it is- I work in sourcing and supply chain and the last year has been incredibly stressful.

Good luck with your project! It will be worth it in the end, even if it takes way way longer and costs far more than you ever imagined.

The problem with the lumber isn't the supply chain it is with the lumber mills per an article I read. Before covid there was enough lumber processed and enough lumber mills to meet the demands. Then when covid hit everyone stuck at home decided to do home improvements. Now the demand is out striping what the lumber mills can supply. It is the same principle as the people hording the toilet paper. I don't think you are going to find any contractor that is going to agree to your terms.

My son was going to replace his deck , but his contractor told him he isn't even putting on decks this year. The treatment process for treated lumber is so rushed now that it is inferior.

If you must do it now, source, purchase and store all material before you begin as what is in stock by the truckload could be sold already and or just gone the next day.

Hi, bethd12345,

In many areas, competent contractors as well as materials are in short supply. The kind of language you want to include in your contract is likely to turn all of them off and you'll end up stuck with a contractor you don't want or executing the projects on a DIY basis.

What @Charles Ross Homes said. Right now, I'm passing on any job where the client has requested a firm start or finish date. My cabinet line just upped their lead times by four weeks with no notice. It's too unpredictable to offer any guarantees related to either delivery or cost. Patience and flexibility is what is required...by both consumers and tradespeople.

No contractor can guarantee any of those things and none of them would sign a contract saying they could.

@suedonim75,

Some contractors will gladly sign anything to get your deposit. Caveat emptor.