Contractor Resignation Letter

When resigning from a contracting project or job, for any reason, it is necessary to give your employer a specific amount of notice to allow time to hire a new contractor. Professional behavior dictates that you remain willing to stay on the job or project for 1 to 2 weeks to allow for time for the new contractor to be hired and to get up to speed on the details of the work in progress.

Format and Content

Along with the date of the last day of work, the contractor resignation letter format usually includes a reason for the resignation. Whether it is a disagreement with the employer, a personal emergency, another complicated work project or any other situation, a contractor does not typically resign in the middle of a project without providing some sort of written explanation to the employer. Contractors often get new jobs through referrals; therefore professional behavior is important.

Sample

This contractor resignation letter sample is from an individual who is experiencing complications from a past injury. The contractor is in too much pain to continue the project and he needs to have surgery as soon as possible. He is willing to assist the employer in securing a new contractor.

Dear Mr. Fields:

It is with regret that I must resign from my position as lead contractor on the construction of your lake house. I mistakenly thought that the complications from my recent ski injury were not too severe. I thought I could finish the work on your lake house before addressing the problems with my knee. Unfortunately my doctor has found a tear in my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which requires immediate surgical attention. I will not be able to finish the construction of your lake house first, and for this I do apologize. My crew is available to finish the work, however, and I have taken steps to find you a suitable replacement as lead contractor.

I have taken the liberty of discussing the remaining details of construction on your lake house with another talented contractor whom I have known well for many years. My friend, Andrew Peterson, is willing to take over and complete the construction of your lake house for the remaining amount in the original price that is left on the project. If you would like to interview Andrew and consider him as my replacement, I would be happy to arrange a meeting at your convenience. I believe you would be pleased with Andrew’s caliber of work and would find him to be easy to deal with as well as dependable.

It is my hope that there are no hard feelings regarding my resignation from your project. I certainly would have finished the job to your satisfaction had it not been for my injury. It has been a pleasure working with you and your wife on this project. I believe your new lake house will be the sanctuary that you have envisioned once it is completed. Please consider my colleague, Andrew Peterson, to take over as lead contractor and let me know if you would like to interview him. I wish you and your family all the best and hope you greatly enjoy your lake house for many years to come.

Warm Regards,

Jeremy Lane