How long does a homeowner have to cancel a home improvement contract in District of Columbia?
In District of Columbia, a buyer may cancel a home solicitation sale (a cash or credit sale of goods or services personally solicited at or near the buyer’s residence and agreed to there) until midnight of the third business day after signing, by written notice to the seller at the address in the agreement. Unless the buyer asked for goods or services without delay in an emergency, the seller must have the buyer sign a written agreement dated the day the buyer signs, containing a statement under the caption "BUYERS RIGHT TO CANCEL" that the buyer may cancel by mailing a notice before midnight of the third business day and that the seller may not keep any cash down payment. Until the seller complies, the buyer may cancel by notifying the seller in any manner. Within ten days after cancellation the seller must return any payments and any note or other evidence of indebtedness, may not keep a cancellation fee, and is entitled to no compensation for services performed before cancellation. The buyer may not cancel if the buyer requested goods or services without delay because of an emergency, the seller in good faith made a substantial beginning of performance, any goods cannot be returned in substantially as good condition, and the buyer separately signed a notice captioned "WAIVER OF RIGHT TO CANCEL". The federal cooling-off rule separately gives three business days to cancel many sales made at the buyer’s home. This is D.C. Code § 28-3811.
| What | District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| Right to cancel | 3 business days for home solicitation sales |
What the statute says
“… the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs an agreement or offer to purchase which complies with this section …”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
D.C. Code § 28-3811
Read the statute in the Code of the District of Columbia (DC Council): code.dccouncil.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
An estimate on Seayora carries its own terms and contract text, and the customer’s approval is recorded with its date, so the day a cancellation period starts is on file for both the contractor and the homeowner.
Guides on this rule
- Right to Cancel a Home Improvement Contract by State — How long a homeowner has to cancel a home improvement contract, with the rule in each of the 51 jurisdictions whose statute gives the right.
Compare this rule in every state
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