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CONSUMER
ADVISORY April 2009 By Attorney General Tom Miller
Prevent Home
Repair Scams and Disputes
Spring is coming, and home-improvement fraud won’t be far behind. We see it every year. Home repair needs pile up over the winter, and
everyone is eager to make improvements. Home-repair fraud is as common as the return of
birds in spring.
Home-improvement fraud includes contractors who ask for substantial up-front
payments, do little or no work, and never finish the job right. Other contractors offer a low price and then charge
a lot more as the job progresses. Others are
“fly-by-night” traveling scam-artists who “case” neighborhoods to try
their paving or roofing scams. Follow these tips to avoid
being taken by home-repair scams and disputes:
1. Don’t fall for the
“knock-at-your-door” scam where
someone shows up “out of the blue” and says your driveway needs repaving or your
house needs new shingles – and they “just happen to have materials left
over” at a big price discount. They are
sure to take your money and run, without doing the job at all or doing it right.
2. Check out contractors before you sign a contract or pay any money. Request local references -- and check them
out. Contact the Attorney General’s
Office to see if it has complaints (call 515-281-5926, or 888-777-4590.) Contact the Better Business Bureau (515-243-8137,
or .) Check to see if a contractor has been sued by
unsatisfied customers -- go to .
3. Get several written estimates,
choose the best, and get a contract in writing. Before
any work begins, agree on a written contract detailing work to be done,
responsibility for permits, costs, and any other promises.
Ask for a copy of the contractor's liability insurance certificate. Put start and completion dates in writing, and
consequences if the contractor fails to meet them. (Example: the contract could be nullified if the contractor
doesn't start on time.) It usually is safer
and a better deal to obtain financing through your local bank or credit union, rather than
a contractor. Note, if you sign a contract at
a place other than the contractor's regular place of business – such as at your home
– you usually have three business days to cancel the contract.
4. Avoid paying large sums in
advance. If you need to make a partial
advance payment for materials, make your check out to the supplier and the
contractor. Insist on a "mechanic's lien waiver" in case the contractor fails to
pay others for materials or labor.
For more information or to file a complaint, contact the Attorney General's
Consumer Protection Division,
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