Home Improvement Scams: Unlicensed Contractors

Hiring a licensed contractor for your next home improvement project should assure you that they're honest and competent. The problem is making sure they're actually licensed contractors.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• improvment
• news
• money
• real
• estate
• home

[DBCS19]

I just did some checking around and this guy isn't a reporter.

[deltafreelancer]

Unlicensed contractors only come in 2 flavors, either very hard worker, or just pure scam.

[HardTomOn]

i am not a crook!! i just change my company name, and use others to get a license, my license got revoked. in utah, you tell them you are a good church member, they will use you.

[legion0101]

what is a "licensed" contractor. say i was a tiler..could i be a licensed tiler? or licensed handyman? or licensed flooring installer?

[fayettadog]

i have been in the costruction trade my whole life, 40 years, carpenter, cabinet shop, remodel, anything for a buck, what burns my butt is going in after the so called licensed cont dumps on the homeowner and sticks him with the unpaid materials bill. i can't wait for these idiot law makers have to call a licensed electrician to change a bulb. they'll change that law fast. no contractor wants a small job.

[IAMSatisfied]

I've been both a licensed & unlicensed contractor & have determined that the state runs a mafia style protection racket for their contractor clients that subscribe. In the town I live in many of the contractors do shoddy work or don't want the small jobs, so homeowners opt to hire unlicensed craftsmen whom they know & trust to do their work. If people would simply take personal responsibility & do their homework, they wouldn't need the state to "protect" them while greatly increasing costs.

[mdowning77]

fuck you lady....no more than 10% down? i dont think so. cause i wont be paying for your materials!

[samten10a]

@sparks277

It means the gov has some kind of remedy for bad work. But for unlicensed contractor there is none. At least in some states. Most state licensed contractors, usual means the contractor has insurance and bond for shity, dangerous work. Ware as unlicensed there is nothing to sue for.

[arnoldcustom]

I think licensed contractors are the worst of the worst cons and scammer around because people trust them to much, but in fact they cut corners far more than any other type of contractor, pluss it give the licensed contractors ability to charge out ragas pricing, even on parts, I tell people all the time, get a list of parts they need and go to the pluming suppliers warehouse, as they will sell to anyone anything just about what they need for far less than a dam licensed contractors

[jeffpicks]

While it's true that SOME unlicensed are good, it is equally true that SOME licensed are BAD! Just don't think for a second that just because they are licensed that they are good. and likewise for the unlicensed. But here's the thing...

Like it or not, laws are laws. If your town, city, county, whatever, requires that contractors be licensed, then do NOT support the guys who are NOT licensed. And ALWAYS ask for and CHECK references! Don't be a sucker... use common sense!

[originalgrim1]

I work for a "Licensed" contractor. I do all the bidding, estimates and work. He just holds the license. I had to demo a load bearing wall and gave him a list of materials I needed to accomplish it. He told me to "cut a hole and put drywall on it." On a load bearing wall?! Seriously?! I do not do shoddy work. Ever. No cutting corners here. I do it right the first time. I will make enough to get licensed one day. Until then, I will keep working my ass off and doing it right.

[barry34785]

The licensing by government serves one purpose, to use the police power of government to limit your competition. The purpose is not to demonstrate competency in a particular trade. In fact most licensing requires paying for and taking a written test not actually showing the gov't you can do the work correctly.

Private peer review companies like Angie's List are a good way to research your contractor as well as checking with the gov't sites.