If you’ve got downed trees or home damage to address in the wake of Tuesday’s storms, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has some advice for you to avoid getting ripped off.
First, get at least three estimates for any work you have done at your home, and make sure all of the bids are itemized and detailed. Second, don’t just take a contractor’s word that they’re insured. Aside from asking to see proof of insurance, take note of the insurer and call them to confirm the contractor’s coverage is adequate and up to date.
“In the aftermath of this storm, many residents are still facing outages while trying to deal with downed trees, debris removal and damage to homes and businesses. Unfortunately, scammers use this opportunity to take advantage of those citizens who are down on their luck,” says Caldwell in a statement issued this afternoon.
Caldwell says you should never agree to a large down payment, saying no down payment should exceed 10% to 25% of the total price. If a contractor says he or she needs the cash up front for materials, Caldwell says you should go to the building supply store with them to buy the materials yourself and have them delivered to the jobsite rather than the contractor’s headquarters.
To ensure the work is completed as agreed upon, Caldwell says you need to be specific—especially on dates.
“Specify in the contract a beginning and completion date, exact description of work to be done, total cost of job, exact schedule for payment and warranty or guarantee that can be expected,” he says. “Have samples, model numbers, pictures or anything else that will show the contractor exactly what you want. If you don’t specify the quality of materials in the contract, you are leaving it up to the contractor to decide what material will be used.”
Caldwell also says you should never make a verbal agreement for work—get a contract in writing. Lastly, he recommends you avoid paying in cash for any work, keep a receipt and don’t sign a certificate of completion or make final payment until you are satisfied with all work performed.
