Home Improvement Contractor - Licensed Contractors
Home Improvement Contractors Knowledge Base
Why so many No-show Home Improvement contractors? Over the years, I have had several Home improvement contractors show up to take measurements for floors, windows, plumbing, etc, but then they never follow through and send an estimate. Why do you think that is happening? I have money to spend and tried to track themn down for their quote but they gve me the runaround.
Are bids from home improvement contractors typically negotiable? Sure, I realize *everything* is negotiable, and the only way to find out is to ask. But I'm wondering if people actually do it often. The purchase price of a home is expected to be negotiable. So is the purchase price of a car. So is the salary on a new job. Do home improvement bids from contractors fall into this category? Or even close?
Is there a website where home improvement contractors can meet new clients? I'm looking for a site that's like craigslist, but NOT craigslist. Somewhat like the Facebook or Match.com of the home improvement world.
I have a home improvement contractors licensee, can I pull permits in virginia state? Iam trying to do work in virginia state and I have a new jersey contractors licensee. can I pull a permit?
How long do home improvement contractors have to fulfill the contract under the statute of limitations? If you enter into a contract to have a service provided, does the contractor have a certain amount of time that he has to fulfill the contract? Could i assume they may never show and purchase from someone else?
Home improvement contractors: How do you protect yourself from surprises? For example, you are doing a remodel that seems to be pretty straight up but you open a wall and find major rot or termite damage or something that you deem structurally unsound. You don't want to put it back together unless the framing is done correctly but now you have to get into the drywall or plaster on the other side. Do you have a clause in your contract that covers this type of surprise? How is it worded? Thanks guys.
how hard is it to pass the Home improvement contractors exam in NY? I was wondering if anyone can tell me where i could take a practice exam, how hard the NY exam will be and the type of questions that would be made. also i know its a written exam but if anyone can tell me the format, is it going to be fill in the blank or complete sentence.
Home Contractors: What are homeowners like to work with? Hey home improvement contractors -- when you talk to homeowners about a project, what parts are they prepared for -- and what parts are they usually NOT prepared for?
Who offers certification courses for general contractors in home improvement local to Rochester NY? I'm starting my own home improvement business and would like as many certifications as possible local to Rochester NY.
I have home improvement contractors working here for about 4 days. Should I offer them lunch /food. Gave drink I told them to help themselves to drinks that I have in the garage fridge. But should I offer them sandwiched for lunch or other snack through out the day?
Have home improvement contractors gotten any cheaper? At the height of the housing boom, I felt very badly used by home improvement contractors. I felt they gouged people because they figured they could take out home equity loans and charge outrageous prices for their labor. My husband and I are thinking about buying a fixer upper, but before we do that we need to know that we won't be taken advantage of. Any advice? Dear pickme, I don't "feel" I was taken advantage of, I know there was a lot of gouging going on. The very last contractor I had come over to my house to do an estimate asked for 12K to paint the interior of my three level townhouse. Now, you know that isn't right. If that's the going rate, I'm quitting my job tomorrow.
What Companies provide Home Improvement Contractors Insurance? I need an insuarance certificate for public liability for $1000,000 and property damage for 25,000
What is the name of the show in Ontario, Canada where a contractor fixes botched home improvement projects? I hired a contractor to finish my basement, but it has been 7months and counting. This is a project that he told me was going to take 6 weeks. I need to know the name of that contractor or show that helps people with botched home improvement contractor jobs!
Is it legal for a home improvement contractor to walk off the job? We hired a home improvement contractor for a major landscaping job. He completed about 80% of the work but then disappeared. Right before he disappeared, he asked if we minded paying him for the work he already completed. He seemed nice so we agreed. Then, he vanished, even though he signed a contract with us saying that he was supposed to do our driveway (which he didn't -- and now it is near winter and we have no driveway). Can he legally do this? (walk off a job even though the work in the contract is incomplete)
Do Contractors.com verify credential of Home Improvement contractors they refer ? I don't think so? I had retained Mason to do footing and foundation and other masonary work for my house, he is also listed at Contractors.com website. Mason has one complain aganist him with BBB besides mine wrote to contractors.com 3 times during 3 week but they did not responded.
Where would you look for a home improvement contractor? I am a small business owner who is looking to market my company (vinyl siding installer) And would like everyone's opinion on where they would look for a contractor to do a major home improvement project. Thanks for your responses!!
What does the law say about running a home improvement company without a contractors license? I am a handy man and have a bussnes license and liability insurance but do not have a contractors license yet. i do not want problems and need to know the law regarding this.
How can a find a home improvement contractor in San Jose, California? I'm looking for a resource for finding quality contractors in San Jose, CA.
FINDING LOCAL CONTRACTORS FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT? How can internet help? I know of Angies List with a million users. Any other reputable sites?
What NJ government agency if any handles rebates for mistakes made by a home improvement contractor? The contractor I used installed a shower/sauna/jacuzzi all in one unit and now it leaks at almost all junction points and the handle is leaking water as well. In addition, I needed him to repair one of the electrical lines that come into my fuse box from the power company, otherwise I don't have enough power to operate the sauna. The contractor refuses to do any other work at this point.I read somewhere a while ago that there was an agency that gave rebates to consumers who had home improvements done in a less than complete and/or professional manner.
do i need to have a contractors license in order to start a small home improvement business? trying to start a small home improvement business and no one knows whether or not i have to have a contractors license or whether i just need to have insurance. i think i might need at least a class C license but i'm not sure. any advise/answers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
what i need to have to work as home improvement contractor,what type of license needed to do only capentry? i am trying to for LLC entity,i already get the form,i registered as home improvement contractor,the registeration form i receive ,but my confusion is i do not find that so called license, i intend to work only on carpentry the question is do i need license to do tis work or the registeration and the insurance are all what i need is there any one who knows, to solve my confusion
How can you tell if a home improvement contractor is legit? I'm getting some work done @ my home and I just want to make sure everything is ok
What is "cash for caulkers"? Why does Obama want to enlist contractors and home-improvement companies? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/us/politics/04jobs.html
how can you tell if a home improvement contractor is legit? I'm getting some work done @ my home and I just want to make sure everything is OK.
How can I make sure that a home improvement contractor doesn't use illegal aliens for my job? I'm getting ready to hire a contractor to do some work on my house. I want to make sure that he only uses a legally documented workforce on my job. What's the best way to ensure that that happens?
help! my licensed home improvement contractor lied about the plumber on the permit what can I do? The township called him and the plumber listed but no one will Respond! He did not do the work, isn't this Fraud?
My husband has a painting business. His license is "home Improvement Contractor" Is this sufficient enough to Is his home improvement contracting licence sufficient enough to start a residentcial and office cleanig business?
Lawyer advice regarding home improvement contractors/brick pointing/window changing? I recently had brick pointing and 4 windows changed on the face of my parents' 2 story building - 3 family w/ a store front. Contractor didn't grind out the old cement before putting in the new cement (which I was told was the correct way to do it ). For the windows, there was a 6" gap between the top of the window and the frame. The gap was "filled in" with pieces of wood that were covered with alumnium. I specifically asked if our new windows were going to look like our neighbors' before the work started and I was told "yes." When questioned about the gap, he stated that the place where he usually gets the windows from didn't have the size that we needed and that it was going to take 4 weeks to get them, so he made the decision to get the smaller windows without asking us. My parents were on the location while the work was being done, however they were busy tending the store. My sister and I work full time. I put some $ down, but withheld remaining bal. What legal action can I take? There were no contracts involved...only a "proposal". The proposal listed the scope of the work...no clauses in the proposal. Only thing mentioned about pymt was $1500 down and remainder of the balance ($2000) to be paid when work is complete. I signed and he signed. On the business card that we received from him, it has his name "Sam" and a license #. When I checked the license #, it wasn't under the name "Sam" it was a completely different name. I don't think he got a permit from the Dept. of Buildings neither because nothing was posted on our building.
Mechanic's Lien; If you have a work quality or other disupte with a home improvement contractor he can? file a mechanic's lien against your property, which if not resolved can result in foreclosure of your property. This powerful enforcement device is written into the constitution of most state goverments meaning that attempts to remove language from a home improvements contract about the right to a mechanic's lien would be unconstitutional in that state. I can't think of any other businesses afforded this kind of protection. Yet from a daily scan of news reports no industry seems to be as replete with crooks, hacks, charlatans and scam artists as the home improvements contractors. Do you feel that it is time to remove the mechanic lien's provisions prevalent in most state constitutions?
Anyone recommend a GOOD home improvement contractor in Delaware OH? We are looking for a good remodeling company. Does anyone have some names?
Do you know New York business law regarding home improvement contractors? I signed a contract for an excavation contractor to specifically find a sewer spur and then dig a trench tothe house from the spur near the road. The contractor did not dig deep enough and left the job after digging for 2 days. On the 2nd day I told them it was 5 to 6 feet deeper than they were digging per town records and per fill added by a developer since the spur was put in 25 years ago. I asked for and got my deposit back but now they are trying to bill me for 2 days labor. I did not contract for a per diem rate to look for the spur. Our contract was specificly to find the spur so our plumber could tie in. After failing to find the spur on the first day I was called by their foreman who said they would dig as deep as necessary the next day. I took off the next day and repeatedly told the foreman and the crew how deep to dig but they dug no deeper than the first day only nore to the left. I am out the plumbers restocking fee for the pipe and so damage to my propertry by the digger. Clavon- Thank you for your time but you misunderstood. I asked them to stay and to dig deeper as promised. They tried to rip us off for an additional 4000.00 without justification. They left the job without my approval. The one page agreement spelled out what they were to do- which they did not. They violated the agreement, and caused property damage. Beware of bad contractors like this!
Finding a quality home improvement contractor? Help! Are there any tools to help locate a quality contractor? as a side note I live in the US
Home improvement contract dispute - deduction or claim against bond? My home improvement contractor is not performing some services that were clearly mentioned in the scope of the contract. My contract is silent about details of what to do when contractor does not perform tasks in scope except termination. I engaged someone else to get some of these tasks completed. Can I deduct my costs from the progress payments of contractor? Or is it better to pay the contractor as per payment schedule and go after contractor’s bond?
Home improvement contractor is charging tax? What types of services or materials can a home improvement contractor charge me sales tax on? For example, if we agree to a price per square foot for wood floors could they charge me sales tax on the total amount or should the tax be included in the per square foot amount?
how and where should I get home improvement contractor insurance? in the Union county area in NJ where to go
I want to do home improvement repairs and general maintenance as a business...Do i need a contractors liscense I want to do things like painting, repairs etc...not major remodels!
home improvement salesman has a revoked license (NYC)? I just found out the sales person has a revoked license when he wrote a contract for me and a home improvement contractor/renovator. The contractor has valid licenses and paperwork, but is the contract still valid? If the contractor knew, can I get my money back?
HOW TO DEAL WITH A BAD HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR? If the job have not finished,should i pay the final payment to that contractoor
Replacement windows botched by a reputable home store! The contractors took out all of the brick molding. ? The contractors sent by this home improvement store didn't know what they were doing. They ordered the wrong size windows. Instead of ordering the proper windows, they ripped out all of the framing and brick molding. Any suggestions how these windows can be put back properly? To make matters worse, some of the windows they put in were damaged. We have plastic over our windows and a wide gap that can possibly lead to water damage. Any suggestions as to what we can do now?
How long should it take to get back an estimate from a home improvement contractor? I've been waiting 3 weeks for two estimates from different contractors on a couple of small home improvement projects. I've already called once for a follow up. Move on or wait longer? OK....I've decided to move on and get other contractors to come and make estimates. What would be the best way to choose reliable and quality contractors without having any referrals? So the phrase "no job too small" on their advertisments and phone book ads really don't apply? I have a clean house, never said I didn't want to spend too much money, and collectively all three projects in my opinion are worth the time to send me an estimate. I called one of the contractors again last night and left a message. Still, no return call. Bummed. Thanks for all of your responses they are all good and I appreciate your input!
Anytime you need a home improvement task done contractors are too busy to call you back or have no time....? Is the demand really that great?
Should I sue my home improvement contractor or report him to the police? I paid a contractor $29,000 for home improvement renovations and repairs, including painting my house, dry walling, putting new steps on the property and many more improvements and repairs. He left without completing the project. I estimate that he owes me about $9,000 in unfinished work. He dug out the patio, left a big hole, and walked away. He did not replace glass in doors and windows, and failed to do many other things. I have a written contract. I don’t think he has an official contracting business, but the partial work that he did was excellent. He felt he underestimated the cost of the work. I noticed that he was delinquent in paying his property taxes and the timing was such that it appears that he used my money to pay his taxes because records indicate that they were paid. Retaining a lawyer will cost me $5000 with no promises that I will retrieve my money. I know that this was not his main job. Should I spend this kind of money on an attorney or do you have other ideas. This happened three years ago, so I know the contractor does not intend to complete the job. Should this be a police matter or an attorney matter. This may also be considered contractor fraud. I might be spending additional money on an attorney and getting nothing for it. What should I do? What steps should I take?
I am a contractor and home improvement specialist of 28 years experience. I wonder why people do not check..? I often wonder why people do not check on references before they hire a contractor then complain about getting ripped off or left out in the cold later on? It is seldom people check on my excellent references before making a decision and I am dumbfounded to earn they hire someone else and did not check on my or the winning bidders references?? Why is that?
How to get high quality home improvement services? I want to hire a Contractor for my next home improvement project from my local area? where i find the best resources, can anybody help out?
how to get a home improvement license in md for general contractor? we do roofing,siding and painting .our company is barely starting please help!
Just saw a commercial for the National Home Improvement Registry website. Have you ever used this service? www.nhir.org Did you ever hire a contractor through this service, and if so, were you pleased with the results?
Before you hire a home improvements contractor, how do you check him out thorougly to make sure he's not a cro ok or a dishonest contractor?
If I signed a design and build contract for home improvement? Am I obligated to build with the contractor even if I am unsatisfied with their price, and service? I am in California.
Home improvement unlicensed contractor? When we hired a contractor to do our work he said they were licensed and fully insured. Everytime I ask them to do something I'm being challenged or it doesn;t get done. It's been difficult to deal with the contractor. I was pissed that I researched and found out they are not licensed. The work's almost complete except for 1 thing and probably 2 other minor things. What should I do? btw im from ny. you think telling them to leave and the problem would go away? they want to collect. addition: we paid some but not final payment because they are not finished. We signed a contract under the impression they are licensed and they are not. I called the city and they said the contractor should not be working. He has applied for license but not official yet. The thing is this, they were sloppy, we have roof bits around the perimeter of the house because they couldn't be bothered to use tarp. Then they argued with us when we asked to fix a step that was not leveled. They just recently fixed it. This what I mean when I say they challenge us.
Home Improvement Questions? Hello everyone. I needed to have my whole house re done, ie...Flooring, Kitchen, Bathroom, etc. My question is...I always walk around Home Depot and see all the different samples. For the best price and quality, should I go to a place like Home Depot and Lowe's or should I find independent contractors( in the Yellow Pages) that specialize in certain jobs? I've never done anything like this before so I would definitely appreciate the advice. Thanks guys!
Where do I sign up for a TV show to help with a bad home improvement project. Help? I have a home repair project that my ex husband started & then left town. Now Im stuck with a house thats half complete and no money to finish the work. I've hired 2 contractors who took my money and skipped out. I have some supplies that they did have delivered but no way of completing the job. Now Im broke and about to loose my house and car but can't have my house refinanced because an appraisor wont even look at it in the shape its in. I need help and have nowhere to turn. If you know any way to sign up for one of these programs, please let me know. Im at my wits end. Thanks so much
what is the climate of the Home Improvement Business? I am In The Home Improvemt Business and time seem very slow now. I had no problem getting Business over the last two years. However in the last 60 days or so Business Has Droped off. I ask arount and most say the contractors or doing well But you cant trust a contractor's word!. How do I build this type of business. I have great rates and do gerat work. I live in Ny. some say the housing slow down has somthing to do with it?. Any Help on this?
With respect to home improvement contracts what would define breach? And would breach negate arbitration? Home improvement contract had list of desired improvements. One was never completed and now we have problems with a window they put in less than one year ago due in part to faulta installation. Window manuf. is bankrupt and contractor will not replace. So one of the items they were supposed to do they did not. So does that constitute breach of contract and if so will that breach allow me to ignore the arbitration agreement on that contract and use small claims instead?
where can I find statistics about home owner satisfaction with home improvement work done to their homes? I would like to find statistics outlining the satisfaction levels of home owners with work they have done to their homes ie: replacment windows, roofing ect.. and their satisfaction levels with the contractors having done the work. Are people happy with the work done to there homes, what % are and are not??
Are you a home improvement nerd? If we need anything done on our home we have a professional contractor do it. However we don't subject our freinds to endless discussions of tedium about our home. Do you know any home improvement geeks? Is there a polite way to tell them that there renovations are BORING!
Has anyone been their own contractor on a home improvement project? Were you able to save alot of money? Here is what I am thinking. Plumbing for instance, I could have a plumber tell me where in the floor or walls he/she needs to get at. I would then tear the floor or walls myself, then the plumber would just go and do his thing. same with electrical. Am I on the right track?
I had a home improvement contractor did poor workmanship and poor quality materials. Should I sue him? It been a year since the contract been signed and most of the work done. I gave him 26,000 for upgrades in my home. I got a new 12 x 6 deck, three counter tops cultured marble laminate counter tops, laminant counter top for kitchen a new front door, an air condition, and water heater. In addtion plumbling fixture and sink for the kitchen. The contract written new and replace the old. He tries to justify why he used cheap materials. My deck falling apart wood and inside was built poor workmanship. I filed a complaint with local b.b.b. ans it s been six month nothing done to fix or replace issues. I requested receipts or itemized list. Nothing . The contractor still refuses to replace deck . Only a few boards. He says I should go after the subcontrator. The subcontracotr has not called . After getting estimates other companys , it will cost 10,000 to fix. He says he can do a insurance claim, but have no money. 10,000 unaccounted for and now he says his busniess closed to give me money. I was told it would cost more money to get a lawyer, because the work was 26,000. I guess I can say I got ripped off.
Why is it that consumers go to home improvement centers when..? Why is it that consumers go to home improvement centers like home depot or lowe's when the home improvement centers just subcontract their work out to local contractors. Are we not smart enough to know that these home improvement centers put an upcharge on labor etc.. Why don't we use yahoo locals to find our local contractors ourselves and save ourselves some money and help the smaller business's in our communities?
How on earth can I make my small general contracting (home improvement) business be more visible and grow? I live in an affluent county and have many great references. However business is really slow. Other contractors are feeling the pinch too and are bidding pretty low. I do bathroom remodeling, wood floors, painting, drywall, etc. I do have a website, but honestly no one has ever called from it. Any concrete suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
how do you price a home improvement job? I am a contractor and a Handyman. I need to know the rules for Priceing a job. I am Busy but Killing Myself and Making No Real Cash Help!!!
How detailed should home improvement contracts be? In California? My general contractor has put together a contract that has minimal information regarding materials and scope of work. However, he has added a bit more detail in a letter that he references in the contract. Is that then part of the contract or not? I do not sign the letter only he does. How detailed should the contract be? Should all materials be listed ie 100 2X4 and 4 xyz beams. X number of plywood etc. or is it okay if it just says build out for proposed family room of 300 square feet as noted in city approved plans? I need help. I am just really trying to get this right. :0( Thank you
Home improvement contract question? We are doing a home improvement project and our contractor gave us an estimate of $33, 000. We are already $6,500 over that estimate and we still have a long way to go before it is finished. Our contract says we are billed on time and materials. Is there any law that prevents a contractor from going 50% over budget (that is probably where we will end up) and just saying "oh well, that is our material and labor costs"? We didn't make any substantial changes that would have increased the budget.
Are home improvement shows telling the truth? On shows like Flip This House, They always seem to be able to renovate a whole house kitchen, baths, landscaping etc WITH contractors for like 25k yet when I want to replace cabinets and countertop in my kitchen its 20k.....Do you think they are lying about their budgets
Can Contractor without liability insurance file bankruptcy? Can a home improvement Contractor in Pennsylvania without liabilty insurance and few assets declare bankruptcy and discharge the debt of a lawsuit brought against him for damages to a customer's home? Thanks.
I am starting a construction company and need a good name? My name is Matt K. I am soon to be starting a small construction company. i specialize mainly in residential kitchens, basements, bathrooms, doors, windows, trim, tile ect...basically a home improvement contractor. but in the future i would be thinking about expanding to commercial construction as well. i need a good name for the business. i want it to sound professional and have Matt K Construction in the title....any suggestions would be great! thanks!
The Home Improvement Business??? I am in the so call Home Improvement Business. I was in the printing Business for 15 years and you Had to Have cash to Buy equipment rent a space etc. But in this Home Improvement Business It seems like any Joe with a Home depot card and a van can call himself a contractor. I am in house and see the crappy work that many of thease guys are doing. I enjoy this business but it seems I have to Bid low to get any work. anyone can be in this business . How do I get above all the fly By Nights?
How do I get a Plate glass mirror in bathroom off the wall? This spec home builder put up 3 horribly ugly plate glass mirrors to cover 3 whole bathrooms walls..How do I get these off the walls!!!! Thanks to all home builders and contractors and home improvement specialists for their answers!!!!!
Why do contractors require both husband and wife to be present at sales piitch? Even when the wife doesnt care Can someone make sense of this for me? I have had to cancle multiple appointments with contractors for work we want done on our house, just because my wife cant be there for there sales pitch, for one reason or another. And the funny thing is - she has told the contractors on the phone, herself, she doesnt care to be there and that the decision for home improvements is mine. It is beyond incoveinent and just doesnt make sense.
Is it legal what Daltile is doing? A Dal-tile Service Center representative highly recommend an unlicensed tiller (against their company policy) to us which we hired to install tile in our home based on their recommendation, without knowing the company was not properly licensed as a home improvement contractor in NJ. The company did a horrible tile job and we are taking legal actions against them to have it all ripped out and replaced. When we ran out of tile, we purchased one box of tile on the contractors account from the Dal-tile Service Center. Dal-tile Service centers will not sell to private parties. We submitted a Subpoena Deuces Tecum to Dal-tile to obtain a copy of the Contractor receipt stating the tilling contractors name and confirming the purchase on his account and now the Dal-tile Legal department claims they can not find the contractor receipt proving this purchase. We do have a credit card receipt of the purchase though. Is what Dal-tile is doing here legal? BellZB, you are wrong: The NJ state law requires all companies accepting money for home improvement work to be done in third party private properties to be Registered and licensed with the NJ Department of Consumer Affairs as a Home Improvement Contractor. This requirement applies to all home improvement professions not covered by a professional license (Electricians & Plumbers) such as Tillers, Painters, Floor installers, Roofers, Siding installers, Masons, etc. I suggest that you contact the NJ Department of Consumer Affairs so you can get your facts straight. http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/adoption/hictrado2_111.htm 13:45A-16.1A Definitions The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context indicates otherwise. "Home improvement" means the remodeling, altering, painting, repairing, renovating, restoring, moving, demolishing, or modernizing of residential or noncommercial property or the making of additions thereto,
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