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  Home Repairs: How to Avoid Getting
Ripped Off by Home Repair Contractors

William Brennan
Atlanta Legal Aid Society
5/24/02

My house needs to be repaired, but I have heard many horror stories. How can I avoid problems?

Home repair disputes can be difficult to resolve. It is far better to do some work on the front end to avoid problems down the road. The following are some tips you can use if you are concerned about making these decisions:

1. Be sure your contractor is reputable - know who you are hiring. Do not hire people who ring your doorbell and tell you your roof needs repair or your gutters need fixing. Get the names of at least 3 references for your contractor and call them. Find out how long the job took them and the quality of the work.
2. Don't use contractors who offer to do the job using material left over from another job.
3. Don't use a contractor who tries to pressure you into making a decision.
4. Find out what kind of insurance they have. Hire people who have a current certificate of insurance.
5. Never pay a large sum up front. Instead, negotiate a time table and payment schedule where you will pay the contractor as work is completed. 
6. Get it in writing - insist on a contract that specifies the work to be done, the time it will be completed, the materials to be used, the names of any subcontractors and the schedule of payments.
7. Get the subcontractors to waive their right to put a lien on your home if the contractor doesn't pay them.

If you are 60 years old or older and have questions or concerns, call the toll-free Georgia Senior Legal Hotline and talk with an attorney at (888) 257-9519. Our program offers no cost legal advice to Georgia's Seniors.

Otherwise call Atlanta Legal Aid Society or Georgia Legal Services Program to see if you qualify for free legal help.