If your home was lost or damaged by wildfires, be cautious when hiring a contractor. Unfortunately, some take advantage of disaster victims by overcharging, doing poor work, or leaving jobs unfinished.
We’ve compiled these tips to help navigate the rebuilding process after a disaster.
A dishonest contractor may:
- charge too much
- do sloppy work
- leave before the job is finished.
How do I find a good contractor? Ask for recommendations.
Talk to:
- Friends and family
- Neighbors and coworkers
- Insurance agents or claims adjusters
Additionally:
1. Make sure the contractor is licensed and insured.
2. Call your Better Business Bureau to see if anyone has complained about the contractor.
3. Ask the contractor for a list of recent customers. Call them and ask if they were happy with his work.
4. Get written estimates from at least 3 contractors. Ask if the estimate is free before letting them into your house. The lowest bidder may not be the best choice.
Before you sign a contract…
1. Ask someone you trust to read the contract before signing it.
2. If you negotiate the contract in another language, get a written copy in that language.
3. Make sure the contract includes all the important details, like: the start and end dates, a full list of the work to be done, the materials they will use, and the payment schedule
4. Don’t sign a contract with any blank spaces.
5. Be wary of electronic signing.
Watch out for contractors who:
- Sell door to door
- Are not from your community
- Offer you a very low price
- Try to rush you into signing a contract
How should I pay the contractor?
- Do not pay cash.
- Pay by check, money order, or credit card.
- Pay the final amount only when the work is complete, and you are happy with it.
Do not:
- Make a big down payment
- Pay for the whole job before the work starts
- Make expensive, temporary repairs
What if I need a loan to pay for repairs?
Be careful. If you put up your home as security (collateral) and later cannot repay the loan, you may lose your home. If you get a loan, ask someone you trust to read the loan documents before you sign.
I think I was cheated. What can I do?
- File a complaint with the Contractors State License Board: cslb.ca.gov.
- Also call the Better Business Bureau to report the problem.
- If you think a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program was involved, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline: 1-866-223-0814
- You can also report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline. – Call toll-free at: 1-(866) 720-5721 – Or fill out a complaint form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form