Call us at (800) 884-2639

Your one call for trusted home improvements

Article 6-14-2010

The Pitfalls of Hiring an Unlicensed Contractor

Embarking on a home improvement or renovation project can be both exciting and daunting: in addition to improving the look and functionality of your home, you're also required to trust relative strangers with your most valuable asset. That's why it's so important to choose a contractor carefully. Using an unlicensed contractor can have serious consequences.

Why Look for the License

Although many contractors without proper licensure may be perfectly competent and honest, using an unlicensed contractor places the homeowner at the risk of assuming undue liability. For instance, if the contractor or one of his employees is injured on a homeowner's property, the contractor can sue the homeowner for damages.

Meanwhile, unlicensed contractors often cut corners by neglecting to pull proper permits or asking the homeowner to pull them. Either way, the homeowner assumes all responsibility for both improperly filed paperwork and any code violations. If another person's property (say, the neighbor's lawn) is damaged, the homeowner would also be financially responsible.

These liabilities may seem like a stretch, but they are not as rare as homeowners might think. Furthermore, unlicensed contractors often do not complete a job correctly—or at all. They may not have the necessary expertise to finish a project right, or they may even take your deposit and skip town. One common problem is that they fail to "finish the job" the way the homeowner expected. For example, after replacing pipes, they may not patch the holes in the walls.

Spotting an Unlicensed Contractor

During the contractor selection process, homeowners can look for signs that a contractor may not carry the proper credentials:

• Cheap or free marketing tactics, such as local flyers or placing business cards on community bulletin boards
• Extremely low bids, especially fixed-price estimates that don’t require the contractor to visit your home or determine the true scope of the project
• Demanding the entire price of the project in advance, which is common for people who plan to "take the money and run"
• Producing only an occupancy or out-of-state license, neither of which are valid in Florida
• Saying that they are working "under" someone else's license, which is only applicable for legitimate employees of the same company
• Displaying only a PO Box or having a long-distance phone number, indicating a potential "fly-by-night" operation

Sticking with licensed contractors gives homeowners the most protection—and the best guarantees of craftsmanship. For your next home repair or renovation project, look for a licensed contractor who has an excellent track record within your community.

Handyman Connection is proud to serve the home improvement and home repair needs of Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Orlando, Bradenton, Sarasota, Naples, Ft. Myers, Melbourne, Merritt Island & Titusville

« Back to Press Releases