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Home Improvement Contractor Knowledge Base
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)
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 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.
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 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?
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?
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 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
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?
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.
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 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?
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!
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?
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.
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 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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
What Companies provide Home Improvement Contractors Insurance? I need an insuarance certificate for public liability for $1000,000 and property damage for 25,000
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?
How difficult is it to be your own general contractor for home improvement projects? For example, I was thinking if you need plumbing, call in a plumber and say "tell me where you need to get at for what I want done and I will tear away the walls and floors for you". Same thing with electrical. Could I just say to an electrician "just tell me where you need to get at and I will open it up for you"? In terms of walls, everybody can put up drywall to patch up open spaces. In terms of framing, a DIY book should do just fine, right? My point is, just as long as you do your homework while still letting licensed people do plumbing and electrical, you should be able to save big bucks, right?
what percentage of bids should a contractor land? Home Improvement contractors.. I live in KC...We are priced very comparable to other companies. We do excellent work and provide great customer service. My guys are clean cut and we are normally reffered to most of our bids. I know its a tough question and there might not be a good answer. On an even playing field whats a good percentage?
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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??
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.
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
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?
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!
What qualities should I look for when selecting a contractor? Aside from workmanship/skill and a fair estimate, what other maybe hidden qualities should I look for when selecting a contractor for home improvement repairs? Lend me your experience. Thanks!
My Contractor failed to obtain building permits to remodel my home now the work is going bad where do I stand? Help, I had a contractor recently remodel my basement as well as other ares of my home, now the sewer they changed is backing up almost every couple of months, the plastering they did is cracking along with with other major and minor problems. About 3/4 of the way of the remodeling being completed a complaint to the buildings department by a terminated employee resulted in me finding out the contractor never obtained proper permits or consulted an architect to conduct the demolition for my home improvement. This contractor plays dumb when I tell him the plumbing they did is bad. They are avoiding the issue at hand by side stepping. The weird part of this ordeal is that the Sewer and Drain company they use to unclog my sewer also agreed this contractor made bad connections or their term a bad cross connection causing this sewer to frequently back up to the point the toilets over flow causing internal damage to the newly installed sheetrock that now has buckled. In an attempt to cover up their error the contractor stated he fired the salesman who set up the contract and who never got the proper building permits. I questioned the owner stating don't you review your newly obtained contracts before starting a new job making sure the proper documents are in order of course the abba dabba talk kicked in. What would happen if I reported this and to who should I report them to now that i'm having these reoccurring problems caused by this contractor. My home is my castle and I spent a lot of money and i'm tired of all of this grief. They come and fix some of the errors but states the house is setteling thats why there are cracks in the plastering and corking that was done due to a railroad that runs past my home. I say this is just shoddy work done for under a years time in my opinion. My contract is still under warranty with them what can I do. If someone can guide me in the right direction to get this matter resolved I would be grateful. Thank you all in advance.
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?
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
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?
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?
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.
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!
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?
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.
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 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!!!
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
do they make an electric tankless water heater with a propane backup? I am a home improvement contractor and I was told be a customer that there is an electric tankless water heater with a propane back up. I have never heard of such, nor can I find one online. If you know of one would you please paste a link for me.
How is a person certified to gain a title as a certified contractor? *as the bank said I need "certified" contractor to provide bids for home improvements for roofing, driveway, and some home repairs
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
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?
Have you ever hired a contractor do do? Work on your home only to find that the dirty work is done by grunt laborers and are getting minimal wage at best. And you are paying this contractor big bucks - doesent that make you feel like a fool. Why don't you learn how to perform tasks on your own. That is to say if you think you can do a particular job safely. Most home improvement tasks are easy if you read up on how to do them. You could save big bucks , instead of getting ripped off by some contractor. In my opinion.
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,
I am interested in becoming a contractor in san Antonio, tx does anyone know the requirements.? A contractor to do home improvement work
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