Home owners and unlicensed contractors.
Why not use an unlicensed contractor if you can save money?
Hire Joe. Joe says he can do your job for half of the price you got from the licensed contractor you got a bid from. If one of the scenarios below plays out what can you do?
You give Joe a check for half the job. He cashes it and doesn’t come back.
Joe comes back and starts work. He gets part way done and needs more money or he won’t be able to finish the job.
Joe comes back to work and a “family crisis” happens and you don’t hear from him again.
You do hear from him and he continues working. He falls off a ladder and seriously hurts himself. He has no insurance. Your homeowners insurance pays for it and cancels you. He can’t finish the job because he’s recovering. You pay someone else the full amount to finish what Joe already got paid half for.
Joe doesn’t fall off the ladder. He stumbles or trips over something of yours. Your homeowners insurance pays for it and cancels you. He can’t finish the job because he’s suing you for negligence. Joe gets your house in a settlement.
You knock on Joe’s door and ask if you can mow his lawn because you’ve lost everything. He says, “I’m sorry. I only hire licensed contractors.”
Joe could also finish the job poorly. Do you have it in your budget to pay someone to do it over? Nothing lasts as long as a poor job on your home.
You are protected from all of the above scenarios when you hire a licensed contractor. He pays his insurance. He pays his taxes. He has the right tools for the job. It’s in his best interest not to get hurt. He stands behind his work.
And, if he doesn’t you’ve got the Registrar of Contractors in your corner to get it done right.
