BBB Scam Alert: Home improvement scammers take money, don't complete work

Use caution when hiring a home improvement contractor, especially following a major storm, flood, or weather event when many homeowners are trying to repair their homes. However, contractor scams can happen anytime, so be wary of high-pressure sales tactics, upfront fees, and fly-by-night businesses. Con artists will take homeowners’ money and deliver (or not deliver) less than quality work.

How the scam works:

Home improvement scams can start with a knock on the door, a flyer, or an ad. The contractor may offer a low price or a short timeframe. One common hook is when the scammer claims to be working in your neighborhood on another project and has leftover supplies.

Once started, a rogue contractor may "find" issues that significantly raise the price. If you object, they threaten to walk away and leave a half-finished project. Or they may accept your upfront deposit and never return to do the job. Following a natural disaster, scammers persuade homeowners to sign over their insurance payments.

In a recent BBB Scam Tracker report, one consumer shared this experience, "The person knocked on our front door and estimated our driveway job. They offer $4000 and did their work next day. Their job was sloppy and imcompleted. They even use our household items without our permission. They continued to ask our payment with either check or cash. The guy, he self claimed "Billy" went to the bank our check and rejected with some reasons. He came back and get another check. They vanished without cleaning the asphalt debris or other meterial. I tried to contact them but the phone was disconnected."

One consumer shared the following experience with BBB Scam Tracker: "He requested for cash to purchase the materials. He came to pick up the cash and said he would schedule the day & time to do the job. After numerous exchanges of text messages promising to find me a schedule he couldn't come up with one. If he did he wouldn't show up at such time. I then asked for a refund which he agreed to do but never showed up again."

Tips to spot this scam:

• Watch out for "red flags." Say no to cash-only deals, high-pressure sales tactics, high upfront payments, handshake deals without a contract, and on-site inspections. Not all “storm chasers” are con artists, but enough are that you should be cautious any time a home contractor contacts you first…especially after a natural disaster.
  
  
• Ask for references and check them out. Bad contractors will be reluctant to share this information, and scammers won’t wait for you to do your homework. If you can, get references from past customers, both older references to check on the quality of the work and newer references to ensure current employees are up to the task. Check them out at BBB.org to see what other customers have experienced. And always get a written contract with the price, materials, and timeline. The more detail, the better. 

• Know the law. Work with local businesses that have proper identification, licensing, and insurance. Confirm that your vendor will get related permits, and make sure you know who is responsible for what according to your local laws and that your vendor is ready to comply. 

Find trusted, vetted home improvement contractors near you and check out BBB's home HQ.

For more information

Check out this BBB tip on storm chasers. And before you hire anybody, read these tips on hiring a contractor.

Visit BBB's home improvement HQ to make your next project a success.

To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker.

To learn how to protect yourself, go to “10 Steps to Avoid Scams."