Fraud and Scams

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

There are few businesses in the world that are as rampant with fraud, scams and simply well intended but less than quality work.  No where can you go trying to look for a good deal and be more at risk of encountering a financial disaster.

Well Intended

Today it's sad that there are so many people out of work.  This is true in the construction industry as well as most other lines of work. We all want to do our part to help.  In the case of our business we do our best to do a quality job so that we get more clients and can therefore hire more people giving them security and a sense of well being.  Unfortunately, there are still many people out of work who have had to resort to working under the radar, without licenses. Some of them are offering ridiculously low prices just to survive.  It sounds wonderful.  You get to help someone and at the same time save money.  But often going this route can end in disaster.  They are not licensed, get caught, and are not there to warranty the work they did for you.  Perhaps they don't use the right materials and the work starts to come apart but they have moved to another city or state.  We are constantly getting calls from people who hired someone on the cheap, who is no longer in business, whose work is literally falling apart and who is now nowhere to be found.  The homeowner has already paid once to have the work done, now they often have to pay to have the work ripped out and then pay a second time to have the work done right.  If you are well intended and want to help people, hire a quality company and let us help put those deserving a good job back to work.

Pay it forward

There are now many companies who are doing what we refer to as "pay it forward".  They underbid a job. They actually lose money.  But it keeps them going for a few more weeks.  To cover themselves they go out and underbid a second job and use the cash from that to finish the first.  Then a third to pay the second.  But at some point they go into economic collapse.  All their customers from the first to the last suffer.  The first customers who got a great deal have no one to cover the warranty.  The last customers paid and in some cases get little or nothing for their money.  Avoid companies that are underbidding the job or who have been in business two years or less.

Out of Town

If the people are from out of town they won't be around to cover the repairs and warranty.

Unlicensed

If they don't have a license sooner or later they will get caught or leave town.  This leaves you with a job half finished or without warranty.

Borrowed Licenses

Be very careful that the person who is doing the work is actually the one with the license.  A common (and illegal) practice has been for people do do work under someone else's license.  This gives you (the homeowner) a false sense of security.  Unfortunately this can also result in permits being denied or the finished work being torn out and having to be done because the county will not approve it.

Uninsured

If they do not have insurance and someone gets hurt on the job "you" could be stuck paying medical bills and even their loss of wages.

Be Smart

Hire a qualified professional who offers you a reasonable deal, but who does not offer a bid that is "too good to be true"

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