Published: March 18, 2008 11:45 pm            

Home improvement time

Some headache-saving tips for consumers

FAIRMONT — The basement walls are leaking, the asphalt driveway is cracked so bad the gravel foundation is peeking through and half of the old retaining wall in the backyard finally crumbled last week.

Before you hire a home repair contractor, though, here are some headache-saving tips from Charli Fulton.

A senior assistant attorney general in state Attorney General Darrell V. McGraw Jr.’s office, Fulton specializes in helping homeowners across the state who run into problems with their contractors. The attorney general’s office maintains a consumer protection division, and Fulton and other lawyers in the AG’s office know the busy season for complaints is looming.

“The law requires a home improvement contractor to have a license,” from the state Labor Division, Fulton said.

But contractors are not required to post a bond or to carry liability insurance, she said.

“Because our state statutes are so weak in this area (of consumer protection), you should thoroughly check out any one you hire to do home improvements,” she said.

Checking with friends and neighbors is just one way to decide whether to hire a particular contractor, Fulton said.

After asking to see his license — many contractors simply post it on their truck windows or at their worksites — and reviewing the word-of-mouth reviews, homeowners can call the AG’s consumer protection division to see if it has received any complaints.

“We do keep all of the complaints filed with our office in a data base,” Fulton said. “We can tell you how many complaints we’ve received and whether they were successfully resolved.” The toll-free number is 1-800-368-8808. More information is available by going to the Attorney General’s Web site at this address: www.wvago.gov.

Residents can also check a contractor’s license by calling the Labor Division at 304-558-7890 and asking for the Contractors Licensing Board.

Get several estimates for the repairs, if possible, Fulton suggests. Then throw out the cheapest option. “You want to avoid a contractor whose quote is too cheap, or much cheaper than the others.”

“You also want ask a contractor to show proof he has liability insurance and is paying Workers’ Compensation.”

Other tips:

• Do not pay a contractor “upfront for anything.” If a contractor is not established enough to have a line of credit at building supply stores, then it’s better to find one who does, Fulton said.

• Pay by credit card. “You can dispute a quality of work issue if you pay with a credit card transaction.”

• Contractors must provide a contract that discloses all of the goods and services they are going to provide. The contract must have the price and the approximate completion date — “unless they clearly and conspicuously state they cannot” finish by a certain date.

The contract must also have the contractor’s name, address, business telephone number and his contractor license number.

• “Whenever possible, I always suggest people should ask the contractor to give them some references, people for whom they have worked for before,” she said.

West Virginia does not have a state building code, Fulton said.

However, some municipalities, like Fairmont, do have a city building code and building inspectors.

Jay Rogers, director of the city’s planning and development office, said contractors must have a city license in addition to a state license to do jobs in the city.

Homeowners in Fairmont who are planning home improvements also must obtain a city building permit, said Jay Rogers, the city’s director of planning and development.

Questions should be directed to the city’s building inspection office, he said.

E-mail Bill Byrd at bbyrd@timeswv.com.

        

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