The Blog

Judy Schurke, Director, Department of Labor & Industries

06/25/09

The home-improvement season is on us, and some homeowners might be tempted to choose a contractor based only on price, particularly in this tough economy when many are struggling to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, low-price bidders sometimes are also unregistered contractors – and that ought to be a warning sign before moving forward on your project.

L&I is currently alerting homeowners around the state to check with the state before it’s too late. If you select an unregistered contractor for your home-improvement project, you risk having no recourse if things go bad. Unregistered contractors don’t carry bonding and insurance that provide some protections to homeowners.

Our campaign about hiring only registered contractors also responds to legitimate and lawful businesses that want us to do whatever we can to educate homeowners and to catch the bad guys.

There are too many horror stories not to take this issue seriously. A Renton woman, for instance, hired an unregistered contractor, paid him $20,000 for a new driveway, patio and walkway, only to discover the workman tore everything up, did a small amount of work and then left everything in shambles.

If you know of a contractor doing business without being registered, you can report them at Fraud.Lni.wa.gov  or 1-888-811-5974.

It’s easy to find out if a contractor is registered by going to HiringaContractor.Lni.wa.gov. This Web site also offers helpful information about planning your project, including hiring a contractor.

Remember: Check with the state before it’s too late.