On Your Side: What you can do to avoid being duped by unlicensed contractors

Winter is approaching and that means many have gotten their roofs fixed or are just starting to clean out their chimneys, but it’s also a time for unlicensed contractors to begin lurking.

“There [are] a few different rings of these guys that are jumping around. They go from city to city,” said Justin Reynolds, a licensed contractor and Owner of Alliance Chimney Sweep and Masonry.

Police are looking for David Russel Rhinehart, accused of defrauding customers throughout the Portland metro area by taking money for labor and materials but failing to complete the work as promised.

Police said Rhinehart knows a lot about the contracting business, but is not licensed by the Oregon Construction Contractors Board.

Reynolds said incidents like that end up hurting innocent business owners and contractors.

"The trust is what kills you, because now you’re going into a situation where they don’t trust you,” he said. “They show up, they get on the roof and they just tear the chimney down and demand money. So, you’re showing up to somebody who has a hole in their roof."

Another piece of advice for potential customers, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is.

You can always check the contractor’s license on the Better Business Bureau’s website.

If the person can’t provide a license number, that is a major red flag.

Reynolds warned customers should go through a vetting process.

"Do your research. Look at what, more than one site. Yelp, Google, all the things that you can. And ask Facebook, the community pages are pretty awesome,” Reynolds added.

https://katu.com/news/local/on-your-side-what-you-can-do-to-avoid-being-duped-by-unlicensed-contractors
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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: November 12, 2024, 3:03 am.

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