by Karen Brown and Bill Brennan

Avoid getting ripped off by a home repair contractor!  Follow these simple guidelines:

• Be sure your contractor is reputable - know who you are hiring.  Do not hire people who ring your doorbell and tell you your roof needs repair or your gutters need fixing.  Get the names of at least three references and call them.  Find out how long the job took and the quality of the work.
• Don't use contractors who offer to do the job using material left over from another job.
• Don't use a contractor who tries to pressure you into making a decision.
• Find out what kind of insurance the contractor has.  Hire people who have a current, up-to-date  certificate of insurance .
• Never pay a large sum up front.  Instead, negotiate a time table and payment schedule where you will pay the contractor as work is completed.
• Hold back the final payment until they get the work done correctly.
• Get it in writing - insist on a contract that specifies the work to be done, the time it will be completed, the materials to be used, the names of any subcontractors and the schedule of payments.
• Get the subcontractors to sign a paper waiving their right to put a lien on your home if the contractor doesn't pay them.

If you have questions or concerns, call the Atlanta Legal Aid office nearest you.