Ohio
has a Repairs and Services
Rule that gives you certain legal rights when it comes
to hiring a contractor, including the right to an estimate,
no hidden charges, and no unfair or deceptive representations.
The home improvement
industry is regulated by state and local laws to protect the
public from unsafe or inadequate work. We caution all consumers
to take the following steps in hiring a contractor:
 There
is no state licensing requirement for contractors in Ohio,
but check with your local city or county authorities to see
if one is required. Many local authorities require home improvement
contractors to have a license in order to do any work in their
area and doing business without a license is a violation of
the law.
Check the contractor's complaint record with
your local Better
Business Bureau and get references from several past customers.
Make notes (and keep them) on what you and the
contractor are discussing about the job.
Insist on a written fixed price contract to
include the name and address of the contractor and license
number, terms of payments, start and completion dates and
the terms of the contractor's warranty.
Check the need for a building permit. You should
have the contractor obtain the permit, if one is needed, so
local authorities can make sure there are no building code
violations.
Carefully read all contract terms before signing,
front and back sides of what you sign. Watch out for any terms
that don't make sense to you. Be suspicious of any blank spaces.
If any terms don't seem to really apply to your situation,
then ask the contractor to "x" them out. Make sure
the contract does NOT have anything in it about a "Jury
Waiver" or "Arbitration" unless you understand
it and you are willing to give up your legal rights (probably
a foolish move).
To read more about the Repairs and Services
Rule, click here.
There is no reason your home improvement project
should become a nightmare! If complaining on your own doesn't
work then contact an attorney
for help.
For more information call 1-888-331-6422.
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