Home improvement scammers take money, don’t complete work » Urban Milwaukee

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Milwaukee, Wis. – Use caution when hiring a home improvement contractor, especially following a major storm, flood, or other weather event when many homeowners are trying to repair their homes. However, contractor scams can happen at any time, so be wary of high-pressure sales tactics, upfront fees, and fly-by-night businesses. Con artists will take homeowners’ money and deliver (or not deliver) less than quality work.

How the Scam Works:

Home improvement scams can start with a knock on the door, a flyer, or an ad. The contractor may offer a low price or a short timeframe. One common hook is when the scammer claims to be working in your neighborhood on another project and has leftover supplies.

Once started, a rogue contractor may “find” issues that significantly raise the price. If you object, they threaten to walk away and leave a half-finished project. Or they may accept your upfront deposit and then never return to do the job. Following a natural disaster, scammers persuade homeowners to sign over their insurance payments.

Tips to Spot This Scam:

Watch out for “red flags.” Say no to cash-only deals, high-pressure sales tactics, high upfront payments, handshake deals without a contract, and on-site inspections. Not all “storm chasers” are con artists, but enough are that you should be cautious any time a home contractor contacts you first…especially after a natural disaster.
Ask for references and check them out. Bad contractors will be reluctant to share this information and scammers won’t wait for you to do your homework. If you can, get references from past customers, both older references to check on the quality of the work and newer references to make sure current employees are up to the task. Check them out at BBB.org to see what other customers have experienced. And always be sure to get a written contract with the price, materials and timeline. The more detail, the better.
Know the law. Work with local businesses that have proper identification, licensing and insurance. Confirm that your vendor will get related permits and make sure you know who is responsible for what according to your local laws and that your vendor is ready to comply.

Find trusted, vetted home improvement contractors near you and check out BBB’s home HQ.

For more information, check out this BBB tip on storm chasers. And before you hire anybody, read these tips on hiring a contractor.

To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker.

To learn how to protect yourself, go to “10 Steps to Avoid Scams.”

Go to BBB.org to look up business profiles, file a complaint, or write a customer review. Visit BBB Scam Tracker to research and report scams.

Read more about BBB Accreditation Standards and BBB Standards for Trust. Learn how to become a BBB Accredited Business.

For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2020, people turned to BBB more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 6.2 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.