The storms and tornadoes that passed through Georgia have put a number of residents in the position of having to repair and rebuild homes that were damaged. Unfortunately, there are home repair scammers out there who will try to exploit this disaster by asking for up-front payments for home repair services and then disappear without ever doing the work. In other cases, scammers may charge exorbitant prices, charge for unnecessary repairs or do sub-standard work.

“While the damage is still being assessed after last night’s tornadoes, know that we will not tolerate scam artists who try to take advantage of storm victims,” says Attorney General Carr. “We urge consumers whose homes were damaged in the storms to carefully vet contractors before hiring them.”

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division offers the following tips to those who are in need of home repair work or tree-removal services: 

• Avoid door-to-door offers for home repair work. Instead, ask friends and neighbors for referrals.
• Steer clear of any contractor who asks for full payment up-front, only accepts payment in cash, or who refuses to provide you with a written contract.
• Ask contractors for three references of customers who had projects similar to yours, and check them out.
• Get written bids from at least three contractors. Be skeptical if the bid is too low. Cheaper is not necessarily better.
• Always insist on a contract for work to be performed, with all guarantees, warranties and promises in writing. Agree on start and completion dates and have them written into the contract.
• Never pay for the entire project before the work begins. Consider paying no more than one-third of the total cost as a down payment, with remaining payments tied to completion of specified amounts of work, and the final payment not due until the job is completed.
• Be skeptical of any contractor that offers to pay your insurance deductible or offers other no-cost incentives, as these can be signs of fraud. You should always talk to your insurance company before committing to any repairs or even allowing a roofer to inspect your roof for any damage. 
• Check with the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) to if there are any complaints against the business.
• Make sure that the tree removal has a valid arborist license by visiting the International Society of Arboriculture’s website at www.isa-arbor.com.  
• Make sure that general contractors, electricians, plumbers and heating and air conditioning contractors are licensed by going to the Secretary of State’s website at sos.georgia.gov. Note that certain specialty occupations such as roofers, tree removal services, painters, drywall contractors and repair handymen are not required to be licensed by the state. 

If you think that you may have been the victim of home repair fraud, please contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by visiting consumer.ga.gov or by calling 404-651-8600 or 1-800-869-1123 (toll-free in Georgia, outside of the metro Atlanta calling area).