As residents begin fixing damage from last week’s storm, they need to be aware of home repair scams, experts say.

After a weather disaster, rip-off contractors tend to flock to damaged areas, offering services that leave customers with less money and poor work.

“When we’re sitting there with a hole in our roof, we want work quickly. Sometimes it takes awhile for reputable companies to get to communities,” said Anita Napier, CEO of the Builders Association of South Central Kentucky. “If it sounds too good to be true, unfortunately, it is.”

When a contractor visits a person’s home, the resident should make sure the contractor is in a marked truck and has a business card with a name, address and phone number, said Linda Chambers, Bowling Green Area manager for the Better Business Bureau.

“Some have just a name with a cell phone number, and sometimes those are good,” she said. “But most of the time, not.”

Contractors often require an upfront fee to purchase materials, which is a normal request. Still, residents need to do their homework and be leery of paying a contractor before the job is completed, experts said.

Residents should check with the contractors licensing board at 781-3530 to verify if a local contractor is licensed and insured, and they should request to view examples of previous work, Napier said.

“No matter how small a project, you can always ask to see some examples and (talk to) customers these people have worked with,” she said. “The best way to know is to talk to a (former) customer.”

If a customer hires a contractor too quickly without checking his background and reputation, the consequences could be costly.

Poor contractors often use inferior products to perform construction work, or “they’ll put a patch on something … to show it’s fixed before they leave you and then you’ll never find them again,” Chambers said. “That’s why you use local people and make sure they’re legitimate contractors.”

It’s also important to make sure a contractor is legitimate and is aware of local, state and federal construction codes.

“If you hire someone who decides one day to call themselves a roofer, they will not know those regulations, and you will be the one held responsible when your house isn’t up to code,” Napier said.

Chambers said her office often receives complaints about contractors.

So far this year, the contractors licensing board has received five complaints regarding incomplete and poor work, using outdated and inferior products and stealing items from homes.

“Just be really careful about who (you) hire,” Chambers said. “The biggest thing is don’t pay them cash; don’t let them in your house, and contact your insurance company.”

Tips for hiring a contractor

• Contact your insurance company immediately.

• Deal only with licensed and insured contractors. Verify the track record of any contractor you’re thinking of hiring. Ask for a list of recent customers and call them.

• Get recommendations. Also check to see if complaints have been lodged against any contractor you’re considering.

• Get two or three estimates before you decide who to hire for the job.

• Take your time signing a contract. Get a written estimate that includes any oral promises the contractor made. Ask if there’s a charge for an estimate before allowing anyone into your home. Don’t automatically choose the lowest bidder, and get a copy of the final, signed contract before the job begins.

• Resist dealing with any contractor who asks you to pay for the entire job up-front. A deposit of one-third of the total price is standard procedure. Don’t pay cash; pay only by check or credit card, and pay the final amount only after the work is completed to your satisfaction.

• Be skeptical of contractors who encourage you to spend a lot of money on temporary repairs. Make sure there’s enough money for permanent repairs.

• Ask someone, such as an attorney, to review a home repair contract before you sign. If you get a loan to pay for the work, be cautious about using your home as security – if you don’t repay the loan as agreed, you could lose your home. Also, consider asking an attorney to review the loan documents.

— Source: The Better Business Bureau