RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Sooner or later any homeowner will emerge from a season of cold, windy weather with a few things around the house that need repair.
What you’ve put off scammers see as an opportunity. So, in the weeks ahead some of us may get a knock on the door and an offer that’s hard to refuse.
“They’ll see a driveway and they’ll tell you they have a load left over from doing your neighbor’s property,” says Jeff Gore, Investigation Supervisor for the Nevada State Contractors Board. “They’ll cut you a great deal on it.”
It could be a rough driveway or a roof or fence. It doesn’t matter. Scammers will be looking for it and they’ll come on strong.
“They might start you at $9,000 and then ‘Well, if you do it today since I’ve got extra asphalt. I’ll cut it down to $5,000.”
And typically the kind of work they leave behind will be sloppy, damaged, unfinished. Then the real cost of the scam becomes evident.
The homeowner is out the money they’ve paid and there’s little Jeff Gore or anyone can do about it. In fact, the scammers may be long gone. Often they are members of a traveling crew who work a community and move on.
Protecting yourself is just a matter of doing it right. Gore says you should always use a licensed contractor. You’ll find a list on the Contractors Board website www.nscb.nv.gov. And, if someone knocks on your door with an unsolicited offer?
”If you didn’t call and ask them to look at your roof and bid on it, they probably don’t belong there and we wouldn’t recommend letting them into your house.”
Copyright 2021 KOLO. All rights reserved.
More Stories
Choose a Best Home Which Fits on Your Budget
Protect Your Home by Choosing the Best Roofing Contractors
Design Guide: Creating the Perfect Home Office