Did my contractor abandon me?

Let's say you found the perfect contractor for your project, and you signed a written contract with him. He said that the project should last about 15 days to finish. He took 30% of the contract cost up front, and he started the demolishing part of the project. He left your house one day, and he said he will be back the next day at 9AM.

It has been 5 days since then. You have been calling him and he has been giving you the runaround. He tells you that he will be there tomorrow for sure, and that he is certain the project will be completed on time. You say to your self "Is this person a crook? Did my contractor abandon me?"

The answer is that your contractor did not abandon you, yet, in the eye of the State. Rules governing contractors state that the home owners need to allow reasonable amount of time to contractors in order to complete the project stated on your written contract. In the example above, the contractor had stated that the project would be completed in 15 days. The scenario states that the contractor has been gone for 5 days. In this case, the homeowner should wait for another 10 days and contact the contractor via certified mail. If the contractor does not come back to finish the project, homeowner should contact Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.

Now, my personal opinion. I think that any contractor that does not keep his promises and leaves projects unfinished is a crook. You should read my article on "How should you select your next contractor?" in order to weed out these types of fly by night operations. Checking references, and verifying past work history will help you eliminate 90% of the crooks. You need to catch the rest by being diligent about your down payments, and your project schedule.

Good luck.

Murat Aksu
01/15/2007
www.a1ateam.com