We're in peak hurricane season, and this year there is something else to add to your preparations: A list of websites to check whether home repair companies are legit or not.
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The scenario has played out after almost every storm. Homes and property are damaged — and all kinds of “contractors” come out of the woodwork to fix roofs, fences, screened patios, etc. Many are honest, but many others may take your money and disappear, or perform shoddy work.
Worse, a study by a West palm Beach firm suggests that checklist is now a year-round must in Florida.
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The report by Palm Beach Pool Pros suggests there's an epidemic of unlicensed business contractors in the Sunshine State. The number of complaints filed by consumers alleging they got taken by someone has increased roughly 500 percent to 42,644 per year in the past two decades.
In the past seven years, the most complaints filed were for general contractors, followed by the air conditioning, electrical, roofing, and plumbing sectors.
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Palm Beach County ranked third among Florida’s 67 counties in total unlicensed business reports filed since 2010 — though thankfully the county ranked much lower on the list when the data was broken down by per capita.
Palm Beach Pool Pros, which manages a website that helps you find licensed and qualified pool maintenance help, said it didn't need to do a lot of sleuthing to unearth this. They just pored over state Department of Business and Professional Regulation records.
“At first, we were just trying to help homeowners get help from qualified, licensed pool contractors,” said Alex Furmansky, co-owner of Palm Beach Pool Pros. “So we asked ourselves, is this really a problem?”
Uh, yeah, that would be resounding yes. And that it is isn’t too much of a shock.
Palm Beach Post Business reporter Susan Salisbury has written about numerous cases about people who have been taken by one contractor or another.
Furmansky found much the same result.
“We started Googling around and we came across lots of examples. Just about every week, a newspaper wrote a story about someone who got screwed over,” he said. “It’s not just Joanne or Bob, it’s a lot of people. And all over the state.”
Salisbury suggests there are a number of ways for people to check out a repair company. Partly because different state agencies regulate different business sectors.
Start with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation — myfloridalicense.com or 850-487-1395 — which supervises various contractor sectors. But bear in mind you may end up at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services — Freshfromflorida.com or 1-800-435-7352 — which also regulates a large number of business categories.
Salisbury says beware that some critical categories, such as handymen, do not require a license. In checking them out, get references. Or ask people you know. And do so ahead of the need.
Salisbury says you can also check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints, and sites such as Rip-off Report. Complaints.com, etc.
“It’s sad,” said Furmansky. “I wish it wasn’t the case.”
But it is, and it’s up to you to protect yourself.
