A 1997 American Housing Survey pinpointed the average age of the 64 million owner-occupied houses in the United States at 29 years, well ripe for any number of improvements. Lots of work means lots of contractors. And lots of ways to get scammed. Slam the scam Each year, home remodeling contractor problems rank among the top 10 consumer complaints to the Better Business Bureau . In fact, the BBB has received more than 7,000 complaints annually during the past decade.
Homeowners select a contractor based on price alone without investigating their background.
Homeowners get duped by outright scams. There's the con man, an outright criminal who promises anything at any price, demands his money up front and vanishes. Then there's the lowball artist, a shady operator who intentionally bids below his legitimate competitors, then makes costly changes or skimps on workmanship to recoup a profit. Last, there's the slipshod businessman whose intentions may be honorable but whose incompetent estimates and overall poor judgment end up costing you money. Protecting yourself against the con artist should be easy, she says.