Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL 36507

Rick Zapata

Regional Extension Agent

Consumer Science & Personal Financial Management

September 2, 2008

Getting Repairs After the Storm

People in South West Alabama have had more than their share of storm damage to their homes from recent tropical storms and hurricanes. When the storms are approaching our coasts, we start preparing in order to limit the damage that may be done. What many do not realize is that another storm is gathering and that is crooked contractors who will continue to cause damage long after the winds and rain have stopped.

In the State of Alabama, in home repairs above $ 10,000 dollars, the contractor is required to have a “Home Builders License” from the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board. If you ask your contractor if he has a license, he may just have a local business license. A local business license does not require a test. Literally anyone can buy a contractors business license in any city in southwest Alabama. To get a Home Builders License, you must first pass a very in-depth test. Then you must provide a “clean” credit report to the Home Builders Licensure Board. Only after these steps can a contractor be licensed to do home repairs in excess of $10,000 dollars. If a contractor comes to your home and says that he is “licensed”, you can call 1-800-304-0853 and see if he is licensed by the State Home Builders Board. You can also go online at www.hblb.alabama.gov and search for their name. It is illegal in the State of Alabama for a contractor to work above the 10K level without a license from the Alabama Licensure Board.

Most people get in a hurry to get their repairs done after the storm. This is an advantage to an out of state contractor who is not licensed in Alabama. They are not usually licensed in their state either and only a handful of states offer reciprocity for the home builders’ license. If you hire one of these unlicensed contractors, there is no guarantee that the work will be done correctly or according to the home builders codes.

If you do have damage to your home, go and pull a building permit. This will really

pay off in the long run because the work will have to be inspected by a building code inspector from the city or county and they will be able to tell you if the contractor is making the correct repairs. Most home owners are not builders and do not know the current building codes. If a home owner relies on the contractor to tell them what is correct, they may get taken and later have to hire a licensed builder to make the correct repairs. This will result in the repairs costing twice as much and taking twice as long. Whether you think that you have an “honest” contractor or not, it is best to pull a building permit. After the storm, these building inspectors are your best hope to get the repairs done correctly.

Please beware of the following:

Contractors who demand to be paid up front.
Contractors who claim to be FEMA certified. There is no such thing.
Contractors going door to door looking for work.
Contractors with out of state car or truck tags.
Contractors who do not require a contract to be signed before starting work.
Contractors who will not give a written estimate on an official letterhead showing his address.
Contractors with cell phones out of the Alabama area codes, 251-334-205

Please never, never pay for work before it is completed and inspected by a city or county inspector. If you get taken, the District Attorney may be able to find the contractor, but the money is usually gone by that time. The best rule of thumb is “Don’t get in a hurry in hiring a contractor to do repairs”. Make sure that they are properly licensed by the proper authorities and ask for references. You can also check the Better Business Bureau and see if any complaints have been filed against the contractor. Please be safe during this storm season and be careful who you hire.

Email address: rrz0001@aces.edu

Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5611, 928-0860, ext. 2222

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.

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