How To Fight Back Against a Bad Contractor

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Published: March 04, 2011
By: Oliver Marks
1Comment

Don’t take contractor abuse lying down. If your contractor has fouled up your home improvement project—or disappeared altogether—you have recourse.

Effort: Low 1 hr-1 day (legal consult)
Investment: Low $500-$1,000 (legal consult)

Fight back against a bad contractor when your major home improvement project goes belly up.

Of course, all construction is a hassle. But occasionally a remodel turns into an unmitigated disaster. And even though you thoroughly vetted the contractor—and the contract—before signing, stuff happens. Roofs tear off, unskilled laborers slap together defective work, or you pay for amenities that never get installed.

Maybe the contractors took on more work than they could handle or their credit dried up in the middle of a job. Worst-case scenario, they’re out-and-out scam artists.

Don’t get mad: Get motivated to defend yourself. Here’s how.

Next: Fire the contractor

Oliver Marks

A former carpenter and newspaper reporter, Oliver Marks has been writing about home improvements for 16 years. He’s currently restoring his second fixer-upper with a mix of big hired projects and small do-it-himself jobs.

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