We frequently hear stories of homeowners who have paid excessive amounts for home repairs or remodeling, or who have paid for work and then have had the contractor fail to complete the job. The Illinois General Assembly recently enacted the "Home Repair and Remodeling Act", which should help homeowners prevent this type of abuse. Although the legislation will not solve all problems, it is important for people to understand their rights under the Act so that they can require compliance by contractors with whom they have dealings.
The Act provides that anyone engaged in the business of home repair or remodeling who proposes to do work for over $1000 must, prior to beginning work, furnish to the homeowner a written contract detailing the work to be done and the total cost of all labor and materials. The contract must state the name and address of the business. In order for the Act to be effective in preventing overreaching by contractors, it is essential that the homeowner read it carefully without the contractor being present and to seek expert advice on any contract language that is not completely clear. An attorney would be happy to help in this regard. If a person signs a contract without fully understanding it or as a result of sales pressure, one of the protections of the Act may be lost.
The contractor is also obligated to give the homeowner a booklet entitled "Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights". Read the booklet carefully before you sign any contract so that you may make sure that the contract submitted to you complies with the law. Again, an attorney's advice may be well worth the price.
The booklet makes a number of common sense suggestions which all of us should follow. It cautions against the following:
- Door-to-door salespersons with no local connections who offer to do work for substantially less than market price.
- Solicitations from a company that lists only a telephone number or a post office box number to contact.
- Contractors who fail to provide references when requested.
- Contractors who demand cash payment for a job or who ask you to make a check payable to a person other than the business.
Keep in mind that you have a right to insist that the contractor comply with the requirements of the Act. If the contractor refuses to comply, find someone else to do the work.
Finally, try to do business with persons whom you know and trust. If you have been satisfied with their work in the past, you likely will be in the future. The job might cost a little more, but you will probably find that it is well worth the added cost.