Playbooks / Contractor / home remodeler
How to complain about a contractor
Home improvement complaints are the highest-value consumer disputes most people ever file, and the licensing board matters as much as the review.
What goes wrong most often
- Deposit taken and work abandoned mid-project
- Work that fails inspection or was never permitted
- Change orders added verbally then billed
- Materials downgraded from what the contract specified
- Timeline overruns of months with no communication
The evidence that decides it
- The signed contract and every change order
- Dated progress photos of the site
- Permit records from your city or county
- Bank records of every deposit and payment
Name the contract amount, the amount paid, and the percentage completed.
The regulator most people never use
State contractor licensing board
Nearly every state licenses general contractors and can order restitution or suspend a license. Check the license number on your contract before you file.
Your state's channel is listed in the state complaint guides.
Where to post it
- GoogleEveryone who searches the business by name, plus everyone browsing the map for a nearby alternative.
- Better Business BureauCautious buyers who check a company before spending money, and BBB pages rank strongly in search.
- YelpLocal shoppers comparing several nearby businesses at once.
- FacebookLocals, and the business's own followers.
Wording that survives moderation
Start from a review template, keep every claim tied to a document, and read the wording rules before you post. If it comes down anyway, there is an appeal path.