Ask Jean: A contractor did $13,000 worth of shoddy work on my new home. Now what?

Twice a week, our CEO and resident money guru Jean Chatzky tackles your burning questions in the HerMoney newsletter. We’ve pulled some of the best to feature on our website — and this one made the cut! Got a question for Jean? Send it her way right here. 

Q: Today’s question comes from Megan. She writes: I recently had a general contractor do around $13,000 in work on a home we recently purchased. We did a walk-through last week and to say the work is bad would be an understatement. We asked for things to be fixed, which led to further damage. We just did our final walk-through and are just horrified at the quality. What do you do in situations like this?

A: Oof. This one is a doozy, Megan. First and foremost, you will want to document everything – including photos of the work and notes on any conversations you’ve had with the contractor. Next, pull your contract out to review what it says – if anything – about work quality, warranties and anything related to the issue you’re dealing with. (I hope you had one. If you didn’t, this is a reminder that even small home improvement projects are better off with all the details in writing.)

Then, you could make one last-ditch effort to address the issue directly with your contractor. Again, I recommend doing so in a letter or email so everything is in writing. Request how you’d like things to be handled—for example, giving the contractor one last chance to address the issues or requesting a partial refund. In your letter, it would be helpful to mention any provisions in the contract regarding workmanship, guarantees, etc.

If that doesn’t work, you could go the legal route. Small claims court may be an option, which would help you avoid having to hire a lawyer (though note, small claims courts have dollar limits for the amount you can recover, depending on where you’re located). You could also consult with a lawyer specializing in construction or contract law to discuss other options.

General contractors in most states are required to obtain a license from the state board of contractors (or a similar regulatory body). You could file a complaint against the contractor with the board. The way complaints are handled varies, but possible outcomes could include everything from license revocation to requiring the contractor to pay restitution to you.

Finally, although it isn’t going to get you money back, you should look to see if there’s an appropriate place to post a review. Every time I turn around (from doctors to retailers to restaurants), it feels as if I’m being asked to leave feedback. Doing it in a case like this is a nice way to pay it forward.

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