Episode 1956
Homeowner Beware: The Sneaky Contractor Scams of 2025!
We're diving into the nitty-gritty of the top bad contractor scams of 2025! Buckle up, because we're about to unveil the sneaky tactics that some less-than-reputable contractors use to pull a fast one on unsuspecting homeowners. From underbidding to massive deposits and change orders that seem to pop up out of nowhere, we’re here to help you navigate through the minefield of home renovations. I mean, who wants to get stuck with a contractor who leaves you hanging after taking your cash, right? So grab your toolbox (or maybe just a snack), and let’s get ready to arm ourselves with knowledge to ensure your next project goes off without a hitch!
Navigating the wild world of home renovations can be a bit like trying to dance on a tightrope while juggling flaming swords—exciting but fraught with potential disaster! Eric G dives headfirst into the murky waters of contractor scams in 2025, sharing the top ten ways homeowners can protect themselves from unscrupulous tradespeople. Starting with the essential reminder to always hire licensed, bonded, and insured contractors, he emphasizes the importance of doing your homework to steer clear of the 5% of bad apples that spoil the bunch. He also warns against the pitfalls of relying on social media recommendations—because let’s be honest, the only thing worse than a bad contractor might just be one who’s recommended by that one friend who can’t even hang a picture straight.
Moving along, Eric pulls back the curtain on duct cleaning scams that prey on unsuspecting homeowners. He paints a vivid picture of these deceptive ads that lure folks in with promises of a clean home, only to deliver a box of dust bunnies and a hefty bill. If you’re not careful, you might find yourself with a bill that’s more shocking than discovering that your favorite takeout place has closed down! The key takeaway? Always verify credentials and seek out certified professionals who can actually back up their claims.
As the conversation unfolds, Eric discusses the dangers of excessive deposits and unexpected price hikes. He recounts a cautionary tale about a homeowner caught in a web of lies, where a seemingly innocent remodeling job morphed into a financial nightmare. Eric’s advice? Lock down a detailed contract that specifies every aspect of the job to avoid being blindsided by those sneaky change orders that can inflate costs faster than a hot air balloon at a county fair. So grab your notepad, folks—this episode is packed with wisdom that could save you from a renovation horror story!
Takeaways:
- Always verify contractor licenses in your area to avoid being scammed.
- Beware of contractors who ask you to purchase materials; they should handle it all!
- Understand the details in your contract to prevent unexpected costs during the project.
- High-pressure sales tactics from contractors are a major red flag; take your time to decide.
- Be cautious of low bids; they often lead to costly change orders down the line.
- Don't rely on the Better Business Bureau for contractor credibility; do your own research.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Monument Grills
- NADCA
- John's Waterproofing
To get your questions answered by Eric G give us a call in the studio at 833-239-4144 24/7 and Eric G will get back to you and answer your question and you might end up in a future episode of Around the House.
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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
Mentioned in this episode:
SiteHype Designs
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Monument Grill Omni-Pro Eminence Series 405
Eminence 405 enhances grilling efficiency with a smart App-synced full-color LED touch panel, a durable quality finish, and an upgraded heating system. Its sleek, modern ClearView® lid design represents the perfect blend of elegance and expert-level performance. To find out more visit: https://monumentgrills.com/collections/omni-eminence-series/products/eminence-405
Monument Grill Omni-Pro Eminence Series 405
Eminence 405 enhances grilling efficiency with a smart App-synced full-color LED touch panel, a durable quality finish, and an upgraded heating system. Its sleek, modern ClearView® lid design represents the perfect blend of elegance and expert-level performance. To find out more visit: https://monumentgrills.com/collections/omni-eminence-series/products/eminence-405
Champion Homes at Design and Construction Week.
We're diving into the world of affordable housing and stellar construction, showcasing how Champion Homes is flipping the script on what factory-built housing can look like. Picture this: gorgeous three-bedroom, two-bath homes that don’t just meet the needs of today’s homebuyers but also come packed with style and efficiency. To find out MORE head to https://www.championhomes.com/
Champion Homes at Design and Construction Week.
We're diving into the world of affordable housing and stellar construction, showcasing how Champion Homes is flipping the script on what factory-built housing can look like. Picture this: gorgeous three-bedroom, two-bath homes that don’t just meet the needs of today’s homebuyers but also come packed with style and efficiency. To find out MORE head to https://www.championhomes.com/
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Transcript
Foreign the house on this episode of around the House.
Speaker A:And this is a new trend that we're seeing more and more of.
Speaker A:They come in low, they get you sucked in.
Speaker A:Oh, you wanted it that way.
Speaker A:I'm watching another house.
Speaker A:It's a million dollar house.
Speaker A:Two million dollar house.
Speaker A:Builder didn't want to put in any kind of dimming lights in the house.
Speaker A:I'm like, for 2 million bucks, you should have some dimming lights.
Speaker A:I'm sorry, but it wasn't in the contract.
Speaker A:So these things, you got to be really careful these days, especially with tariffs and other stuff that could change things.
Speaker A:If you've got metal, if you've got stuff coming from overseas, this could really burn you.
Speaker A:So be very careful there.
Speaker A:So watch out for that.
Speaker A:Now the next one is much bigger and this is going to be worth probably a good section of this.
Speaker A:When it comes to remodeling or renovating your home, there is a lot to know and we have got you covered.
Speaker A:This is around the House.
Speaker A:Welcome to the Round the house show, the next generation of home and improvement.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G.
Speaker A:Thanks for tuning in today.
Speaker A:If you want to find out more about us and this is your first time listening on one of our new radio stations out there across the country in the talk media network.
Speaker A:Thanks for tuning in.
Speaker A:You can find out more about us on aroundthehouse online.com and make sure and send a note over there.
Speaker A:Hello.
Speaker A:Follow us on social media.
Speaker A:We got a YouTube page.
Speaker A:We got lots of stuff going on there.
Speaker A:TikTok, we've got Instagram, Facebook.
Speaker A:You can find me Eric gorenson over on LinkedIn if you're a LinkedIn person and we are here to help you through your renovation, whether you're taking on a little tiny project, you want to be a homeowner someday or you're a contractor out there that's looking to find the latest in new materials, trends and everything else.
Speaker A:We're here to help all of you on your home improvement journey.
Speaker A:This hour is brought to you by our friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker A:They have got this new MNS and series grill out there.
Speaker A:The thing even has a scale in it on one of the models that'll sit there and tell you how full your propane tank is with a digital scale to say if you're almost empty or completely full.
Speaker A:And that's really cool.
Speaker A:So you don't go starting out that barbecue with your friends over the spring and guess what?
Speaker A:You end up missing out.
Speaker A:And nobody likes half cooked burgers.
Speaker A:Check them out.
Speaker A: cams from bad contractors for: Speaker A:Tom, this is a bad one and I've done some updates on this because there's some new ones that I'm seeing out there.
Speaker A:And sometimes I'm like, I know we talked about that last year, but let's talk about these because I'm seeing more and more of this stuff as things get tighter out there.
Speaker A:You're seeing more and more contractors out there that are, well, taking advantage of you.
Speaker A:Now I will say for all my contractor friends out there, 95% of you are stand up humans.
Speaker A:You do beautiful work, you do great jobs, you finish up, you do what's right even when it costs you money.
Speaker A:But it's a little handful out there of bad apples that we see that really take advantage to give the trades a bad name.
Speaker A:And I'm trying to eliminate those one at a time so everybody out there can see, hey, this doesn't seem right.
Speaker A:This smells bad.
Speaker A:So we'll see if we can help you get more information to get through that smell test.
Speaker A:So the first one out there works at about 95% here of the US and the one thing I will say about contractor licensing, no matter where you live, the first thing I'm going to ask for you to do is understand what's legal in your area and don't go on social media on one of these home improvement groups and ask this question because it is different all across the US There is no standard.
Speaker A:Out here in the Pacific Northwest if you're a handyman, you have to be a licensed, bonded and insured contractor.
Speaker A:And it's done like in my state or Washington state, Oregon, Washington, California, that's done through the state out here on the left coast and they control it really well.
Speaker A:Other states it might be the state, it could be the county, that could be the township, it could be the city.
Speaker A:Heck, there's some places you don't even need it.
Speaker A:And I do agree with contractor licensing.
Speaker A:I think it is something that we need to make sure that we're patrolling, that we're keeping good eye on so people do not get taken advantage of so we can really protect the homeowner.
Speaker A:This is a consumer protection thing for me.
Speaker A:So hiring an unlicensed contractor is one of the biggest ones out there.
Speaker A:They might tell you they're licensed.
Speaker A:Heck, they could have a similar name to another company they're trying to take advantage of and steal their marketing from.
Speaker A:I've seen that.
Speaker A:But really make sure they're licensed, bonded and insured.
Speaker A:And I know there's some of you, there's a small percentage of my audience out there that goes, oh, I don't care.
Speaker A:They could be unlicensed.
Speaker A:Here's the problem, guys.
Speaker A:First off, when you hire them to come work on your project, hey, I need that roof cleaned, I need the house painted, whatever.
Speaker A:They're your employee, then you're the employer.
Speaker A:So when they lose a finger in the table saw, fall off the roof and get paralyzed, yeah, you're paying for that into your pocket.
Speaker A:They're your employee, you're personally responsible for them.
Speaker A:And now you're paying for those medical bills, the death reimbursements, the disabilities.
Speaker A:So be very careful with that.
Speaker A:That is one thing you got to be really careful for.
Speaker A:So make sure you hire that licensed contractor.
Speaker A:So do your research, find out.
Speaker A:We'll talk more about that later.
Speaker A:One of those is do not use the BBB to.
Speaker A:Or the Better Business Bureau, in my opinion, to chase down and see who's a good contractor and what's not.
Speaker A:Because they could have an F, they turn around and pay for to be accredited, and now they got an A plus.
Speaker A:So they are a pseudo consumer organization that wants a check from the business to do that.
Speaker A:They might be okay at doing mediation and things like that, but if they're accredited, they're on the not consumer side because they're getting a check from them and it's not going to be the best situation.
Speaker A:So the bbb, if you look on there and you goes, wow, there's 22 lawsuits.
Speaker A:Maybe you go, okay, we better look a little more.
Speaker A:But if they got a clean bill of health, in my opinion, they could have purchased that.
Speaker A:So make sure that you don't use that as one of your things of, hey, they got a clean bill of health with the bbb.
Speaker A:To me, that doesn't mean anything.
Speaker A:Next up here is one of the biggest ones out there, duct cleaning scams.
Speaker A:And I tell you what, for your H VAC system, I see this on social media almost daily.
Speaker A:You've probably seen it too.
Speaker A:You get on there, you're on social media.
Speaker A:Hey, I just moved into the area.
Speaker A:This is that.
Speaker A:That thing, they show up pictures and you look at it and go, wow, those pictures are not even from this area.
Speaker A:They'll be in the Pacific Northwest here.
Speaker A:And I'm looking at that.
Speaker A:I'm seeing the sand, I'm seeing the trees.
Speaker A:I'm like, you're in South Florida.
Speaker A:These pictures do not relate to houses here.
Speaker A:The style doesn't match, you know what I'm talking about.
Speaker A:And they're in there saying, hey, we're going to do this for a family run company.
Speaker A:Me and my wife and my kids just moved to town.
Speaker A:And you'll see it on Facebook, Marketplace, or any one of your local community groups next door.
Speaker A:And guess what?
Speaker A:Most of these people, most of those that you see in that context are scams.
Speaker A:Now I have seen them.
Speaker A:We've, I've seen so many exposes on this.
Speaker A:People will come in and all of a sudden they'll have, they'll be dumping a box of stuff and they're going, oh, look what I cleaned out.
Speaker A:It wasn't even out of your duct.
Speaker A:But a lot of these guys just come in there with literal shop facts and they're trying to do it where if you bring in a nadka certified company, yes, that is the training, that is what I recommend.
Speaker A:And I like it when they're also an H Vac company because they're also going to take a look and make sure that there's no issues.
Speaker A:And if they break something, disconnect a duct or something like that, they've got people that can come over and fix it for you and that way you'll be good to go.
Speaker A:So make sure they're NATCA certified.
Speaker A:Don't get somebody off of social media.
Speaker A:And what I would do is talk to your H Vac professional that is coming in and doing the annual or biannual service of your H Vac system.
Speaker A:Find out who they use.
Speaker A:And I would recommend going that direction because they're going to tell you who's good, who's not going to rip you off and who's not going to hurt the system that you've got there.
Speaker A:So take a look at that.
Speaker A:But go into duct cleaning like you should be going into hiring a mover.
Speaker A:You should be skeptical walking in and make sure they're NADCA certified or you've got a great reference from your H Vac professional to make sure your good is gold.
Speaker A:That's going to save you a ton of time and money.
Speaker A:And it's going to get done clean.
Speaker A:You know it's going to get cleaned and I recommend getting it cleaned.
Speaker A:Don't get me wrong, it should be done.
Speaker A:New homes, all the rest of that stuff we're going to go out to break around the house.
Speaker A:Be right back.
Speaker A: contractor scams for: Speaker A:Just as soon as we return.
Speaker A:Don't go anywhere.
Speaker A:What's up?
Speaker A:This is Stixitinia and Satchel from Steel Panther.
Speaker A:And you are listening to around the House with Eric G.
Speaker A:Yeah, we love Eric G.
Speaker A:And you should, too.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A:If you want to find out more about us, head over to aroundthehouse online.com you can send me a message over there.
Speaker A:Shows up right in my inbox if you want to get a hold of me, if you want to find out more or if you've got a show idea that you're like, hey, Eric, Yeah, I want to find out more about this.
Speaker A:That's where you can send me a message@aroundthehousonline.com this hour is brought to you by our friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker A:Check them out for that new barbecue@monument grills.com we've been talking about today.
Speaker A:Top 10 contractor scams for 20, 25.
Speaker A:These are something that we I've added a few things to this since the last one we did because I see new stuff, I hear new stuff, and I want to make sure that you're getting protected when you're starting to go out and tackle those spring projects.
Speaker A:The next one up here is a big one.
Speaker A:And I'm seeing this all across the country.
Speaker A:I'm actually watching a court case in Seattle where they've got that same kind of thing going on up there.
Speaker A:And I just want to make sure everybody is keeping an eye on this one.
Speaker A:This is massive deposits and huge price hikes.
Speaker A:Now the one I'm watching in Seattle is an interesting case because it started out as a massive remodel project, in my professional opinion, seemed to be excessive on the price to start with.
Speaker A:When you're talking a farmhouse that appears when you look online to be just a pretty much generic farmhouse.
Speaker A:And that project is already hundreds of thousands of dollars as a remodel.
Speaker A:And they went to contract, put a massive deposit down, and then between that time and the start of construction, that budget nearly doubled.
Speaker A:So now we're well over that half million dollar mark.
Speaker A:And the homeowner went, I can't do it.
Speaker A:We can't start this.
Speaker A:This is way out of line for my budget.
Speaker A:And they allege they didn't in the court papers, wouldn't give their deposit back.
Speaker A:So this is where you got to be really careful when you go to contract because here's what happens and this is what I worry about.
Speaker A:You go to contract, you should have everything designed out.
Speaker A:Everything should be specified.
Speaker A:You should understand what the scope is.
Speaker A:This should be dialed in.
Speaker A:You go to contract and then, yeah, you might have to put a decent deposit down because you're going to be ordering materials.
Speaker A:And I don't believe that contractor should be fronting those, but you should be ordering those materials.
Speaker A:Now what you have to be careful is there are some contractors out there that will do way too much on marking things up.
Speaker A:They'll double the price on it.
Speaker A:Not the 25 or 30% you see out there that they'll mark it up after they get their discount.
Speaker A:Because that's gotta run through their books.
Speaker A:This is what you gotta be really careful with.
Speaker A:And so on this project.
Speaker A:Looking at the court papers, it appears there was project creep.
Speaker A:Now of course the homeowner says in those papers that there wasn't any significant change of scope.
Speaker A:And what could have happened here is that contractor sits there and says, wow, I think I can get them for more money or even worse, maybe they spent that deposit money on something else.
Speaker A:But nonetheless, these are things that you see out there.
Speaker A:So what I'm trying to make sure of for you is that you go in with a contract and that you keep an eye on that budget as you go through it before the work starts, make sure you don't have that project creep.
Speaker A:So there's those new numbers that come in, like change orders that can burn you.
Speaker A:So be really careful on massive deposits and huge price hikes.
Speaker A:Cause it's happening out there.
Speaker A:And this is a new trend that we're seeing more and more of.
Speaker A:They come in low, they get you sucked in.
Speaker A:Oh, you wanted it that way.
Speaker A:I'm watching another house.
Speaker A:It's a million dollar house, $2 million house, to be honest.
Speaker A:Builder didn't want to put in any kind of dimming lights in the house.
Speaker A:I'm like, for 2 million bucks you should have some dimming lights.
Speaker A:I'm sorry, but it wasn't in the contract.
Speaker A:So these are things you got to be really careful these days, especially with tariffs and other stuff that could change things.
Speaker A:If you've got metal, if you've got stuff coming from overseas, this could really burn you.
Speaker A:So be very careful there.
Speaker A:So watch out for that.
Speaker A:Now the next one is much bigger.
Speaker A:And this is going to be worth probably a good section of this right here.
Speaker A:Because this is one of the biggest ones out there.
Speaker A:Foundation company scams.
Speaker A:These are that foundation contractor that comes out now.
Speaker A:There are great ones out there.
Speaker A:There are other ones that come out there and Try to scare you and really trying to twist your arm.
Speaker A:There are companies out there that are national companies that I get concerned about.
Speaker A:They come in and they have one answer for everything.
Speaker A:And it's usually 30, 40, 50, 60, $70,000.
Speaker A:Now tell you a story.
Speaker A:If you've listened to the show before, you might have heard me tell this story before, but it was valid.
Speaker A:I pull up out front for my time to give an estimate.
Speaker A:Cause I was working for a foundation company at the time, helping them out with some sales.
Speaker A:Pulled up out front, I see my competition's car still out there.
Speaker A:So I wait a few minutes early, wait for them to get wrapped up.
Speaker A:Finally I go up and knock on the door and go, hey, it's my time to come in.
Speaker A:They wrap up and leave.
Speaker A:These people were nearly in tears for $35,000.
Speaker A:So I take a look at the estimate, see what they saw.
Speaker A:Walk down into the basement, they had a crack in the foundation, right?
Speaker A:They had that crack water in the ground.
Speaker A:So they told them that they were gonna tear up the basement floor, put a below grade sump system in, not a trough system, but they were gonna put a below grade French drain system in and do all this stuff.
Speaker A:It was a finished basement.
Speaker A:Mid century, ish, split California split level house if you're on the west coast.
Speaker A:So I'm down in that half basement and I'm like, where's the water coming in at?
Speaker A:They show me over in this area.
Speaker A:Now keep in mind, this basement also had 9 by 9 asbestos tiles in it.
Speaker A:So that number wasn't in there.
Speaker A:So they were gonna have another 20,000 bucks, I bet, in asbestos abatement.
Speaker A:And then have to put the place back afterwards.
Speaker A:And that could have been a hundred thousand dollar job by the time they were done.
Speaker A:So anyway, go through this, I take a look at it and I'm like, hey, I noticed something when I was walking up the house.
Speaker A:Let me go out and take a look.
Speaker A:Sure enough, out by the front window, to the left of the door, there's a crack in the foundation right by a sprinkler head.
Speaker A:Water was coming in there, coming down, flooding the.
Speaker A:Flooding that basement.
Speaker A: t I gave him to fix that was $: Speaker A:I could fix it.
Speaker A:Carbon fiber, little urethane to make sure that we sealed that up.
Speaker A:Good to go.
Speaker A:But they spent another.
Speaker A:They spent two hours with this couple trying to twist their arm and get them to buy it.
Speaker A:So make sure with foundation companies that you understand what's going on and you've Got the right solution.
Speaker A:My answer is, and there's great ones out there, my answer is to go hire a structural engineer first, come take a look at it, figure out what the issues are, get them to write a report, you pay them for the solution that has an engineering stamp on it and then go out to bid so people can give you that.
Speaker A:And then you pay the engineer, come out and inspect it when it's done to make sure it's done, to plan.
Speaker A:That's going to save you tens of thousands of dollars, possibly because you've got the right person coming to figure that out for you.
Speaker A:So take a look at that.
Speaker A:Be very careful of these people out there.
Speaker A:I work with a great company here in Portland on my TV show, John's Waterproofing.
Speaker A:They do a great job, good, honest people.
Speaker A:But there are other ones out there that twist arms.
Speaker A:And we'll talk about more of this later on in the episode here because there's some tactics that I warn you of as well.
Speaker A:And I see this with foundation companies, with some of these guys that use those same tactics.
Speaker A:So round the house.
Speaker A:We'll be right back.
Speaker A: contractor scams for: Speaker A:Don't go anywhere.
Speaker A:No, not for you.
Speaker A:Hey, this is Ron Keel, the metal cowboy from Keel, the Ron Keel Band and Steeler.
Speaker A:We are rocking around the house with Eric G.
Speaker A:Raise your fist.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the around the house show, the next generation of home improvement.
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Speaker A:This hour is brought to you by our friends at Monty McGrills for your next barbecue.
Speaker A: contractor scams for: Speaker A:And we're just kind of wrapping up foundation company scams.
Speaker A:Here's the thing.
Speaker A:In most cases, you don't have to lift up that house to put a new foundation under it as well.
Speaker A:And this is something I want you to take a look at.
Speaker A:Now, if you're dealing with flood zone issues, you want to the house at a different level.
Speaker A:You don't want to dig down, you want to raise it up.
Speaker A:Totally understand it.
Speaker A:But I have done stuff with homes that didn't need to be moved.
Speaker A:Like they had a brick or block or even one of those clay tile foundations I have done.
Speaker A:Where we have done on the inside, we have porn poured new interior concrete walls to add to it.
Speaker A:Now you lose a little square footage of it.
Speaker A:But you can live in the house.
Speaker A:You don't have to jack it up.
Speaker A:You might have some discomfort here and there because you're gonna have to sit there and do some stuff.
Speaker A:Like for instance, if your H vac system is in the basement, up against the wall, water heater, utilities coming in, you gotta work around those.
Speaker A:But really, you can do this kind of stuff and not have to move out of that house in many cases.
Speaker A:So if you've got that failed foundation, there's a lot of ways to do this.
Speaker A:But you can pour new interior foundations, and that is a heck of a lot cheaper than lifting up that house.
Speaker A:So take a look at that.
Speaker A:That's an option for all of you out there that are gonna have to replace a foundation because it has had its end of life.
Speaker A:That's a good way to do it.
Speaker A:And it's super strong because you got the foundation and you got something on the other side that is sacrificial up against the dirt.
Speaker A:And this just adds to it and makes sure that you're strong.
Speaker A:Then you can dig down if you want to make it deeper.
Speaker A:If you want to have a higher ceiling, you can still work around that.
Speaker A:So all it takes is an engineer to draw it out and some concrete forms and stuff like that.
Speaker A:And you can get after it.
Speaker A:So it's a good way to go.
Speaker A:So the next one here, after we go through foundation company scams that we were talking about, plumbing repair scams, this is one that I learned a lot from my buddy Roger Wakefield, the expert plumber.
Speaker A:And Roger and I go way back, before he was that big, really, one of the leading plumbing experts in the country, in North America.
Speaker A:I met him coming into one of my seminars, and he stood out just like that, shining star in the crowd.
Speaker A:I'm like, all right, that guy's got something there.
Speaker A:And him and I have been friends ever since.
Speaker A:And it's been fun watching him grow.
Speaker A:But I learned this from him, that there are drain companies out there that send out their people.
Speaker A:And no, they're not licensed plumbers, but they are drain technicians.
Speaker A:And they will show you a video of your line that's plugged with roots or whatever.
Speaker A:Guess what, it might not be your house.
Speaker A:There are people out there, and it's more common than you might think, that will sit there and have those preloaded on their machine.
Speaker A:Oh, look at this.
Speaker A:Mr.
Speaker A:And Mrs.
Speaker A:Smith, you have got roots coming in.
Speaker A:They go over to wherever that tree is in the yard and go, wow, we've got to take care of this.
Speaker A:And now you're into thousands and thousands of dollars of bills.
Speaker A:That can be a huge problem.
Speaker A:So make sure that you're paying attention.
Speaker A:I go out and stand with them because you just don't know what, who they are, what they are.
Speaker A:Now I know what my sewer line looks like, so I've seen a couple scopes of it.
Speaker A:But I stand there with them and say, put it down.
Speaker A:You could see the camera go down through the clean out, through the toilet, whatever they're doing, you can see them do that.
Speaker A:Then you know you're looking at the right one.
Speaker A:It's when you're staying inside and they come in and they show you a video that you have no idea about.
Speaker A:That's when I get worried that you might not see exactly what's going on.
Speaker A:That can be a pretty big problem.
Speaker A:So just keep an eye on that.
Speaker A:That is one of the big scams out there.
Speaker A:I have seen plumbers, when you put them on call like that, charge 800, $900 for what's a 20 minute project.
Speaker A:So make sure and understand what's going on with your project and give it the smell test on what you know.
Speaker A:Plumbers are charging a couple hundred bucks an hour in most places out there.
Speaker A:Pretty easy.
Speaker A:So it's expensive and it's going to get worse so the trades get more expensive.
Speaker A:We have failed, as we know, in many of the school systems out there, to not train people.
Speaker A:And a good licensed plumber, a good licensed electrician, a good carpenter, these are people that are making H vac techs.
Speaker A:These are people that are making premium dollars now.
Speaker A:It's like your mechanic when you go get something fixed.
Speaker A:Yeah, there's.
Speaker A:There could be easily a couple hundred bucks on there per hour.
Speaker A:That adds up quick.
Speaker A:All right, next up on the list, Guys, is a big one here.
Speaker A:And it relates back to that foundation company we were talking about earlier in those scams.
Speaker A:High pressure sales.
Speaker A:What I mean is, they come out, whether it's roofing, H vac foundations, huge duct cleaning's huge, companies out there that are in your house giving you a presentation, they give you a quote, they do stuff, they get it all dialed in and now they put the sale on, they sit down, they give you all the paperwork, which a lot of it's required by law, depending on where you're located.
Speaker A:That's not where the problem is.
Speaker A:The problem is they hit you up with fear.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh, your house is going to fall in around you.
Speaker A:Now, maybe it is not there to look at your house, but take that with a grain of salt.
Speaker A:The biggest one.
Speaker A:That is my number one warning sign that you should smell test.
Speaker A:All right, Mr.
Speaker A:And Mrs.
Speaker A:Smith, if you sign today, I'm gonna give you 35% off.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:Sign today only.
Speaker A:I don't want you to think about it because you're probably gonna get bids are gonna be a lot less because I just marked it up 35%.
Speaker A:But if you sign now, I'm gonna give you 35% off.
Speaker A:Lock in and we get going next week on it.
Speaker A:That's my biggest warning sign out there.
Speaker A:When I see all of that, man, that just scares me.
Speaker A:When your arm twist goes.
Speaker A:That's when I walk away.
Speaker A:That's when I go, ooh, this is not smelling good.
Speaker A:That's when I want to get more bids.
Speaker A:That's when I wonder, God, why are they trying to push me into today?
Speaker A:And if you can't stop and think about it, hard pass.
Speaker A:If I go, hey, I want 72 hours so I can review this review.
Speaker A:You get a second opinion.
Speaker A:They can't honor that in that price.
Speaker A:Walk away.
Speaker A:It's not going to be your best deal.
Speaker A:I can just about promise you that you are about to get taken when you see that happening.
Speaker A:So that's a big one.
Speaker A:Next one are handyman scams.
Speaker A:This is a big one out there, guys.
Speaker A:Handyman scams.
Speaker A:These are the people that you get off of next door, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace.
Speaker A:Meet somebody at Home Depot or Lowe's walking around.
Speaker A:They take your money, they don't do it right.
Speaker A:It's a project that should have a licensed contractor, maybe license electrician, licensed plumber.
Speaker A:And they're in there trying to do their best homeowner special for you.
Speaker A:Rarely do handyman payoff.
Speaker A:Now, there are some great handyman companies out there that'll put the closet shelf up, help hang the TV up.
Speaker A:They'll tackle those little projects, touching up some wood, doing some stuff like that.
Speaker A:I get it.
Speaker A:Projects that are too small for a general contractor to come do.
Speaker A:And yes, there are some amazing handymen out there.
Speaker A:There's also some people out there that have absolutely no skills that literally watch some YouTube videos and a little HDTV and now they think they're a handyman.
Speaker A:So you got to be really careful.
Speaker A:Do your research, find out what's going on.
Speaker A:See if there's a company, your area that has pros that they've hired, who's got the best reputation.
Speaker A:Do that homework.
Speaker A:Because I tell you what, this can get really ugly.
Speaker A:I've got a good body.
Speaker A:He just hired a handyman to come in and do stuff, and what did he have to do?
Speaker A:Tear it all out and do it over again.
Speaker A:Now, in my area, we've got a lot of great handyman companies.
Speaker A:We've got some contractors that have handyman divisions.
Speaker A:We've got an ace hardware handyman that I've had good reviews on in my area.
Speaker A:So take a look around, find the right people and get the right job for them.
Speaker A:So that way you're not having to pay twice as bad because you're wasting materials, you're wasting money, and it always costs you more when you got to bring somebody in to fix the first person's work.
Speaker A: contractor scams for: Speaker A:If you want to find out more about us, including our social media, where we got our YouTube and all this other stuff, check it out@aroundthehouse online.com around the house.
Speaker A:Be right back.
Speaker A:Don't change that dial.
Speaker A:We're gonna wrap this one up.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the around the house show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A: contractor scams for: Speaker A:This hour is brought to you by our friends at Monty McGrills.
Speaker A:Check them out at montymcrills.com before we get into this list, I wanted to just say I've been.
Speaker A:Hopefully I can inspire you with this little personal story right now.
Speaker A:I have been working for about two years on my own weight loss journey, and it is something that I knew I needed to get healthier with.
Speaker A:This is not some sale for supplements or anything like that.
Speaker A:Guys.
Speaker A:This isn't.
Speaker A:So don't worry about that.
Speaker A:Not gonna pitch you on my ten step program to lose weight or anything like that.
Speaker A:But this is my put the fork down diet.
Speaker A:This is dialing back.
Speaker A:Maybe not getting the double cheeseburger, large fries and the large soda.
Speaker A:Maybe not having that third cocktail.
Speaker A:Maybe just being a little bit more mindful of what I'm putting in my body.
Speaker A:And down 70 pounds.
Speaker A:Went from a 3.2x3x shirt down to an XL and squeezing my way towards a large right now, which is great.
Speaker A: Sorry to my friends at: Speaker A:The way I'm going, but feeling good, feeling better.
Speaker A:When saw my doc got some blood test work and went, wow, I am missing a ton of vitamins.
Speaker A:I am not a vitamin supplement person.
Speaker A:I've never been that got on some vitamins as prescribed by the doc.
Speaker A:It has made a huge difference in how I feel.
Speaker A:My body taking on projects, my mental attitude.
Speaker A:Amazing how much better I feel.
Speaker A:So hopefully I can inspire some of you out there on getting yourself dialed in.
Speaker A:Feeling good and really just cutting back a little bit.
Speaker A:It's nice when I go out to dinner, I don't have to.
Speaker A:I can still eat stuff.
Speaker A:Last week I was in Las Vegas having a good time.
Speaker A:Had a cocktail here and there, Had a great steak dinner.
Speaker A:But it's just all in moderation.
Speaker A:So hopefully I can inspire you to get healthier out there.
Speaker A:Doesn't take all this crazy stuff, just thinking about what you're doing and not putting too much food in your face.
Speaker A:It's really that simple.
Speaker A:And yeah, it's a battle that I've been battling for 30 years, finally getting under control.
Speaker A:So it's taken me a lot.
Speaker A:It's really not that simple, but it is.
Speaker A:The first step is just cutting back.
Speaker A:So hopefully I can inspire you to take better care of yourself.
Speaker A:So these projects are a little bit easier.
Speaker A:Trust me.
Speaker A:Losing weight, getting in that crawl space.
Speaker A:It's nice.
Speaker A: contractor scams for: Speaker A:Here's the next one, which is big contractors under bidding and using change orders to make up for it.
Speaker A:Inexperienced new contractors that don't understand a project are likely or more likely to underbid the project.
Speaker A:And there are contractors out there that underbid to be the cheapest bidder and then hit you up with change orders along the way.
Speaker A:And they make their money back there.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh, we gotta do that.
Speaker A:We found some dry rot just like you see on HDTV.
Speaker A:It might be 500 bucks to fix it, but they're gonna hit you for a thousand because they underbid you on the front end and they make their money on the change order.
Speaker A:So be very careful.
Speaker A:Ask what the markup is.
Speaker A:Are you guys gonna kill me on a change order?
Speaker A:Make sure you're not getting that lowest bidder.
Speaker A:Be very careful.
Speaker A:And you want somebody that's an experienced contractor.
Speaker A:Now, many times, and I've seen this a lot now, there's exceptions to that, but many times the home improvement stores will have their contractor people in there because they're marking it up.
Speaker A:And then Home Depot or Lowe's is marking it up.
Speaker A:However that stuff works, you got to be a little careful in there because many times the bigger contractors, the successful ones, won't work through there because it's a pain for them.
Speaker A:But that's really the farm team for contractors that have gone out on their own.
Speaker A:They get in there, they can make some money and they're in their chops and it's good.
Speaker A:But that might not be the best place to find that contractor.
Speaker A:So think about that one.
Speaker A:That's a big one right there.
Speaker A:So next one up here is a warning sign for me.
Speaker A:And I know this is going to make some contractors mad, so I'll take the heat.
Speaker A:Contractors making you purchase materials, I don't like that.
Speaker A:I want that contractor to buy it, mark it up, use their discount.
Speaker A:It'll kind of wash out on the end there.
Speaker A:But when they do that, you're not the materials provider.
Speaker A:And then they're now fully responsible for the warranty on that.
Speaker A:If you buy the products, the contractor shows up and that toilet's defective.
Speaker A:Guess what?
Speaker A:You're now paying to have that replaced.
Speaker A:Again, if they bought it, it's under their warranty or whatever the laws are in your state.
Speaker A:So now they've got to stand behind the product and the material and the labor and all that stuff.
Speaker A:So you are way better off having them buy it, install it than you going out to do that so many times.
Speaker A:I get concerned as well, is that contractors in such a financial straight, they can't go buy it, they can't cure your project.
Speaker A:So that's another one that makes me get nervous.
Speaker A:So take some time, make sure that you hired the right people, that they're in good financial standing.
Speaker A:And I want those materials to go through their books so they are covering the warranty.
Speaker A:So take a look.
Speaker A:Maybe it's six months, maybe it's a year, two years, three years, whatever that warranty is in your area, understand it.
Speaker A:What's required by law.
Speaker A:That way they stand behind the product and if something's wrong when it shows up, you're not having to go chase it down because you're in your busy workday.
Speaker A:So take a look at that one.
Speaker A:Could really help you out.
Speaker A:That could save you a ton of money in the long run, especially when it comes to something that fails with plumbing, electrical, whatever, they're responsible for it.
Speaker A:So that's another great tip for you right there.
Speaker A:Now the last one here is a big one and I'm going to spend a few minutes on this.
Speaker A:This is no detailed contract.
Speaker A:Now, we've talked about this and how to hire a contractor.
Speaker A:My top 10 questions for contractors before you hire them, it's all part of that.
Speaker A:But the biggest thing that I see out there with this is contractors coming up going, all right, we're doing a kitchen model kitchen remodel, $82,000.
Speaker A:New cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, electrical, lighting, whatever.
Speaker A:I want to see the detail down to the knobs, I want to see the detail down to the backsplash tile.
Speaker A:I want to know what's going in this project in that contract.
Speaker A:That contract could be 10 pages and it better follow the contract law from your state and what's required from your state, state, local, whatever it is, contracting licenses.
Speaker A:Like in my state, if you don't check the boxes on having the right contract and they catch it, you could get a, as a contractor, five thousand dollar fine for not having the correct contract.
Speaker A:So that's there to protect you and to protect them from bad homeowners.
Speaker A:So really, that contract should be detailed.
Speaker A:It should show everything.
Speaker A:It should show the quality materials.
Speaker A:I don't want to see cabinet knobs, I want to see knobs allowance, $400 so you can go through and go, wow, that's only two bucks a knob.
Speaker A:That's not great.
Speaker A:I'm gonna get $20, $40.
Speaker A:Maybe you showed them the Baldwin ones which were Maybe it's a $20 knob, it's brass, it's awesome.
Speaker A:Maybe you're not thinking about getting the Home Depot special.
Speaker A:That's the import one.
Speaker A:That's the two dollar one.
Speaker A:You want to make sure that those allowances are correct.
Speaker A:If you haven't purchased stuff and that all the pieces are in there.
Speaker A:The more detail to that estimate, the more you're protected and the more you guys are likely to be on the same page.
Speaker A:So spend some time and understand that because this is the biggest part of hiring any contractor is that contract.
Speaker A:And it's not a Bad idea to have an attorney look through it.
Speaker A:If you've got a family attorney, have them take a peek at it, see what they say, see how comfortable they are.
Speaker A:And yes, that's going to make your contractor a little bit nervous and that's okay.
Speaker A:If you do your due diligence to follow this stuff up to make sure it's covered, you're good.
Speaker A:But make sure that everything is spelled out.
Speaker A:If it's this cabinetry, what kind is it?
Speaker A:Stuff that you have to put together that just came in off a boat from China or is it custom made stuff that's coming out of one of the high end places that you see?
Speaker A:An Architectural Digest cabinetry can be either one of those.
Speaker A:Heck, they could be building it in their garage out of particle board.
Speaker A:You have no idea the details of what it is.
Speaker A:And if you've got drawings, they should be signed, attached, detailed.
Speaker A:All of those things, all those things should work together so you understand what the project is.
Speaker A:If it's a bathroom with drawings, you need to be initialing those.
Speaker A:If there's color samples like for wood cabinetry, I want to see a door sample that you've initialed.
Speaker A:I want to see a color sample you've initialed.
Speaker A:What's the finish on it?
Speaker A:Is it lacquer?
Speaker A:Hate lacquer on cabinetry.
Speaker A:Is that a conversion varnish or one of the new water based urethanes?
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:That's baked on better deal there.
Speaker A:Just please understand what's going in the project and it's going to really protect you, the project and the contractor.
Speaker A:So that way there's no misunderstandings and you can get that project done.
Speaker A:Because nobody saves money.
Speaker A:When you have to fire the contractor and bring somebody in and they're doing, they're going to charge you a premium for finishing somebody else's mess and you're going to be stressed because you've had people in your house way too long and that gets expensive for you and your family.
Speaker A:So something to consider.
Speaker A:Do your research and make sure that contract is dialed in.
Speaker A:All right guys, if you've got anything that you want to comment on, make sure and hit me up roundthehouse online.com you can message me over there.
Speaker A:That is one of those places.
Speaker A:You can send me a note and go, hey, here's another one that I ran into.
Speaker A:And if you want we can send me what your bad experience was with a contractor and what you learned and the mistakes you made or the thing that nobody thought they saw coming.
Speaker A:If we can share that on an upcoming episode of that.
Speaker A:All right, everybody.
Speaker A:That's this week's around the House show.
Speaker A:Make sure to tune in if you're listening on the radio.
Speaker A:Follow us on social media.
Speaker A:Make sure you catch us for everything around the house.
Speaker A:Head over to aroundthehouse online.com because we do have our website there.
Speaker A:And if you're on the radio only, we have a midweek special you can catch on Wednesday mornings.
Speaker A:It airs as well.
Speaker A:Thanks for tuning in around the House.
Speaker A:I appreciate every single one of you.
Speaker A:We'll see you next time.
Speaker A:Have a great rest of your week.
