Home Repair Scams: The Contractor Check
The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers will promise to do home repairs and leave the house worse off than before. This page is the contractor check the family runs before any work starts: recommendations, licenses, three estimates, a written contract, and the payment rules that end the scam.
never start a repair with someone who knocked
The contractor check
Home repair scams work because they look urgent: a stranger finds a problem and the price is only good today. The contractor check runs before any work, and real contractors come from recommendations, not drive-bys.
- Check 1Ask people you trustThe FTC's first rule: ask for recommendations from people the family trusts rather than hiring the person who showed up. A neighbor's proven roofer beats any door-knock offer.
- Check 2License and insuranceConfirm the contractor is licensed for the work and carries insurance: a license is a paper trail the family can verify with the state, and insurance protects the house if something goes wrong.
- Check 3Three written estimates, then a contractGet three written estimates and compare before choosing: a price far below the others is a red flag, not a bargain. And no work starts until a written contract with scope, materials, and timeline is signed.
- The payment rulesNo cash, no wire, milestones onlyNever pay by cash or wire: scammers demand them because they cannot be traced. Pay by check or card tied to milestones, keep the receipt and contract, and if a parent already paid, gather everything and report to the FTC, the state attorney general, and the contractor licensing board.
The one-line rule: never start a home repair with someone who knocked on the door. The FTC home improvement scam guide says scammers often arrive unsolicited, quote a low price, and ask for money up front. Real contractors come from recommendations, not drive-bys.
Why repair scams target older homeowners
Home repair scams work because they look urgent. A stranger says the roof is failing, the driveway needs immediate sealing, or a tree is about to fall, and the price is only good today. The FTC's home repair scam explainer describes the pattern: a crew appears uninvited, finds a problem, and pressures for cash. Older homeowners who want to keep the house safe are exactly who these crews hunt.
The contractor check (run it before any work)
- Ask people you trust. The FTC's first rule: ask for recommendations from people you trust rather than hiring the person who showed up. A neighbor's proven roofer beats any door-knock offer.
- Check the license and insurance. Confirm the contractor is licensed for the work and carries insurance. A license is a paper trail the family can verify with the state; insurance protects the house if something goes wrong.
- Get three written estimates. The FTC is explicit: get three written estimates and compare them before choosing. A price that is far below the others is a red flag, not a bargain.
- Sign a written contract first. No work starts until the family has reviewed and signed a written contract with the scope, materials, and timeline. The FTC guide lists this as a hard requirement.
The payment rules
- Never pay by cash or wire transfer. The FTC's home repair guidance names cash and wire transfers as the payment methods scammers demand because they cannot be traced or recovered.
- Pay by check or card, tied to milestones. A real contractor invoices as work completes. A crew that needs most of the money before starting is the scam's signature.
- Keep the receipt and the contract. If something does go wrong, the contract and payment record are what the family, the state contractor board, and law enforcement can act on.
If the parent already paid
Act quickly. Gather the contract, receipts, photos of the work, and any messages. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and contact the state attorney general and the state contractor licensing board. The scam recovery guide has the full order of operations, and the verify a message guide applies the same skeptical check to repair offers that arrive by phone or text.
Related guides
- Scam recovery: the first hour
- Verify a message independently
- The home maintenance schedule
- When a parent is targeted repeatedly
Sources & verification
This page is checked against the standards in our editorial policy, preferring government sources. Reviewed August 2026:
- FTC: How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam (retrieved August 2026)
- FTC: Home Repair Scams (retrieved August 2026)
Found an error? Report it: we log and correct material mistakes publicly.
Quick answers
Common questions, answered plainly. The details match the sources above.
Are all door-to-door repair offers scams?
Not all, but the FTC's guidance says scammers often show up uninvited, find a problem, and pressure for cash. The safe move is the same either way: ask for recommendations, check the license and insurance, get three written estimates, and sign a contract before any work starts.
Is it safe to pay a contractor in cash?
No. The FTC's home repair guidance says never pay by cash or wire transfer, because those payments cannot be traced or recovered. Pay by check or card, tied to completed work, and keep the receipts.
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