Contractor Problems in Alabama: Complaints and Your Options

Short answerIf a contractor job goes wrong in Alabama, here is what we could confirm on official pages: where to file a complaint, state recovery fund, contract and cancellation rules. Each item links to its source. Keep your contract, payments and photos.

Where to file a complaint

An original homeowner may file a consumer complaint against a licensee of the board. It must be filed within six years of substantial completion, or of the date the original homeowner took possession, and sent by mail, because the board does not accept complaints by fax or email. The board can discipline a licensee, for example with a fine, suspension or revocation. Source

State recovery fund

The board's Recovery Fund pays up to $30,000 to a homeowner for a single transaction and up to $90,000 based on the actions of a single licensee. It requires a valid court judgment, not a consent judgment, against a licensed residential home builder, and notice to the board by certified mail within 10 days of filing the lawsuit. Claims based on a residential roofers license are not eligible. Source

Contract and cancellation rules

The board tells homeowners to require a written contract that shows the contractor's license number, and not to sign until they fully understand its terms. Source

This is general information, not legal advice. A topic we don't list means we couldn't confirm it on an official page, not that the protection doesn't exist.

Alabama licensing and costs · All states

General information, not professional advice. Conditions, codes and prices vary. Turn off power, gas or water before any work, and hire a licensed professional when in doubt. Cost figures are our estimates, not quotes.