Contractor Complaints in District of Columbia: Your Options

Short answerIf a contractor job goes wrong in District of Columbia, here is what we could confirm on official pages: where to file a complaint, bond or insurance, contract and cancellation rules. Each item links to its source. Keep your contract, payments and photos.

Where to file a complaint

Call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at (202) 442-9828 or email consumer.protection@dc.gov. You can also file with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), which verifies licenses at 202-671-4500. Source

Bond or insurance

The Attorney General says home improvement businesses must be licensed, bonded and insured to get a DC license. The page does not state the bond amount. Source

Contract and cancellation rules

The Attorney General says District regulations require a written contract, signed by you and the contractor, before a general or home improvement contractor accepts payment. It must list the contractor's name, address, phone and DC license number, payment terms, approximate start and completion dates, and the work and materials. It cannot have blank spaces when signed, and you have the right to review it and receive a copy. Only licensed contractors may collect payment before a project is finished. 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.

District of Columbia 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.