Contractor Problems in Hawaii: Complaints and Your Options

Where to file a complaint

RICO's page is where you file an unlicensed activity tip or a formal complaint. It also offers a Self-Help Letter to use before a complaint is filed, and says many disputes are resolved that way. Source

State recovery fund

The Contractors Recovery Fund pays up to $12,500 per contract and up to $25,000 for a specific licensed contractor. You must have hired a contractor licensed when the contract was signed, give written notice to the Contractors License Board when you start a legal action, and obtain a Hawaii court judgment. The fund is a last resort: you must first try to collect from the contractor's assets, and any bond or insurance, before asking the court for payment. Source

Contract and cancellation rules

The state's tips tell homeowners to insist on a written contract that includes the contractor's license number, total cost, and start and stop dates, and to pay according to work completed rather than all up front. Handymen without a license are engaged in unlicensed contracting on projects over $1,500 or requiring a building, electrical or plumbing permit. Source

Liens on your home

The state's tips say to get lien releases from subcontractors and material suppliers: partial releases for partial payments and a final release for final payment. They do not state notice deadlines. 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.

Hawaii 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.