Contractor Problems in New York: Complaints and Your Options

Short answerIf a contractor job goes wrong in New York, 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

For home improvement problems, use the File a complaint link on the Attorney General's page, which leads to the consumer complaint form. Source

Bond or insurance

Contractors must place payments received before completion in escrow and tell you within five days where the funds are held, or prove they have bond insurance. Licensing or registration is local: New York City, Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties, and the City of Buffalo. Source

Contract and cancellation rules

New York law requires a written contract for home improvement work over $500. It must include the contractor's name, address and phone, approximate start and completion dates, the work and materials, the price, and notices of your cancellation right and of escrow. You have three business days to cancel, unless you waive this right in writing during an emergency. 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.

New York 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.