Contractor Complaints in North Carolina: Your Options

Where to file a complaint

You can request a complaint form on the board's site. The board says it has no authority to require a contractor to make repairs or to order reimbursement of funds. Source

State recovery fund

The Homeowners Recovery Fund is a last resort. Awards can't exceed 10 percent of the total in the fund when the board approves the application. You must be the owner or former owner of a single-family home, show a loss from the dishonest or incompetent conduct of a licensed general contractor, or of an unlicensed contractor who fraudulently claimed to be licensed, and sue and obtain an unpaid judgment. File within one year after all civil proceedings end. Full recovery isn't guaranteed, and attorney fees can't be recovered. Source

Contract and cancellation rules

The Attorney General's home repair page says transactions away from the seller's normal place of business, including your home, can be canceled up to three days after you sign, and that you must notify the seller in writing within that period. Its Safe to Rebuild page (Source) adds that, as a general rule with exceptions, for a transaction of $25 or more you have the right to cancel within three business days, and the contract must clearly state this. The office advises getting a written contract listing all the work, its costs and a completion date. To report a home repair scam, it lists 1-877-5-NO-SCAM, toll free within North Carolina. 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.

North Carolina 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.