Contractor Problems in Pennsylvania: Complaints and Your Options

Short answerIf a contractor job goes wrong in Pennsylvania, 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

An Attorney General release on a home improvement contractor case directs complaints to the Bureau of Consumer Protection online, at 1-800-441-2555, or at scams@attorneygeneral.gov. Source

Bond or insurance

The Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires registered contractors to maintain liability insurance of not less than $50,000 for personal injury and not less than $50,000 for property damage. Contractors doing $5,000 or more in home improvements a year must register with the Attorney General. Source

Contract and cancellation rules

The law requires a written contract when the price of the work exceeds $500. The contract includes the work and materials, terms for changes and rescinding, total cost and payment schedule, insurance information and both signatures. You have the right to rescind without penalty within three business days of signing, except as the law provides for emergencies. 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.

Pennsylvania 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.