Housing Boom Causing Contractor Scam

With the recent housing boom, many people who have been hiring contractors feel like they've been left scammed.That's because the building and renovation boom has caused a permit backlog. The backlog means that more people now getting the repair work have either by-passed the permit process or are not licensed at all. Several area homeowners said they have been forced to wait and, in some cases, are cheated out of money put down on a repair.

Experts said a checklist for finding a contractor should also include:

• A certificate of insurance
• Valid licence and/or permit
• GST registration number
• Call references: recent clients/ vendors
• Agreed upon start and end dates in writing