• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Law Requires Contractors To Register With State

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Mar 23, 2009 6:48 pm US/Eastern

Law Requires Contractors To Register With State

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― A home improvement project can be a dream come true - or a waking nightmare.

"Sometimes it's pure fraud and other times it is incompetence," says Jim Eichenlaub of the Building Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh.

A new Home Improvement Contractor Registration Law hopes to protect consumers and legitimate contractors.

Under the law Home Improvement Contractors doing more that $5,000 of business a year must register with the State Bureau of Consumer Protection by July 1st - or face steep fines and possible jail time.

Registering costs $50 every other year - each contractor will be issued a registration number.

The law also dictates the amount of money that can be accepted up front by the contractor.

The State Attorney General and county district attorneys will have authority to investigate and institute criminal proceedings of any violation.

Penalties will be harsher if victims are over 60 years old.

The new law is a registry - not a database as to whether a contractor does good work. Consumers still have to do their homework.

After the July 1st contractor deadline, consumers will be able to call a 1-800-number to see if their prospective contractor has registered.

The registration number issued to each contractor must appear on all documents from the initial job quote - all contracts - even company advertising.

Building Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (BAMP) Contractor Registration dates:

March 24, 2009
Time: 6 p.m.
Place: Marriot Cranberry
Sponsor: BAMP Gen. Membership Meeting

March 26, 2009
Time: 3 p.m.
Place: Chadwick Wexford
Sponsor: Penn State Co-Op Extension (Contact Co-Op Extension to register) 

March 31, 2009
Time: 9 a.m.
Place: Trinity Supply, Pittsburgh
Sponsor: Mike Bagnato, Trinity Supply

April 8, 2009
Time: 9 a.m.
Place: Cranberry Fireplace and Patio Place
Sponsor: Mike Buckiso, FP & PP 

April 8, 2009
Time: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Place: Heinz Field, Pella Pro Expo
Sponsor: Pella Windows

April 15, 2009
Time: 9 a.m.
Place: Murrysvilee Fireplace and Patio Place
Sponsor: Mike Buckiso, FP & PP

April 24, 2009
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Place: Lamplighter, Delmont
Sponsors: 84 Lumber & Andersen Windows

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Local News

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.