How do I file a complaint against a contractor?

Stop further payments and check your chargeback window first, then assemble the contract, payments, dated photos and message history. Lodge a complaint with the contractor licensing board if the trade is licensed, and file a complaint on the business record so the failure to respond is public.

What is a contractor board complaint?

A complaint to the licensing authority that issued the contractor’s licence. Because the licence is their livelihood, boards can order remedies, impose conditions, or suspend it, which makes this the strongest route wherever the trade is licensed.

What if my contractor abandoned the job?

Document the state of the work with dated photos immediately, do not release any remaining payment, ask your card issuer about a chargeback if the deadline is still open, and get an independent assessment of what is left to do before another trade disturbs the evidence.

Can I complain about an unlicensed contractor?

Yes, though there is no licensing board to go to, so your routes are a chargeback, a small claim, and the public record. Filing a complaint that becomes public if they ignore it is often the most effective pressure available.

How long do I have to complain about bad workmanship?

It varies by route and jurisdiction: chargebacks are often around 120 days, licensing boards set their own limits, and court limitation periods run to years. Start documenting immediately, because defects get covered up as work progresses.

Filing a complaint against a contractor

Contractor disputes are the expensive kind. The money is usually paid up front, the work is half done, and the person who can fix it is the person who caused it. Waiting rarely improves any of that.

The good news is that trades are one of the most heavily documented sectors to complain in: licensing boards, bonds, insurers and card issuers all give you routes that other complaints do not have.

Act on the payment first

Before anything else, deal with the money, because those deadlines are the shortest ones you face. Stop any further payments and scheduled transfers. If you paid by card, ask your issuer about a chargeback now rather than later, because those windows are often around 120 days from the transaction. If there is a retainage or final payment still outstanding, do not release it.

Do not pay more in the hope that it restarts the job. It almost never does, and it weakens every route below.

What to assemble

Contractor complaints are won on paperwork:

The contract, the quote, and any change orders or variations.
Every payment with its date, amount and method.
Dated photos of the work at each stage, including what is behind what was covered up.
The licence, registration or insurance numbers the contractor gave you, and whether they check out.
Any inspection report, permit, or independent assessment of the workmanship.
The full message history, including the promises about dates.

Board complaint, claim, or public record

A licensing or contractor board complaint is the strongest route where the trade is licensed, because the licence is the contractor’s livelihood and boards can order remedies or pull it. If the contractor is bonded or insured, a bond claim or insurance claim goes straight at the money. Small claims court works for a sum worth the filing fee. And where the trade is unlicensed and uninsured, which is common, the public record may be the only leverage there is.

These are not exclusive. A board complaint, a chargeback and a public case file can all be running at once.

Where RDACTD helps

A contractor whose next job comes from a search result is a contractor who cares what that search result says. Filing on RDACTD is free and anonymous, the business gets five days to acknowledge and ten more to resolve, and if it ignores you the case file is published on its permanent record with its RDACTD score.

For an unlicensed trade with no board to complain to, that record is often the fastest thing that changes their mind, and it is checkable by the next homeowner who searches the name.

Preguntas frecuentes

How do I file a complaint against a contractor?: Stop further payments and check your chargeback window first, then assemble the contract, payments, dated photos and message history. Lodge a complaint with the contractor licensing board if the trade is licensed, and file a complaint on the business record so the failure to respond is public.
What is a contractor board complaint?: A complaint to the licensing authority that issued the contractor’s licence. Because the licence is their livelihood, boards can order remedies, impose conditions, or suspend it, which makes this the strongest route wherever the trade is licensed.
What if my contractor abandoned the job?: Document the state of the work with dated photos immediately, do not release any remaining payment, ask your card issuer about a chargeback if the deadline is still open, and get an independent assessment of what is left to do before another trade disturbs the evidence.
Can I complain about an unlicensed contractor?: Yes, though there is no licensing board to go to, so your routes are a chargeback, a small claim, and the public record. Filing a complaint that becomes public if they ignore it is often the most effective pressure available.
How long do I have to complain about bad workmanship?: It varies by route and jurisdiction: chargebacks are often around 120 days, licensing boards set their own limits, and court limitation periods run to years. Start documenting immediately, because defects get covered up as work progresses.

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