Each year the staff of the Construction Industry Licensing Board of Palm Beach County assists the public in recovering several hundred thousands of dollars in would-be losses.

You can be your best defense against losses by not dealing with uncertified contractors.

Using qualified, certified contractors is not just a good idea, it's the law.

Warning signs which may indicate the person/company is not certified:

• Newspaper/flyer ads which do not include the individual's or company's contractor certification number.
  
• A large down payment requested before work begins.
  
• Statements such as "It will be cheaper if you obtain your own permit."
  
• Verbal contract only.
  
• The contractor prefers to work on weekends or after hours.
  
• A building permit is obtained by someone other than the person/company you contracted with.

You can help yourself:

Simply by making three telephone calls, you can greatly reduce your risk of loss to an uncertified contractor.

First: Call to obtain a second bid for the work to be done.

Second: Call to obtain a third bid for the work to be done.

Third: Call Palm Beach County Contractors Certification Division at 233-5530 to confirm that your bids are from certified contractors.

The Construction Industry Licensing Board of Palm Beach County and Contractors Certification Licensing Division were established to protect the citizens of Palm Beach County through a certification system of 63 construction trades.

Some of the trades affecting homeowners include:

• Air Conditioning

• Aluminum Specialties

• Burglar Alarm

• Decorative Metal

• Drywall

• Electrical

• Fence

• Insulation

• Marine

• Irrigation Sprinkler

• Painting

• Paving

• Plastering

• Plumbing

• Roofing

• Signage

• Swimming Pool Maintenance and Repair

• Tennis Court

• Tile and Marble

• TV Antenna and Satellite Dish

• Window and Door

Help us help you:

Verify certification of a contractor before you enter into a contract.

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