Whether you’re in need of an HVAC system installation, electrical work, a new roof on your house or you’re ready for a bathroom remodel, it’s extremely important that you check out prospective contractors before you enter an agreement. You’ll want to verify that they have a strong customer service track record and hold any required local and state licenses.
If you hire a contractor who doesn’t hold proper licensing to perform the contracted work, not only do you risk that the workmanship could be inferior – or even dangerous – but you as the homeowner may be held liable for completed work that doesn’t comply with building codes or results in property damage.
Unfortunately, the Better Business Bureau serving Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia has found a number of unlicensed contractors are advertising work in our community. In some cases, they’ve even made false claims of being licensed, so it’s extremely important that you take the steps to confirm their licensing status. If our organization confirms that a company is operating without a required local or state license, we’ll report this as an alert in the company’s BBB profile. The lack of licensing also impacts a company’s BBB rating, resulting in an F rating — the lowest issued by BBB.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance regulates many of the licenses that are required for work performed within the state, including a home improvement license that covers a large variety of home improvement/remodeling related services, as well as a general contractors license. It’s important to note that licensing requirements can vary from one county to the next when it comes to the home improvement license.
Only nine counties require a Tennessee home improvement license for work done at residential addresses within their county, and only if the contracted work falls between $3,000 and $24,999 for materials and labor combined. Those counties are Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby. All Tennessee counties require a general contractors license for residential and commercial work totaling $25,000 or more. Tennessee licensing can be searched at bit.ly/TNlicense.