The Real Estate Wonk: Earthquake damage? Make sure it's fixed by someone with a license, state urges - Baltimore homes, apartments, real estate: Buying, selling, renting and housing news from reporter Jamie Smith Hopkins

The Baltimore Sun > Business > Real Estate > The Real Estate Wonk

« Homestead credits for non-homesteads | Main | Chase opens Baltimore center for struggling borrowers »

August 25, 2011

Earthquake damage? Make sure it's fixed by someone with a license, state urges

State regulators are reminding homeowners with wall and foundation cracks or other damage to their property -- courtesy of the earthquake this week -- to avoid unlicensed contractors.

Contractors must be licensed. But more importantly, you're covered by the Maryland Home Improvement Guaranty Fund if a licensed contractor does lousy work or otherwise causes you economic harm. Go with an unlicensed guy, and you're out in the cold.

"Too often, unlicensed contractors arrive after a major storm or a natural disaster with disingenuous offers to help," Stanley J. Botts, state commissioner for occupational and professional licensing, said in a statement.

The state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation says you can get license and complaint histories from the Maryland Home Improvement Commission at 410-230-6309. License information is also available online.

How did the earthquake affect you?

Posted by Jamie Smith Hopkins at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Home maintenance

Comments

Thank you for this reminder. Back business people that practice legally. Unfortunately, money is an issue for many folks and cheap unlicensed contractors are too tempting for some.

Great reminder!

Posted by: C. Piper | November 13, 2011 10:15 AM

Post a comment

All comments must be approved by the blog author. Name-calling aimed at other commenters is not welcome here. Please do not resubmit comments if they do not immediately appear. You are not required to use your full name when posting, but you should use a real e-mail address. Comments may be republished in print, but we will not publish your e-mail address. Our full Terms of Service are available here.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments:

Verification (needed to reduce spam):

About Jamie Smith Hopkins

Jamie Smith Hopkins, a Baltimore Sun reporter since 1999, writes about the regional economy. Her reporting on the housing market has won national and local awards. Hopkins is a Columbia native and has lived in Maryland all her life, save for 10 months spent covering schools in Ames, Iowa.
She trained to become a wonk by spending large chunks of time as a geek and an insufferable know-it-all.
• Baltimore Sun articles by Jamie

Follow @realestatewonk on Twitter