MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont lawmakers passed a statewide contractor registry two years ago in an effort to keep track of contractors and hold them accountable. If they don’t sign up, they could face thousands of dollars in fines.
Some 971 contractors have signed up for the online registry so far, but it turns out counting the number of contractors in Vermont isn’t concrete.
Contractors specializing in construction, painting, weatherization, roofing, paving, heating, solar, electrical, water and more face a deadline. The Vermont Contractor Registry was billed as a way to identify and regulate consumer protection policy to give people options to avoid home improvement scammers.
“Everyone should have a contract which sets an expectation of the scope of the work that will be done, when it’s going to be done, how much the cost is,” said Charity Clark, D-Vt. Attorney General.
Contractors who do projects over $10,000 will have to buy insurance, fill out contracts with customers and sign onto the registry.
The home improvement industry has largely avoided state regulations, including a centralized list of contractors.
“Tax doesn’t have that data, labor doesn’t have that data, we don’t have that data, so I don’t know what the ultimate number will be but we are trying to cast as wide of a net as possible,” said Lauren Hibbert, Vermont’s deputy secretary of state.
So far, nearly 1,000 contractors have signed up. But WCAX News is also learning some are already out of compliance– the deadline to register was April of last year. Anyone not registered by next Monday could start accruing fines or penalties. State officials are trying to get the message out.
“I think we would be more educational at this point unless there was someone who was flagrantly disregarding the law,” Hibbert said.
They’ve placed placards in lumber yards and hardware stores, and emailed 30,000 people to get the word out, including to those who may unknowingly cross the $10,000 threshold.
But homebuilders say the door swings both ways and that consumers need to know about the registry in the first place for the law to be effective.
“Do they even know? Not just contractors, but do consumers know where they should look for a contractor? Is it the same Vermont word of mouth or is it, ‘Hey, there’s this database and you want to see who is in good standing?’” Hayward Design-Build Project Developer Jim Bradley said.
The registry has been active for several years. There’s also an extensive list of convicted home improvement fraudsters or those who have settled claims. Click here for more information.
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