Is Your Inspector Licensed and Insured?
Always use a licensed and insured inspector or contractor. It’s important that the people you are entrusting with your home and safety are qualified to be doing the work in the first place. A license is not a guarantee that you will have a great experience however it is a tool to ensure that you can have recourse in the event something goes wrong.
Jack-of-all-tradesmen are everywhere and just because they have a sign on their truck and a business card does not mean they are licensed. A recent sting operation in South Carolina shows just how prevalent unlicensed workers are; a recent release from the SC State department of Labor, licensing and Regulation described a sting resulted in uncovering 70 non-licensed contractors:
Six investigators from the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s Office of Investigations and Enforcement and three staff members reviewed internet listings and physically monitored home improvement store parking lots across the state to look for people who were advertising plumbing, electrical, carpentry, HVAC, roofing, home inspecting and other building services requiring licensure by LLR.
Residential Builders Administrator Janet Baumberger said. “This is the second time we have participated in the sting, and each time we have discovered at least 70 cases. We look forward to participating again to further protect consumers.”
The Residential Builders Commission licenses all residential builders and home inspectors and licenses/registers all specialty contractors in the state. The Commission investigates complaints from homeowners having problems with builders or licensed/registered specialty contractors and, if necessary, takes disciplinary action against them.