Your Options When You're Unhappy With Your General Contractor

project with aplomb, giving you the results you had in mind before you started. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen. In the best case scenario, signals gets mixed and communication breaks down, putting the workers and the homeowner on two different pages. In the worst case scenario, you accidentally hired a scam artist. Whatever the case, you'll want to know what your options are. If you have a solid contract, your options will be greater than they would be otherwise, but no matter what the situation, there are some things you can do.

Contact the Better Business Bureau

The BBB has garnered its own share of criticism for being a "club" that is as exclusive as your typical "Who's Who" edition, but they can serve an important function when it comes to filing a complaint. These complaints are put into an open forum and they give the general contractor a chance to publicly defend themselves, as well as put things right. No matter how they may personally feel about the legitimacy of the complaint, most companies will not want unanswered complaints about them sitting out there on the internet. It could be just the pressure you need to get what you want.

Write a Poor Review

More and more people are using online reviews, not only to find a general contractor, but to share their thoughts about those they have hired. If you're unhappy with the work that has (or hasn't) been done, you might want to put figurative pen to paper and let others know about it. Don't do this with vindication in mind, but rather to warn others. Why continue to let this company maintain a thriving business without any dissenting voices. Be very careful, however, about what you put in such a review. Do not exaggerate. Make it very clear when you are expressing your opinion and when you are reciting facts. You don't want to open yourself up to a libel suit.

Contact a Lawyer

"Don't take the law into your own hands...you take them to court," said the old opening to television's The People's Court. That is excellent advice. If you want to recover damages and get your money back for a job not done to specifications, you might want to pursue litigation. For smaller cases, you can bring the lawsuit into small claims court, but for larger amounts, you'll need to contact a lawyer. Sometimes even the specter of being sued is enough to convince a general contractor to settle.