Home improvement referral sites provide homeowners with an efficient way to connect with contractors for projects like painting, landscaping, home remodeling and other small renovations. However, these sites can also be an entry point for bad contractors who prey on vulnerable homeowners and may even scam them out of money.
Fortunately, there are some excellent contractor review sites that provide homeowners with a trustworthy and safe way to connect with contractors. These sites are free for contractors to join and highlight contractor reviews and testimonials, along with the services that they specialize in.
A few of the most well-known home improvement referral sites include HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack and Angi (formerly Angie’s List). Homeflock is another very good option because it allows customers to see a complete picture of a contractor’s public record, including any blemishes. Homeflock’s staff compiles information from building permits and links with federal and state licensing agencies. They then use this data to rank contractors based on their history.
Home referral sites are becoming increasingly scrutinized by regulators. Some of these websites function a bit like community bulletin boards, whereas others purport to limit participating contractors to those who have proof of insurance and pass a background check. Some of these companies even offer additional services for consumers, such as negotiating pricing, scheduling and facilitating payment from the consumer. This type of activity is drawing increasing scrutiny from regulators because it essentially mimics the activities of a licensed general contractor and is thus subject to licensing regulations.