Douglas County Building Dept. - Complaints About Contractors

COMPLAINTS ABOUT CONTRACTORS

An important fact to understand is that you as the property owner are and may ultimately be held responsible for any activities that occur on your property. What do you do when your 'good' contractor turns out not to be as good as you had hoped. No matter how hard you try there is always the possibility that the contractor you select may not meet your expectations. The Building Department can only deal with contractor related problems that are specifically found in the Oregon Specialty Codes and the related OAR's and ORS's. What this means is that many issues which are 'contractual' in nature cannot be dealt with by the Building Department. For example, the paint color being applied by the contractor is not what you had in mind or the way he is constructing something is not the way you would like it done, but the method he chose is 'code compliant'. These examples illustrate, rather simply, circumstances which are 'contractual' and not 'code' compliance issues.

In the event you have a problem with a contractor you should first determine if the problem is 'code' or contractual in nature. If the problem is a code compliance issue contact the Douglas County Building Department. Regardless of the problem if the contractor is licensed you may contact the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) in order to file a complaint or claim. Unfortunately, if you hired an unlicensed/registered contractor there is very little if anything that the CCB can do to assist you, but the Building Department will still be interested in remedying any code compliance issues that exist. For additional information on filing a claim or complaint with the CCB the Building Department has a pamphlet which the CCB has made available that outlines the entire process.

Beware of Disreputable Business Activities

The elderly and areas recovering from disasters are often prime targets for less-then-honest business activities. Here are some points to consider in safeguarding against such practices.

Do not sign any contract under pressure by a salesperson. Unsolicited 'door-to-door sales of more than $25 by Federal law require a three day 'cooling-off' period. If you chose to cancel such a contract within three (3) business days of signing it, send your cancellation by registered mail.
Be wary of 'special deals' offered after a disaster by contractors you do not know.
Beware of unknown contractors wanting to use your home as a 'model'.
Beware if you are asked to pay in cash on the spot instead of by a check made out to the contracting company. A reasonable down payment is up to 30% of the total project cost, and no money should change hands until the work has begun.

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Notice: The information provided here is for convenience ONLY.
Although reasonable attempts are made to maintain this information as accurate as possible,
Douglas County in no way will be liable for any inaccuracies, inconsistencies, errors, omissions,
or other deviations in this information.
Douglas County Building Department
Courthouse Justice Building
Room 106
Roseburg, Oregon 97470
541-440-4559
Fax: 440-4297