Public Service Announcement

There has been so many ongoing and continued complaints of modern day in-experienced painters from poor quality workmanship, using cheap products for the wrong jobs and collecting deposits and not showing up to do the jobs that in 1998 congress in-acted new laws making it a criminal act to run a business or contract without contractors license. In the last ten years illegal contractors have multiplied ten fold. They advertise that are licensed but cannot produce a business license on demand. In 2008 there are more unlicensed illegal contractors than there are legitimate business owners. A large number of those unlicensed painters are illegal aliens who are not legally in this country but are out running their own contracting business daily. The Commonwealth Attorney is not willing to protect the tax payers and prosecute these people until the crimes have been committed (home owners getting ripped-off). The VA Contractor Board gives all legitimate business owners a card to carry in their wallet that clearly identifies them as legitimate business owners. The law requires business owners to present customers with a copy of their state license before offering them a written contract. Always protect yourself and ask to physically see a copy of a business license. It will have an emblem of the Commonwealth of Virginia and a clear legible group of numbers. They have also put a website on line so all home owners can go online (www.dpor.virginia.gov) the website will tell you whether a person has a business license and if they ever had any complaints file against them. Always make sure a business owner carries liability insurance with a minimum of 1 million dollars, which is a standard policy, and workman's compensation insurance. You can also call Virginia Contractor Board at 804-367-8511. A LOT OF PEOPLE ADVERTISE THEY ARE LICENSED AND INSURED BUT THEY ARE NOT. IT IS IN FACT A CRIMINAL ACT IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. THEY WILL PROSECUTE WITH ONE YEAR IN JAIL FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE.