Homeowners Hiring Unlicensed Contractors Face Fines up to $5K; BathMasters Offers Solutions
Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) January 26, 2017 -- Hiring an unlicensed contractor leaves homeowners at risk of several financial and legal ramifications. People caught knowingly hiring unlicensed workers face fines up to $5,000; in many cases, the work of these contractors is often poor and requires the expertise of a licensed contractor to make the repairs – costing homeowners more money for the job than if they’d hired the correct person in the first place.1 According to the Cost vs. Value 2017 report, the average midrange cost to remodel a bathroom in Tampa, FL. is $16,822 with that renovation providing a resale value of $10,391 and a recouped cost of 61.8 percent.2 Due to the amount of money being invested into this type of project, Gregory Norman, founder of BathMasters, says consumers should heed the warnings and think twice before doing business with an unlicensed contractor.
Norman warns that there are many cases of work done by unlicensed contractors that isn’t permitted due to the inability to gain local permits which results in not increasing the value of a person’s home. While the low service costs of an illegal contractor may be tempting for homeowners, the risks involved in hiring one largely outweigh the benefits.
“People feel that using an unlicensed contractor can provide lower costs for their home improvements, when in reality they end up spending more money finishing incomplete projects, getting permits later and potentially facing legal fines,” Norman says. Since many unlicensed contractors require cash payments, if there is an issue with the job that was done, there is no guarantee that they will stick around to fix it.
Norman stresses that the key to a successful bathroom remodel lies with hiring a contractor with professional training and educating in proper construction and plumbing. “Bathrooms can provide a very significant ROI when people sell their homes. The use of unethical contractors is a negative investment into their home, not to mention the homeowner can be fined up to $5,000 just for hiring that person. This will cause them to immediately lose any ROI they would have gained from their new bathroom. Norman used the example of repairing simple tile and grout, explaining that a job to repair this type of shoddy work in a bathroom can average up to $550.3
BathMasters has spent 15 years on in-house training programs designed to bring the skill-level up for project estimators and installers. BathMasters’ has a large testing facility where workers are constantly trained and tested to meet the quality requirements expected of them. “We train them to the highest levels of proficiency with our unique systems and products so that bathrooms are installed correctly the first time.”
BathMasters executives stress the importance of hiring contracting companies that believe in continuing education for their workers and providing proper compensation. The cost of redoing a poorly-put-together job takes many factors into account including purchasing new products to replace unusable material that was installed, new tiles and repairs from faulty plumbing.
“Ultimately,” Norman says, “You could end up paying for the entire remodel twice, not including health issues people can face due to mold and water damage under their tiles and in their walls.”
About BathMasters:
BathMasters is a Virginia plumbing, electrical and building contractor company with showrooms and warehouses in Northern Virginia and Tampa Bay Florida. BathMasters is rapidly expanding to meet the demand of its customers for high-quality, full-service bathroom renovations as well as tub-to-shower conversions built to last the test of time. With thousands of custom bathrooms remodeled, BathMasters has become the premier choice for bathroom renovation needs.
Co-founders and brothers, Gregory and David Norman, grew up amongst a family of Masters. Their father was a Master Plumber and their uncles worked as a Master Electrician, a Master Carpenter, and a ‘Class A’ home builder. The "Norman Family Legacy" has always been about high-quality work, never cutting corners and an unparalleled commitment to communication, honesty and integrity with homeowners. It is this Legacy that Gregory and David continue at BathMasters. Their mission is to improve the skill-level of bathroom installers through their extensive workforce training programs, to the benefit of homeowners and the industry itself. Visit BathMastersVirginia.com and BathMastersFlorida.com.
1. "Don't Hire an Unlicensed Contractor in Florida." Hiring Unlicensed Contractors Could Lead to Trouble Comments. N.p., 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.
2. "Cost vs Value 2017." Cost vs Value. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
3. "How Much Does It Cost to Repair Tile & Grout?" Home Advisor. N.p., n.d. Web.
4. Lieser, Jeff. "Don't Hire an Unlicensed Contractor in Florida." Lieser Skaff Alexander. N.p., 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.
Karla Jo Helms, JoTo PR, +1 (888) 202-4614 Ext: 802, [email protected]
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