Last week, it was the solar company.
The week before, it was a guy who had a very strong opinion about the health of my perfectly fine roof. And right before him, it was someone who had a lot to say about my relatively new windows.
It’s door-knocking season, Jersey.
As contractors prepare for the spring — typically a very busy time for the home improvement industry — folks are walking neighborhoods to tell homeowners about their services.
Beware.
As the door-knockers swoop in, it seems Gov. Phil Murphy is finally getting closer to appointing members to a new board that would create the state’s first home improvement contractor license — nearly eight months late. The new license became law after an NJ Advance Media investigation — Hire at your own risk — spotlighted the lack of protection given to homeowners under the state’s weak contractor rules.
Until all the provisions kick in, it’s important to understand who can call themselves a home improvement contractor in New Jersey.
The answer? Pretty much anyone. You, your great-aunt Josie or even your friendly neighborhood consumer columnist could do it. Even one of our readers, who by his own admission needs instructions to change a light bulb, was approved by the state to do home improvement contractor work when he was a mere 88 years old.
Burt Schlossberg applied for and received New Jersey's Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration, but he said he needs an instruction book to change a light bulb. He was photographed in 2021 when he was 88 years old. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
It’s not hard. Current law only requires you have liability insurance and pay a $110 fee to receive the state’s Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration. It’s not the same as a license, which would require proof of knowledge, experience and more.
Indeed, hairdressers and manicurists complete more training to do business in the state than a contractor does.
But for now, it’s what we have. So whether you consider a contractor because they knocked on your door (please don’t!) or because of a neighbor’s recommendation, check with the Division of Consumer Affairs to make sure the person’s HIC registration is in good standing.
Check both the contractor’s name and the company name online by visiting njconsumeraffairs.gov and clicking "licensee search," or by calling (800) 242-5846.
Also read this brief by Consumer Affairs to make sure your contractor is required to have the registration, though most do. Plumbers and electricians have separate requirements. You can learn more about that here.
Next, check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) online or call (609) 588-0808.
Just know that companies can still get an “A” rating even if they have dozens of complaints. Ratings are based on whether the company responds to BBB inquiries, no matter the outcome of the complaint.
Then put both the contractor and company names, with the word “complaints,” into a search engine. You never know what will come up.
When it comes to websites with customer reviews, take them with a grain of salt. Fake reviews are harder and harder to identify. Don’t only look at five-star ratings or one-star ratings. Check the ones in between.
We’d also recommend you search NJ.com to see if the Bamboozled column ever wrote about the contractor.
Once that’s done, even if the contractor comes out clean, you should get three estimates for the job. Take your time. You might get pushback from contractors who want you to sign on the spot and give a deposit. Don’t do it. Even though state law allows homeowners to back out of contracts within three business days, making an informed choice the first time is your easiest option.
If someone pressures you, find another contractor.
As for the new home improvement contractor license — the landmark legislation was signed in January 2024. The first step was to establish a board to set education and experience requirements for the new license.
The new state Board of Home Improvement and Home Elevation Contractors would include people who are current HIC registrants and professionals who are recommended by trade associations.
State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, and state Senate President Nick Scutari, D-Union, would each also recommend one member of the public to serve.
The governor’s deadline to appoint members was July 1, and eight months later, we’re finally seeing some movement.
Coughlin on Thursday sent Murphy his recommendation: Ken Jobson, owner of Hawkeye Development in Edison, who said he supported the idea of a license.
“Whether you’re rich or poor, your largest investment is your home,” Jobson told the Bamboozled column. “You hear these horror stories — people who take money and don’t come back — it really can mess up people’s lives.”
“Too many people get in the business and they really shouldn’t. It shouldn’t be that easy,” he said.
Murphy’s office said it would not comment on pending appointments. Scutari did not immediately respond, and representatives from industry organizations either said they haven’t heard anything or they, too, did not respond.
When it’s established, the board, in addition to setting education and experience requirements for the license, will be tasked with establishing a code of ethics and standards for the industry, something that dozens of other states already have to protect consumers.
Requirements would include an apprenticeship or training program and passing an exam to test knowledge of the field and related state law. Some contractors who already have HIC registrations would be grandfathered in.
That all sounds good, but it will take years to implement. We’re glad the snail seems to be moving, at least a little bit.
A final word about those door-knockers? They may be perfectly fine contractors and we’re not suggesting they’re con artists. But if they’re so great, why are they going door-to-door?
Stories by Karin Price Mueller
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Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on X at @KPMueller.