According to a report yesterday on Bloomberg.comthe price for lumber for a July delivery here in the US is around $1,300 per 1,000 board feet which basically is about 4 times as expensive as a year ago. Other materials used in home improvements have also soared during the past few months, and with the price of everything going up so much, you might be tempted to try and cut corners by trying to hire someone to do your labor on the cheap. Be careful.

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The Connecticut State Police have just issued a scam warning through their social media about seedy criminals, who may pose as contractors that are soliciting door-to-door here in the state.

According to the Connecticut State Police, there has been an increase on home improvement scams here in Connecticut and across the US. Criminals have been roving through neighborhoods, knocking on unsuspecting homeowners' doors, or via phone call, offering to repair their roofs, driveways, and chimneys. The scammers have a method to their madness. They reportedly will:

  • Offer discounted rates, due to having "leftover materials from another job"
  • Make your damage sound worse than it is to create a sense of urgency about the repair
  • They will try to upsell you and get you to pay up front, rush the job, complete it inadequately, or worse yet, never return.

Be aware, ALL contractors must be registered with Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection and it's Connecticut law that they must wait 3 business days before starting any work.

Do your research. If you have questions about the contractor offering to fix your driveway, contact the DCP at 860-713-6100. If you have a complaint regarding a contractor or company, contact the DCP at 860-713-6300, or you can e-mail dcp.complaints@ct.gov.

First and foremost though, if you feel like you've been a victim of a contracting scam, the Connecticut State Police urge you to first contact your local law enforcement agency.

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