How do I hire someone without being taken advantage of?

The short answer

Check them, compare them, and pay in stages. Find people through someone you trust, check their license if your state issues one, confirm their insurance, and get written prices from more than one.

Never pay everything up front, and never pay in cash. You don't have to judge one price on its own. You can put it next to two or three others for the same job.

This chapter explains how things usually work in the United States. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and the rules where you live may differ. Before you act on anything here, check it with one of the people named at the end of the chapter.

What to do

1. Ask two people you trust for names.
2. Find out whether your state licenses this work, then check the license.
3. Ask for proof of insurance, and call the insurer to confirm it.
4. Get at least two written prices for any large job.
5. Sign a written contract, with no blank spaces, before work starts.
6. Pay in stages, never all up front and never in cash.
7. Have someone with you when the estimate is given, if you can.

What can wait

Who can help

Your state contractor licensing board, if your state has one, and your state attorney general's consumer office both take complaints in writing.

At 60 or older, your local Area Agency on Aging can say whether you qualify for help with home repairs. Find it at eldercare.acl.gov, or call 1-800-677-1116.

If you are 60 or over, the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), has case managers who help you report a fraud and find help.

The rules, phone numbers and web addresses in this book were checked against the agencies’ own pages in October 2026. They change, so check anything you rely on with the office itself.

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