NORRISTOWN, PA, February 20, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Homeowners embarking on home remodels in Pennsylvania have an extra ounce of protection, thanks to new legislation that requires contractors to register with the state. Senate Bill 100 was passed this fall and will go into effect July 1, 2009. The bill regulates written home improvement contracts and requires contractors doing more than $5,000 of work annually to register.
"Homeowners will know that there are qualified, ethical contractors out there, and NARI members will be competing against other ethical contractors, thanks to this registration," said Kathy Benelli, managing director of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Bucks-Mont chapter. Three NARI chapters played integral roles in passing the legislation. They include Bucks-Mont, DelChester NARI and NARI of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The law applies to several types of contractors, including plumbers, painters, electricians and general construction workers. It does not apply to new home building.
"It's the first step toward raising our bar," said Bob Dubree, CR, CKBR, CLC, owner of Creative Contracting in North Wales, Pa. "It's the beginning of safeguarding the consumer, but I think there needs to be licensing. Right now anybody with a toolbox and four wheels can tear someone's home apart and put it back together while risking life, limb and safety. In the state of Pennsylvania, you need to be licensed to cut hair or paint someone's toes, but not to put an addition on a house."
Contractors will register with Pennsylvania through the Bureau of Consumer Protection every two years for a $50 fee. Contractors will be required to show proof of insurance covering personal injury and property damage, and they will also provide a statement disclosing any fraudulent activity or court action taken against them. The bill pre-empts all local municipal contractor registration ordinances, meaning municipalities that required registration and collected fees are going to lose income.
The Attorney Generals Office of Consumers Affairs will be responsible for administering this new registration. This act allows the various District Attorneys in the State of Pennsylvania the ability to prosecute wrong doers after a single offense as outlined in the act. Prior to this act, the DA's had to prove a pattern of deceptive business practices, which is a much higher standard in court and in several cases amounted to a single contractor having ripped off up to 25 families before they were prosecuted, said NARI member Mark Kinsey, CRA, CPIA and vice president of PKG Insurance Associates, Inc. If a contractor fails to abide by the law, they could face civil penalties and felony prosecution by a local district attorney.
After July 1, homeowners who enter into agreements with contractors who continue to be unregistered will have no legal obligation to pay that contractor.
Kinsey said the next step is licensing. In Pennsylvania, plumbers and electricians are licensed through their trade association, but the licensing does not extend to the state. In comparison, architects and engineers are licensed through the state. Licensing remodelers through the state would offer homeowners further protections.
If you are planning a home remodel, NARI can help homeowners find a registered remodeling professional. Log on to http://www.bucksmontnari.org to find a remodeler in your area
About Bucks Mont NARI
The Bucks Mont Chapter of The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the only trade association dedicated solely to the remodeling industry. NARI members voluntarily sign and uphold a code of ethics. For further information, please contact us at 610-787-0896 or visit the website at http://www.bucksmontnari.org.
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