We found this fascinating article from our e-mail subscription from HomeAdvisor.com. A great deal of this information applies to our clientele and our community overall.

In 2012, Americans lost $1.4 billion to home improvement fraud and scams. That’s a big number! Home improvement is a huge industry, and undertaking a home improvement project involves a tremendous degree of trust. Perhaps that’s the reason why poor workmanship is the number one fear among homeowners who hire a contractor. But there are generally a set of tell-tale signs that a contractor is a fraud, or that a scam is about to be put into action. This infographic goes through the steps of researching, interviewing, and hiring a contractor to give the consumer the information they need to protect themselves against fraud and scams. Furthermore, it explains how a person can monitor and evaluate the progress of a contractor to determine whether or not they’re being scammed. Just because frauds and scams are out there doesn’t mean that they’re guaranteed to succeed. Knowledge is the surest way to get the upper hand and protect your home.