Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a situation with a contractor I hired in Massachusetts to replace the stair railing at my house. Initially, the contractor sent someone for a quote, but instead, an unfamiliar company showed up, and I just learned they aren't registered as a home improvement contractor in MA. We didn't have a formal contract—only a quote for $2,100, for which I paid 50% upfront for materials. They were late starting the job and had to pull a permit, but they ended up charging me $700 for it, claiming $200 was for the permit and $500 was for inspection work. However, I found out the actual permit fee is only $100 and that an inspection wasn't even necessary. To top it off, the railing they installed is loose and unsafe. Is this legal? Can they use an unlicensed subcontractor without informing me? Any advice on how to tackle this?
3 Answers
Wow, it sounds like you really got played here. As for the subcontractor, it’s usually legal unless your contract says otherwise. Still, the main contractor is responsible for their work. It seems like they might have added the permit fee to squeeze more cash out of you. I’d recommend reaching out to the primary contractor for a fix, but also consider reporting them to your state’s licensing board to see if they can help. Good luck!
Yeah, contractors and subcontractors need to register in MA to work on residential properties. If they assigned a subcontractor, the original contractor should have a Supervisor's License as well. Make sure to check if the permit was actually pulled to strengthen your case. You deserve to be compensated for this mess.
Yes, I confirmed the permit was pulled, but I’m still shocked by how much they charged me.
Regarding the permit, if it wasn’t required, that’s definitely an issue for them. However, contractors often inflate costs, so that markup isn't unusual. Just be firm with them about fixing the loose railing, and don’t hesitate to escalate this if they give you the runaround.
Good to know! I hope they fix it soon; it’s such a headache when things like this happen.
Definitely report them, especially since the work is shoddy. You shouldn’t have to live with a poorly installed railing!