Let’s discuss the importance of using a contractor that is licensed and insured. In Mississippi the state agency that licenses contractors is called the “Mississippi State Board of Contractors”. They have a website that the public can use to verify if a contractor is licensed or has had complaints filed with the board and the disposition of the complaint. The site is HERE.
The law in Mississippi requires a state license for any contractor doing remodel work that exceeds
$10,000.00. Frequently a contractor that has no license will ask the homeowner to obtain the building permit in the owner’s name. In order for a remodel contractor to have a state license they must maintain general liability insurance.
How many times have you seen a contractor’s vehicle with the words licensed, bonded and insured? Often the license is not a state license but is a city or county license. Bonded may refer to a bond that costs $50.00 and only protects the county or city that required it, not the customer. The insurance may be the coverage on the vehicle, not general liability insurance. Always ask to see these documents. A copy of our license and insurance is shown here.
If the consumer obtains the building permit and hires someone that is not licensed the state agency can do very little to help if things do not go well.
