Del. DOJ finalizes new contractor regulations

DELAWARE – Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings Consumer Protection Unit has announced final regulations that establish clear rules for the Home Improvement Services Industry, becoming effective on Wednesday.

We’re told the regulation comes after hundreds of complaints were received by the Department of Justice. It requires numerous disclosures and prohibits certain practices regarding home improvement transactions.

The new regulations will require home improvement contractors to provide customers with a written contract listing all material terms; homeowners may not be asked to sign incomplete contracts. Additionally, contractors will be required to provide a completion date in the contract unless a clear disclosure is made to the homeowner. Contracts will not be permitted to misrepresent the terms or basis for any discount, nor can they characterize a binding contract as an “estimate”. Contractors will also be prohibited from obtaining a certification of completion from a homeowner before the work is actually completed.

A full summary of the new regulation can be found here.