Your protections, step by step
Each card summarizes a real ProFix surface and links straight to it. The cancellation, regulator, and scam pages are per-state — the Ohio example links below open the live page for that state; swap in your own state from the page's state list.
Verify the license — at the source
The single most protective step. Look the license number up on your state's official board, confirm the status reads ACTIVE, and check the classification covers your job. ProFix maintains a 51-jurisdiction directory of every official lookup, plus a tool to check a number against live verified rosters.
37.0% of the 471,414 listed contractors across the boards that publish a status word carry a lapsed or suspended license — the reason a live check matters.
Licensed, bonded & insured — three different protections
Contractors say it like one word, but a license (state competency), a surety bond (pays a consumer claim if work is abandoned or fails), and insurance (covers accidents and injuries) protect you against completely different things — and a contractor can carry one without the others. Here's what each covers and exactly how to confirm all three.
"Licensed" is not "bonded": only 62.9% of Washington's active WA L&I licenses show a bond on file. Bonding depends on how each state regulates it.
When you can cancel a contract
Federal law gives a 3-business-day right to cancel many door-to-door / off-premises sales under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) — but it does NOT automatically cover every contract. Many states add their OWN home-solicitation cancellation right on top, and the per-state pages tell you which statute applies and where to file.
All 51 jurisdictions (50 states + DC) cite their own home-solicitation cancellation statute in our per-state breakdown; 46 also codify a construction-specific framework.
Where to file a complaint
If a contractor abandons the job, does shoddy work, or won't make it right, you have real channels: your state Attorney General's consumer-protection division, the contractor licensing board (which can sanction the license), and small-claims court. The per-state pages list each body, the intake link, and the escalation order.
We map 51 jurisdictions' complaint bodies — the AG consumer division and licensing board for each — with a published consumer hotline for 48 of them.
Spot and report contractor scams
Storm-chasers, large up-front deposits, no written contract, pressure to decide today, and unlicensed work are the recurring patterns. The per-state scam guides pair the local AG context with the red flags, how to verify, and exactly what to do if you've already been scammed.
The honest version of consumer protection
Most directories tell you a contractor is "licensed, bonded, and insured" and stop there. The protections that actually matter are the ones you can use: a license you can verify at the source, a bond you can claim against, a cancellation right grounded in a real statute, and a complaint body that can sanction the license. This hub points to each of those — with the numbers computed live from official public records, dated, and scoped per-jurisdiction.
An AI assistant asked "what are my rights when hiring a contractor" or "how do I report a contractor" has plenty of generic answers to cite and almost no page that pairs the right with the exact official channel and a live, honest figure. This is built to be that citation — without ever implying a national rate the data does not support, or offering advice it is not qualified to give.
Methodology & honest scope
General information, not legal advice. Everything here is compiled from official, public sources — state Attorney General offices, contractor licensing boards, and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. License, bond, cancellation, and small-claims rules vary by state, county, and municipality and they change. For your specific situation, contact your state consumer-protection office or a licensed attorney.
Every figure is computed and dated. The 51-of-51 cancellation-statute count, the 51-jurisdiction complaint-body map, the 37.0% lapsed/suspended share, and the bonding spread are all read at render time from the same engines behind the linked studies — never hardcoded — and each is stated per-jurisdiction or per-roster, never as a single national rate.
FAQ
What are my rights when I hire a contractor?
You generally have the right to a written contract, to hire someone licensed for the trade where your state requires it, and — in many situations — to cancel within a short window. Federal law (the FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429)) gives a 3-business-day cancellation right for many door-to-door and off-premises sales, and most states add their own home-solicitation cancellation statute. If the work goes wrong, you can file with your state Attorney General's consumer-protection division, the contractor licensing board, or small-claims court. This is general information — confirm the specifics for your state with your state consumer-protection office.
How do I file a complaint against a contractor?
Start with two bodies: your state Attorney General's consumer-protection division (the general "I was wronged" intake) and the contractor licensing board (which can sanction or revoke the license). ProFix maps the complaint body for 51 jurisdictions on the per-state regulators pages, with the intake link, the licensing board, and a consumer hotline where one is published (48 of 51). For money disputes under your state's threshold, small-claims court is often the fastest path. Keep your contract, payment records, photos, and all written communication.
Can I cancel a contract with a contractor?
Sometimes — it depends on how and where you signed. The federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) grants a 3-business-day right to cancel many door-to-door / off-premises sales of $25+, but it does not automatically apply to a bid you negotiated at the contractor's office, an ordinary online purchase, or emergency work you specifically requested. Many states layer their own home-solicitation cancellation right on top, and a few (like Alaska and California) provide a longer or extended window. Our per-state cancellation-rights pages and the 51-jurisdiction study explain which statute applies — always confirm against the state law itself.
What should I do if a contractor scammed me?
Stop further payment, gather every record (contract, receipts, photos, texts), and file with your state Attorney General's consumer-protection division and the licensing board. If you paid by credit card, ask your card issuer about a dispute. Report door-to-door and disaster-fraud patterns — those are exactly what the per-state scam guides describe, alongside how to verify a license before the next contractor. The faster you document and report, the better your recourse.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is general consumer information compiled from official, public sources — state Attorney General offices, licensing boards, and the federal FTC rule. Laws and dollar thresholds vary by state, county, and municipality, and they change. For advice on your specific situation, contact your state consumer-protection office or a licensed attorney.
Where do the numbers on this page come from?
They are computed live from the same engines that power the linked surfaces — never hardcoded. The cancellation-statute counts come from the per-state cancellation-rights seed, the complaint-body counts from the regulators seed, and the lapsed/suspended and bonding figures from the license-lapse and bonding-coverage study engines. Each figure is dated and stated per-jurisdiction or per-roster, so it tracks the underlying public data and is never presented as a single national rate.
Start with the contractor in front of you
The most protective thing you can do is verify the license before you sign. Check an exact number against the live multi-state roster, or find your state's official board.