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Letters

Unlicensed contractors should be avoided

The article in Sunday's (8/21/05) paper, "Unlicensed Contractors aren't always cheaper" was right on the money. We continually and consistently get calls from homeowners that have been outright ripped off by unlicensed guys and now are too embarrassed to be identified.

In reality, all they were trying to do is save a few bucks, but now they find that they are paying way more than the estimates they got from licensed guys usually for remedial work, doing the work all over again, or doing it, this time, the right way.

If you can't really afford it, then don't do it, and if you find the proposal still stretches your budget, then use the cheapest option a legitimate guy offers, but know you are not buying the best.

Tim Lyons
Executive director, Hawaii Flooring Association and Roofing Contractors Association of Hawaii