Arlington County’s Constituent Services Team has compiled this page in effort to offer information and resources to residents and businesses following the July 8, 2019 flooding.
The Constituent Services Team provides a link between residents, visitors and employees who have problems or are seeking information and solutions.
- Shop around — get estimates from at least three contractors and check with people who had work performed by them
- Call the Consumer Protection Hotline, handled by the Office of the Attorney General, toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042, to determine if there are any complaints against the contractors
- Use DPOR Consumer Resources to look-up contractor licenses and educate yourself on working with regulated professions.
- Before you sign the contract, make sure you understand the contract and that it includes the following information:
- A description and total cost of the services to be performed
- Types of materials to be used
- Start and completion dates
- Warranty information, if applicable
- Be cautious of companies that require advanced payments
- Remember that the cheapest bid may not always be the best
- Learn more about the home repair/improvement permit process in Arlington by visiting the Building Arlington Website or call the Inspection Services Division at 703-228-3800.
The County requires all home improvement contractors to be licensed and to show prospective customers a County-issued identification card on request. This includes installers of:
- Aluminum or other siding
- Concrete work
- Structural changes
- Doors
- Fences
- Fire damage repairs
- Kitchen and bathroom remodeling
- Masonry
- Roofing
- Swimming pools
- Waterproofing
Note: This licensing requirement doesn’t apply to landscapers or painters (except when the paint is to be applied to a roof or asphalt paving), or to licensed electricians, gas fitters or plumbers (who are licensed under a different provision of the Code). For more information, call the Arlington County Building Inspection Division at 703-228-3800, or the Office of Office of the Attorney General, toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042
- Beware of the smooth-talking salesman who comes to your home unannounced. Also, be weary of any phone call requesting a home appointment to give you something or asking you to participate in a survey.
- Be on the alert for the operator who poses as an inspector. If you’re approached in this way, ask for the person’s credentials and call the agency represented or the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) at 703-558-2222.
- Watch out for bait-and-switch sales tactics. This is when a merchant advertises a product at a certain price or as possessing certain qualities, but when you attempt to buy it, you’re switched to a higher-priced or off-brand product.
- Fight the temptation of referral selling. This scheme offers you the chance to make quick money by supplying your friends and relatives’ names as prospective customers.
- Carefully investigate “free” or “bargain” offers. There is often a hidden trick or condition attached to the offer, which may result in you paying much more.
- Don’t be rushed into signing any papers. Carefully read, examine and understand all conditions of any contract or agreements. Never sign a blank contract or a contract with blank spaces.
- Don’t rely on verbal representations. Be sure that such promises can be found in the terms and conditions.
- Ask questions. Know exactly what you’re buying and find out what the product or service will cost.
- Know with whom you are dealing. Beware of the fly-by-night operator or the company without a local address. It’s safer to deal with a local merchant you know.
- Don’t hesitate to shop around. You may find a better price for the same product elsewhere.
- When signing a contract, agree to the printed terms in the contract, not to verbal representations.
- Always keep a copy of what you sign.
- Have all the blanks in the contract filled in before you sign it.
- Understand the contract before you sign it. Generally, there is no “buyer’s right to cancel” clause in contracts signed at a company’s place of business.
- Be suspicious of anyone who won’t let you take a copy of a proposed contract or agreement to someone you trust before you sign. Call the Consumer Protection Hotline – Handled by the Office of the Attorney General, VA toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042 for suggestions.
- Don’t accept the seller’s word that any part of a contract doesn’t apply to you (unless that part is crossed out on all copies and initials) or that something not listed will be done unless it is written in before you sign.
Visit GoFundMe for guidelines and questions you can use to determine a campaign’s legitimacy.
“The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies to form a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud.” Contact the Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters. SBA disaster loans can be used to repair or replace the following items damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster: real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, and inventory and business assets.
- Price gouging: “One enterprising man made a huge profit selling 35 generators on a street corner after Hurricane Wilma struck Florida in October of 2005. A lawsuit alleges that David Medina bought two sizes of generators at a Costco store in North Carolina for $529.99 and $279.99. Medina then resold them in Miami for $900 and $600, respectively, before investigators intervened. “
- Contractor and vendor fraud: “A typical example involved an ex-pastor from Port Charlotte, Fla., Jackie Ruff, who was accused of collecting deposits but failed to complete repairs on 43 homes damaged by Hurricane Charley in 2004. He was arrested in Montana.”
- Impersonating aid workers: “Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, two culprits – masquerading as Salvation Army workers – conned more than 2,500 police officers, firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, and FBI agents into disclosing personal information. The two, Scott Benson of Green Bay, Wis., and Chris Armstrong of Orlando, Fla., were charged with false impersonation and conspiracy to commit identity theft.” More information at Fraud Magazine
- Robocalls lying about flood insurance (via Federal Trade Commission)
- Materials to review:
- Always get multiple quotes/proposals/estimates
- Ensure the contractor is licensed in Virginia by searching the DPOR database
- Review the company’s profile through online sources:
- All quotes/proposals/estimates should be in writing
- Quotes/proposals/estimates are not a contract. Ask specifically for a contract document, which both parties must sign. They cannot perform any work until you authorize it.
- Do not give any “OK to proceed” verbally, or without reviewing the full scope of work and the terms and conditions. Be clear with the contractor that they are not to proceed with the work until you have both signed a written agreement.
- Remember: you are in control. They work for you, not the other way around
- Be suspect of any General Contractors who claim they have flood experience without performing some routine reference and background searches on their work. For property owners dealing with contractors after flood damage, they should ask for references and any certifications which signal they have the necessary and specific expertise. For instance, if you decide to have work performed in an attempt to prevent and mitigate future high water, ensure that contractors are employing standards for floodproofing according to standards such as those set by FEMA guidelines. Remediation work following water damage should be done by contractors with certifications and/or following standards from organizations such as the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC); or the Restoration Industry Association (RIA).
- Before signing anything:
- Don’t give them any money
- What happens if there are changes are necessary — what costs will you incur? Make sure this is stated in writing or highlighted for you in the documents you sign.
- What warranties are provided? Have these included in the contract.
- What subcontractors they will be using, if any?
- Ensure specificity with work deliverables, dates, timeliness, clean-up, storage costs. Consider stipulations for payment only upon satisfactory delivery of certain elements of the work.
- Get a copy of their insurance certificate or other proof of insurance (make sure it is active for the dates you anticipate the work occurring). Ask them if this insurance covers subcontractors; if it does not, ask for their insurance information.
- What permits they will be pulling from the County? Make sure this is stipulated in the contract that all work will be performed according to applicable local, state and federal regulation.
- If the work requires a professional engineer, you can ask for proof of license information.
- After signing and work begins:
- Be present – you (or someone you trust) needs to verify work is being completed
- Get copies of everything, including permit applications and approved plans/permits/drawings, etc.
- Only pay for work that has been completed.