Fraudsters claiming to be legitimate contractors have been knocking on doors soliciting paving work around the state, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), law enforcement, and the Better Business Bureau. These scammers are notorious for doing shoddy or incomplete work, overcharging customers by thousands of dollars, and then disappearing when the customer tries to follow up.

In recent weeks, paving scams have been reported in King, Pierce, Skagit, Clark, Snohomish, and Grant counties. Some consumers have been swindled out of thousands of dollars.

Many of the door-to-door pavers are not registered with L&I, which verifies registered contractors have liability insurance and a bond, and meet other requirements. Unregistered contractors leave consumers with little financial recourse if there are problems.

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“We get reports every spring and summer from consumers who fall victim to these fast-talking con artists,” said Steve Reinmuth, assistant director for L&I’s Field Services and Public Safety division. “They often travel from state to state, preying upon property owners of any age or income, but especially the elderly.

“Homeowners need to close the door or hang up the phone when these con artists show up to take their money.”

How the scam works
Typically, a stranger claiming to be a legitimate paving contractor knocks on doors in a neighborhood, saying he has asphalt left over from another job. He offers a bargain price to pave or seal the homeowner’s driveway.

When the contractor says the job is finished, however, the bill is thousands of dollars higher than the initial quote. Victims may later discover the paving was poorly done with cheap materials but can no longer reach the contractor.

Similar schemes promote roof replacement, chimney repairs and other home improvement jobs.

Unregistered contractor paves lot without permission, demands over $19,000
The scenario played out in a Spokane case that L&I investigated. According to the L&I report, contractor Bill Stanley walked into a restaurant in Spokane and offered to use leftover material to pave the parking lot.

The restaurant owner said she’d need a quote first, not knowing that the crew from Done Right Paving LLC, of Seattle, had already begun paving the lot, the report said. A half-hour later, Stanley gave her a hand-written invoice for $19,370 and demanded to be paid in cash. Feeling pressured, she gave him $3,000, which was all the cash she had on hand, the report said.

When an L&I inspector arrived, Stanley provided his name then took off with the company trucks and heavy equipment, which all had Montana license plates.

As a result of the incident, Done Right Paving LLC got a $1,200 fine for unregistered contracting. The fine had not been paid and the company was not registered as of Aug. 26.

Verify contractor registration at ProtectMyHome.net
Homeowners who need home repairs should look for contractors themselves, instead of hiring someone who shows up uninvited at their door.

Consumers also should:

• Get three written bids.
• Only hire contractors registered with L&I.
• Report fraudulent contractors at Lni.wa.gov/ReportAContractor or call our fraud hotline at 1-888-811-5974.

Homeowners can verify contractor registration and get more tips at ProtectMyHome.net.