Georgia Construction and Licensing Law for Residential Contractors, Specialty Contractors and Home Owners

Sponsored by the Law Office of Kevin M. Veler -- Georgia's Construction Legal Advisor.

Home
Licensing Information
Construction Contracts
Warranties / Standards
About Us
Contact Us
Site Map
Construction Links
Construction Blog
Contractor Complaints
Lead Renovation
Please review other sections under Construction for Consumers in addition to this page.  This page also is not a comprehesive answer.
 
Have a legitimate complaint against a bad contractor?  Consumers with complaints against a contractor may want to consider filing complaints with a number of state agencies.  But be aware a consumer complaint may not protect your legal rights, lead to a recovery or judgment or result in appropriate repairs or monetary damages.  Complaints may result in a criminal or civil investigation which may result in some state or other action against a contractor that may range from a dismissal of your complaint without action, a slap on the wrist, a voluntary cease and desist order or criminal or civil fines and jail.  Having legal counsel work with you to file your complaint may be critical to your success and achieving your objectives.  Contact me if you want to discuss legal assistance.   
 
Be cautious about the accuracy and truth of any claims and statements you make.  The last thing you want to do is make a claim or statement that may be defamatory and result in a costly legal action.  Even if you believe your claim or statement to be true, the cost to defend in a legal action could be in the thousands of dollars if not more. 
 
This page under construction
Information from the State Residential and General Contractor Licensing Board on the Complaint Process.  This information may be used to file a complaint against a state licensed contractor or a contractor who should, but does not, have a state required license. 
 

Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors

Complaints Process Information:

The Georgia General Assembly created the Georgia State Licensing Board for General and Residential Contractors to regulate the licensing and practice of residential and general contracting. The responsibility of administering the laws in O.C.G.A. § 43-41 is given to the Board, whose members are appointed by the Governor. The Board determines if applicants meet licensure requirements, promulgates rules, and considers complaints against licensees and allegations of unlicensed practice. The process for disposing of complaints is as follows:

 

Complaint Form:

Complaints must be reported to and received by the Board in writing. Written complaints may be submitted to the Board office or on-line at http://sos.georgia.gov/myverification/submitcomplaint.aspx. Documents received in connection with a complaint will not be returned. The complaint must contain sufficient factual evidence indicating a clear violation of Georgia law or Board rules.

 

Investigations:

The Board gives serious consideration to all complaints. Further investigative action may be taken. Should you file a complaint, you may be contacted by a Board inspector or investigator for additional information. Investigative files are considered confidential for any purpose other than a hearing before the Board. However, the Board is authorized to release such records to another enforcement agency or lawful licensing authority.

 

Notification Process:

While the investigation is ongoing, the Board is unable to discuss the status of a complaint with anyone, including the complainant. When the Board has completed the case, the complainant will be notified in writing of the Board’s actions. All public disciplinary actions will be reflected in the Board minutes which may be found on the Board’s website.

Other Places to Consider:  Under Construction

 

Other state professional licensing boards: 

Your state legislators:

The Governors Office:

Better Busness Bureau

Angies List - Be wary.  This website and other similar sites may increase your risk of a defamation or other action.  Even if you do not use defamatory language, you may have to defend yourself and that can be costly.