A Bay Area woman says she spent thousands installing new flooring, but months later some of the flooring popped up.
She remembered the contractor saying he didn’t need a license for flooring.
But now she has questions.
“Kitchen, dining room, front living room,” says Kathy Butler, a homeowner in Hillsborough County.
Looking to update her home, Butler says she was excited when she found the money to put new floors throughout her house.
“The flooring cost me $600, $700,” says Butler.
But for installation, she paid a guy close to $7,000.
Money she thought was well spent. At first.
“About 9 months later, I noticed a lift,” she says. “This floor should last 10-15 years, easy."
She says when she contacted the contractor, he blamed it on her materials.
Not knowing what to do, she started researching.
“He said he didn’t need a license,” says Butler.
And he’s right. In the state of Florida, people who install flooring don’t have to be licensed. But here’s where it gets tricky: some counties have different rules than the state and it all depends on the materials.
Most counties require licenses for those putting down tile. If it’s wood, some counties also require a license.
But when it comes to laminate there is usually no license required
Butler says from now on when she hires someone, she’s going to go above and beyond with her research, making sure the person she is paying is credible and has good reviews.
10Investigates spoke with the man Butler hired to install the floors and although he swears it wasn’t his work causing the floor to lift, he wants to make every client happy and plans to fix it at no cost.
To check If the contractor you hire needs a license with the state visit: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/businesses-and-professions/. That site also allows you to verify your contractor’s license.
To check if your contractor needs a license in the county they are working, visit https://www.bbb.org/west-florida/licensing/business-toolkit/county-contractor-licensing/
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