How to Avoid Hiring a Home Paving Scammer

Guest Blogger #900, Entry #2110, March 15, 2013

Are you in the process of having your home’s driveway or walkway paved? Ensure your outdoor home is paved by a reputable contractor. My guest blogger gives tips to avoid common scams that homeowners are falling victim too.

How to Spot Paving Scams

In December 2011, the American commercial broadcasting television network, National Broadcasting Company (NBC) issued a worldwide warning about paving scams popping up all over the Richmond area. According to the news report, the scam usually begins when an amiable looking fellow going by the name George Stanley dressed up like a maintenance supervisor shows up at your front step. After the introductions, Stanley would then claim that he has left over material from a neighbouring construction site and would then offer to pave your private lanes at an affordable price.

Pave your driveway with reputable contractors

Image via: Katia Goffin – Principal Designer

The Left Over Material Scam

Once the buyer thanks his or her good luck, the transaction is sealed in cash and Stanley along with several other crew members get down to work. Sadly, the driveway would only be partially paved before Stanley and his crew abruptly gives up and drives away, which will then force the home owner to have the job completed by professional contractors.

Predictably, this type of scam usually occurs near construction sites as it lends an air of believability to Stanley’s story of having excess asphalt. These scam artists are also betting on the fact that they would look just like any other hardworking construction workers hanging around said construction site as well, which would further help authenticate their story.

Ironically, most of us tend to overlook the fact that any decent contractor would know better than to end up with enough asphalt in the back of his truck to repave the entire perimeter of a house.  The truth is that all professional asphalt contractors would know exactly how much paving material is needed to complete any project with great accuracy. This means that no self respecting asphalt contractor would have a dramatic leftover amount of material.

The Fake Pavement Scam

To further win over their victims, some scammers daringly invite their victims to watch the workers pave the road. Some will even offer a lifetime guarantee for the work done and brag about the premium materials used. The one big snag is that not all of us truly understand what correct paving methods look like and we are most certainly ill equipped to recognize poor quality asphalt used.

Hence, most home owners would only realize that they have been scammed once they notice weeds growing out through the newly paved asphalt road or when they find that half of the freshly paved asphalt has been washed away during rainfall. By then, the culprits have long ago driven away with your money, and there isn’t much you can do about the situation except to call for legitimate professional asphalt contractors to salvage the condition of your damaged pavement.

Ensure your home is paved correctly

Image via: Highland Group

Paving Scam Signs

Reputable asphalt contractors hardly ever sell their product from door-to-door, so the next time a well-dressed salesman shows up at your door with a great limited time offer on household pavement, gently turn down the offer and make it a point to double check the company’s credentials before taking up the promotion. After all, a great deal should still be there tomorrow morning after you’ve completed your background checks and have found solid testimonials about the company.

Of course, this would mean that any salesperson who aggressively pushes you into agreeing to take up their pavement offer should be gently chauffeured out of your living room as the truth is, hiring someone on the spot is a mistake that no home owner can bear to take on. Always check and double check all promises and promotions offered and get everything written down officially in black and white to protect yourself and avoid any future “misunderstandings”, as the scam artist would later claim the situation to be. If said salesperson declines putting anything down in handwriting, it is also another sign that he or she is planning to flake away from the promise anyway, in which case you should unceremoniously cut off the conversation and lock your doors to save time and further headache.

Most reputable asphalt pavement contractors are professional enough to also accept checks and/or credit cards, so be extra cautious if someone who has passed all security checks still insists on cash terms. A contractor who shows up with a truckload of asphalt and hardy looking workers also should not be a clear indication that they are competent enough to work your pavement. You should be especially cautious if the truck being driven is unmarked or is registered to an out-of-town address and phone number as this makes it challenging for the authorities to later track down these culprits.

Find out who is paving your outdoor home before you sign on the dotted line

Image via: Linda Oyama Bryan

How to Avoid Scams

The best way to avoid paving scams is to do your homework and get several quotes from legitimate paving services. To be doubly sure, you can always double check a contractor’s license at the Department of Professional Occupational Regulation’s website. All asphalt paving companies are also required to have a transient merchant’s license issued by the Attorney General’s office which protects the consumer by requiring the company to repave work with bad workmanship.

When in doubt, it is always best to be doubly sure, as there have been comments that the reason why scammers like George Stanley get away with their scheme is simply because his name is familiar enough to make people assume that they are talking to a widely known contractor.

When it comes to paving your road, speed, secrecy and selectivity are sure signs of a paving scam. Another good rule of thumb would be to always practise scepticism whenever a salesman or contractor shows up at your front door with a good deal, as chances are if it’s too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true at all in the first place. You should also avoid signing contracts on the spot and should get at least three bids before hiring a contractor to pave your road. At the same time, you should also probably get everything down in black and white to further protect yourself in the event that things go awry.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.