KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff, NE News,Weather, SportsWyoming Bill Targets Roofing Contractor Practices

Wyoming Bill Targets Roofing Contractor Practices

Last July's hail storm wrecked havoc on homes throughout Cheyenne. It attracted contractors from around the region and many homeowners felt they didn't end up getting what they paid for.

Representative Pete Illoway of Cheyenne says the bill was brought to him by a couple Cheyenne insurance companies.

It's a bill that's already been passed in various states throughout the Midwest to try and protect consumers from roofing contractor's that are just looking for a payday.

July 2011 through this past January saw the City of Cheyenne issue over 4,700 roofing permits and the complaints have poured in as well.

"Typically we have a lot of licensing board meetings where there are no complaints. Now we're scheduling complaints two or three months out because we have so many complaints," said Bruce Wilson, Cheyenne's Chief Building Official.

17 complaints have already been heard and have resulted in some licenses being revoked.

"As a result of those hearings they have revoked two roofing companies licenses," Wilson said.

The companies were both out of state, from Colorado and Missouri.

Representative Illoway is sponsoring House Bill 45 that would require full written disclosure by roofing contractors of the work they will perform. He says he's experienced first hand roofing companies trying to get his business.

"I've had phone calls saying, 'I would like to come out and take a look at your roof.' Wait a minute, I'll get an insurance company to come out and take a look at my roof," Illoway said.

Illoway says they shouldn't be doing that. His bill would make it illegal for a contractor to advertise or promise to pay a rebate or portion of an insurance deductible to try to induce sale of their service.

"That's not what they're supposed to be doing. They're supposed to be doing a job and getting paid by the insurance company or by the homeowner and being done with it," Illoway said.

The bill's goal is to prevent questionable tactics by a contractor. Wilson says the complaints they get are from people who appear to be very confused with what contractors are telling them.

"If there's some sort of full disclosure I would think it would have to help," Wilson said.

The bill is co-sponsored by a number of other Laramie County representatives. It will require a two-thirds majority vote to be considered in the state legislature's budget session that opens Monday.