More recession-hit handymen are hiring themselves out, but many are unaware that they need to be licensed to work.
As handymen increasingly hire themselves out to make ends meet, the ease of doing so makes many of them unaware of a law that requires contractors to be licensed.
But the state is cracking down on unlicensed contractors and has issued a record number of penalties.
But the crackdown was not inspired by state regulators alone. Licensed handymen and contractors — upset about the chance of losing business to lower priced, unlicensed competitors — alert the Construction Contractors Board when they see ads that fail to list a state contractors license number, which indicates they may be from an unlicensed handyman.
“They are taking work away from me,” said Eugene handyman Joe Coelho. “And they want customers to pay cash, so they are not paying any taxes to help out the state or the city.”
Read the full story at The Register-Guard.
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