Before you say yes: check the quote for red flags
Some features of a quote are officially listed warning signs, and some are just how the trade works. Describe the quote you were given and see what the Federal Trade Commission actually says about each part, with the source, verified 2026-07-17. It checks the quote, not the business: that check comes after, by name.
Describe the quote in your hand
Answer what applies. Each answer is read against what the Federal Trade Commission actually says, with the source. Skip anything you are unsure about.
Answer any question to see what the official guidance says about it.
Then check the business itself
A clean quote from the wrong business is still the wrong business. Check the business by name on the public evidence, line your quotes up side by side, or see the exact deposit rules where you are. Or browse contractors with public evidence.
Common questions
Is a big deposit a red flag?
At 50 percent up front, the ask is above the legal down payment cap in every state where we hold a cited cap (California and Nevada cap at 1,000 dollars or 10 percent whichever is less, with Nevada's bond exemption; Maryland caps at one third). The FTC's national guidance says not to pay the full amount up front and notes some states limit the down payment. Check your state's rule before anything moves.
The contractor knocked on my door. What are my rights?
A contractor who knocks on your door because they are 'in the area' or have 'materials left over from a previous job' is using the exact openers the FTC lists in its home improvement scam signs. For sales made at your home, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives you 3 business days to cancel. The exclusions matter: it does not cover sales you initiated by asking the contractor to visit for repairs or maintenance, sales needed to meet an emergency, or sales under 25 dollars at home. Where it applies, the seller must tell you about the right and give you two copies of a cancellation form.
They only take cash. Is that a problem?
Asking you to pay for everything up front or only accepting cash is on the FTC's list of home improvement scam signs.
Is a discount for cash a red flag?
A discount for paying cash is not on the FTC's list. The listed sign is a contractor who only accepts cash or wants everything up front.
This is guidance from the public rules and official consumer guidance, not legal advice. It describes the features of a quote as you entered them; it says nothing about any named business. Rules change and cooling off rights carry exclusions, so check the cited official page before you rely on any single rule.
More ways to check who to trust
Free, independent checks. No ads, no paid placement.
- Cowboy Checker
Spot the warning signs of a dishonest business before you hire.
- Compare Quotes
Enter the names from your quotes and line them up on the public evidence.
- Company Health Check
Check whether the company behind a business is active, dissolved, or in liquidation.
- Certifications
The certifications, licenses and registrations we have found in public sources, and what each one means.
- Contractor Deposit Rules
The legal down payment limit and license rules in your state, before any money moves.
- Rating Reality Check
Where a rating and review count really sit against the market's full distribution.
- Check Before You Hire
The official registers that cover each trade here, with the public entries we have found for each.
- License Check
A license number from a van or quote, checked against every public register included here in one search.
- Emergency: Who to Call
Gas smell, power cut, burst pipe: the official number to call first, from the official pages.