Illinois has an entire set of laws designed to protect homeowners when negotiating home improvement and repair work, and to decrease disputes with contractors and workers. Under the Home Repair and Remodeling Act, those in the business of home repair and remodeling are required to first give customers a copy of the “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights” brochure, 815 ILCS § 513/20, which can be found online with a quick search. When the agreed upon work will cost over $1,000, the brochure must be provided before any contract is signed. Id. The brochure goes over the fundamental rights of homeowners when dealing with contractors, including what any home improvement contract should have in it. Id. This brochure is critical and should be given as soon as possible.

The Act also requires those who do home improvement work to provide homeowners with a written contract before beginning any work on the home, when the work will cost homeowners over $1,000. 815 ILCS § 513/15. The contract must detail the total cost of the work, the materials and parts for the project, any charges for estimates, and contact information for the person or company doing the work. Id. Those who do home repair and remodeling must also let homeowners know, before a contract is accepted and signed, if the contract requires arbitration to settle any dispute or waives the right to a jury trial. 815 ILCS § 513/15.1.

When a person is damaged by a violation of the above provisions or any others of the Act, they can sue a contractor or worker themselves. 815 ILCS § 513/30. Alternatively, they can have the Illinois Attorney General or the State’s Attorney in any county pursue the violator. 815 ILCS § 513/35.

All in all, contractors are required to keep homeowners informed before beginning any home improvement or repair work. Let these requirements known by Illinois workers and homeowners alike!