The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office recently received several reports of contractor fraud targeting older adults.

Some of the victims purchased dual-pane windows for their homes after being contacted by telephone salesmen, according to a news release. In one instance, a visually impaired West Sacramento woman paid more than $18,000 to have a new roof installed.

In the latter case, an alert West Sacramento code-enforcement officer discovered that the roofing subcontractor failed to obtain the proper permit from the city building department. A complaint has been filed with the Contractors State License Bureau.

Contractor fraud continues to be a problem in Yolo County, the District Attorney’s Office says. Being prepared and doing some homework can prevent many problems. Homeowners should follow these guidelines when hiring someone to work on their home:

* Be wary of contractors contacting you door-to-door or by telephone.

* Take the time to thoroughly check out contractors before hiring one.

* Get three written bids and call to check references.Never pay by cash.

* Check the contractor’s license number and workers compensation insurance with the Contractors State License Bureau at (800) 321-2752 or www.cslb.ca.gov.

Code requirements vary, so always check with your local building department to find out and verify what permits are needed for the job you are considering. The building departments in Yolo County can be reached as follows:

* City of Davis Community Development Department: (530) 757-5610
* City of Woodland Building Division: (530) 661-5820
* City of Winters Community Development Department: (530) 795-4910
* City of West Sacramento Building Department: (916) 617-4645
* Yolo County Planning and Public Works: (530) 666-8775

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