Making the decision to undertake a home improvement project is always a major decision. One of the more difficult tasks in the process is choosing a contractor to perform the work on your home. Trust is a primary component in making a selection of a contractor. Knowing who will be in and around your home is important to provide a certain level of piece of mind.

Recently, I needed roof work to be done on my home. I contacted a contractor I had worked with on a previous project, who had indicated he performed such work. I respected the quality of his work and had developed a good working relationship with his company. After signing a contract, the day arrived for work to begin. To my dismay, the gentleman performing the roofing project was not the man I had signed the contract with. My original contractor had subcontracted the project to another roofer. The new roof was completed and the work was done well, but I still felt defrauded.

With this experience in mind, I introduced legislation at the beginning of the 2002 Legislative Session to address my experience and provide other consumers with an increased level of disclosure in the home improvement process. My legislation, Senate Bill 6072, would require a notice to the owner purchasing the home improvement contract that the contractor who performs on the contract will provide written notice and disclose to the owner the name, address, telephone number and license number of any and all subcontractors that will be performing any work relating to the home improvement project.

Currently, homeowners are entitled to have their primary contractor's name, address, telephone number and license number. Homeowners should receive the same information about any subcontractors performing work on their home. With this background information, a homeowner can take the steps to verify the credibility of any and all subcontractors being used on the project. Home improvement contracts are personal in nature. The sharing of information between the homeowner and contractor will improve their working relationship and establish an increased level of confidence and trust.

Failure to provide a homeowner with this basic form of disclosure can signal a level of suspicion, misrepresentation and misinformation that can lead to unnecessary confusion and disagreements between a homeowner and their contractor. My legislation is a simple, common sense solution to an unnecessary problem.

As the 2002 Session unfolds, I look forward to working toward the passage of this bill and its eventual signature into law. If you are in support of this bill, let me know by contacting me at: 250 Townsend Square, Oyster Bay, New York 11771, 516-922-1811; in Suffolk County at 251 Main Street, Huntington, New York 11743, 631-549-0729 or e-mail me at marcelli@senate.state.ny.us. I want to hear from you.