Dear Editor:

I’m tired of reading about people being ripped off by contractors for home repairs and such so I would like to give them some pointers. First of all there are no laws in Wyoming that require contractors to pass a test to prove that they know what they are claiming to know. This is helpful and helps keep costs down, but gives the consumer no protection whatsoever.

Never give a contractor a down payment, make sure you have a detailed contract that describes the work to be performed and the materials that are going to be used to perform this work. Get references, the more the better and check them out. Most people are honest but there are those who are not so look out for yourselves. 

Mark Mackey

Byron