Although the Department of Labor and Industry licenses and regulates residential building contractors, remodelers, roofers and manufactured home installers, our authority is limited to initiating administrative disciplinary action against a contractor's license if they have engaged in a violation of law.
The department has no authority to:
 | compel a contractor to perform corrective work or pay damages; or
| impose the settlement of contractual or other civil disputes. | |
These remedies are the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts or the arbitration process.
If your complaint involves workmanship problems
| The department will not be able to open a formal investigation unless the
contractor has been cited by a local building code enforcement official for
a violation of the state building code.
| In areas where the state building code has not been adopted, a consumer
must obtain a report from a Minnesota-licensed structural engineer
certifying that a construction defect constitutes a violation of the state
building code before the department can initiate an investigation. | |
Minnesota law requires builders and remodelers to warrant their work for varying lengths of time depending on the type of defect involved. However, this "statutory warranty" is not interpreted or enforced by any agency of government. It is essentially a tool for homeowners to use in a civil action against their contract to recover the cost of repairing a covered defect. If a homeowner pursues a civil action against a licensed contractor and obtains a judgment based on the contractor's failure of performance (which would include a breach of the statutory warranty); fraudulent, deceptive or dishonest practices; or conversion of funds, they would be eligible to file a claim for compensation through the Contractor's Recovery Fund. This fund is administered by the Department of Labor and Industry as the primary consumer protection component of the contractor licensing program.
If you have a complaint
Complaints must be submitted in writing before an investigation can begin.
Use the form below to help you get started. Be sure to provide the details of
the dispute and include as many facts as possible, as well as what you would
like the contractor to do to resolve your complaint.
| Include a daytime phone number and your mailing address on the form.
| Attach copies of any documents to support your complaint, such as
contracts or purchase agreements, canceled checks, correspondence, municipal
correction notices, mechanic's lien statements, etc., to the form. | |
The department will send a copy of your complaint to the contractor, so do not include statements or other information you do not want the contractor to see.
Mail written complaints to:
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
Residential Building Contractors
443 Lafayette Road N.
St. Paul, MN 55155
You may also file a complaint by:
| e-mailing the division at dli.contractor@state.mn.us;
or
| calling the Department of Labor and Industry at (651) 284-5065 or
1-800-342-5354. | |
In the e-mail message or telephone call, state which type of licensed service you wish to file a complaint about and your inquiry will be directed to an investigator who handles cases in that industry. The investigator will usually be able to tell you if your complaint is something they are able to investigate. The investigators cannot provide legal advice. Complaints must be submitted in writing before an investigation can begin.
Form:
| Building Contractors Consumer Complaint |