Filing a Complaint Against a Contractor in Georgia

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office licenses residential and general contractors and reviews complaints against them through the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors. This article explains who the board regulates, what a complaint can and cannot accomplish, the information required to file, and how the office handles a complaint once it arrives. It is one of the procedures covered in Georgia’s consumer protection laws and the Fair Business Practices Act.

What the licensing board can and cannot do

The board’s authority runs to the contractor’s license, not to the money in dispute. It can discipline a license holder when it finds a violation of the laws and rules governing the practice, but it does not set fees or settle billing and business disputes, according to the Secretary of State’s licensing complaint guidance.

Georgia issues three main classifications under this chapter: residential-basic contractor, residential-light commercial contractor, and commercial general contractor, each defined in O.C.G.A. § 43-41-6. A complaint reaches the board only when it concerns a person or business that holds one of these licenses or has applied for one.

When the board finds a violation, O.C.G.A. § 43-41-16 lets it place the licensee on probation, issue a reprimand, suspend the license for up to one year, revoke it, or deny renewal. The same statute authorizes an administrative fine of up to $5,000 for each violation and, in some cases, an order requiring financial restitution to a consumer for harm tied directly to a violation.

Confirm the contractor is licensed and gather records

A complaint against a licensed contractor must include the contractor’s name and, when available, the license number. If the number is unknown, the Secretary of State’s public license search can locate it. The board reserves the right not to process anonymous complaints, so the complaint also carries the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and email address, along with a detailed description of the alleged violation.

Supporting documents make the difference in an investigation. The licensing complaint guidance lists examples that help substantiate a claim: the written contract, proposals, invoices, cancelled checks, billing statements, and correspondence with the contractor. Photographs of defective work, inspection reports, and permit records also carry weight when the issue is workmanship or code compliance.

How to file the complaint online

Complaints are submitted in writing through the Secretary of State’s online system. The GOALS complaint portal walks a complainant through identifying the licensee, describing the conduct, and attaching documents.

1. Identify the license holder

   Select whether the complaint targets an individual or a business, then search for the license by profession type and name or license number. The portal ties the complaint to a specific license record so it reaches the correct division of the board.

2. Describe the violation in detail

   State what happened, when, and how it violates the contracting laws or board rules. Specific dates, amounts, and a factual sequence are more useful than general dissatisfaction. Keep the account to verifiable facts.

3. Attach supporting documents

   Upload the contract, invoices, proof of payment, photographs, and any correspondence. Documentation is what allows an investigator to substantiate the complaint.

4. Submit and keep a copy

   Submit the complaint through GOALS and retain a copy of everything filed. The board sends an acknowledgment on receipt.

Complaints about certain trades go elsewhere. The portal notes that specialty contractors, well-water contractors, and several other professions are handled by different agencies, so a complaint filed against the wrong board is redirected or closed for lack of jurisdiction.

What conduct the board can act on

The grounds for discipline are set out in O.C.G.A. § 43-41-16. They include obtaining a license by fraud, committing fraud or deceit in the practice of contracting, and gross negligence or repeated negligence, including negligence that creates a significant danger to life or property.

Abandonment is a recurring complaint. Under the statute, a project may be presumed abandoned after 90 days if the contractor has stopped work without just cause and without proper notice to the owner. Other listed grounds include proceeding on a job without required local building permits and inspections, assisting unlicensed practice, using an expired or revoked license, and failing to satisfy a final civil judgment related to the contractor’s work within a reasonable time.

Conduct that falls outside these grounds, such as a slow response or a personality conflict, will not usually support discipline even when the frustration is real. The board also treats unlicensed practice differently: it may pursue a cease-and-desist order or refer the matter for criminal prosecution, but it has limited authority over a person who never held and never applied for a license.

What happens after you file

The board acknowledges the complaint and refers it to investigations when appropriate. A referral does not by itself mean a violation occurred, and the complainant may or may not be contacted by an investigator, as the complaint guidance explains.

Investigations are confidential by law. Under O.C.G.A. § 43-41-5, investigative records are reported solely to the board and are not open to the public or subject to subpoena, though the board may share them with another enforcement agency or licensing authority. The office cannot provide status updates by phone beyond whether a matter is open or closed.

A matter can close in several ways: no violation found, a private letter of concern, a private consent order, or a public consent order that appears on the licensee’s public record. The disciplinary process is deliberate and can take months to complete.

Getting your money back: other routes

Board discipline can penalize a contractor’s license, but it rarely returns a homeowner’s money. Recovering payment usually runs through separate channels, and filing a licensing complaint does not start any of them.

Small money disputes often go to magistrate court, Georgia’s small claims forum, which under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2 hears civil claims up to $15,000. For deceptive or unfair practices, the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division accepts complaints online or by phone at (404) 651-8600; its consumer complaint process is a mediation-style route rather than a court. A broader overview of the agencies involved is set out in how to report a contractor in Georgia, and the deceptive-practices path is covered in filing a Georgia consumer protection complaint.

Two other remedies apply in specific situations. If a licensed contractor carries a license bond, a claim against the Georgia contractor license bond can produce a limited recovery. And when the dispute involves unpaid subcontractors or suppliers clouding a property’s title, the rules on the Georgia mechanics lien govern how the lien is filed or removed.