Guide
Hiring a siding contractor in Ohio
Ohio doesn't license residential contractors at the state level. Its Department of Commerce says local building departments may set their own verification or licensing requirements (Ohio Commerce). So the checks that matter happen at city hall and at your kitchen table.
State level
What the state does and doesn't license
The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, part of the Department of Commerce, licenses commercial contractors in five trades: electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration. Siding is not one of them (Ohio Commerce).
For problems with a residential contractor, the Department directs Ohioans to the Ohio Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section on 1-800-282-0515 and to their local building department.
Locally
Registration happens city by city
Parma
All contractors must be registered with the Building Department before doing any work (city page).
Parma Heights
Contractors must register before permits can be issued (city page).
Middleburg Heights
Registration for the current calendar year, with bond, insurance and workers' compensation (city page).
Seven Hills, Broadview Heights
Both require contractors to be registered, bonded and insured with the city. See the town pages.
State advice
Ohio Commerce's checklist, adapted for siding
- Ask your city's building department to confirm the contractor is registered and whether the job needs a permit
- Ask for proof of insurance and check with the insurer that the policy is active
- Check references from earlier jobs like yours
- Read the written contract before work begins: the work, the timeline and the payment terms
- Be wary of pressure to sign quickly, a large or full down payment up front, or a refusal to pull permits
Door-to-door sales
The three-day cooling-off rule
If you sign for siding at your own home, for example after a salesperson knocks on the door, the Federal Trade Commission's Cooling-Off Rule gives you until midnight of the third business day after the sale to cancel for a full refund. Saturday counts as a business day; Sundays and federal holidays don't (FTC).
The seller must tell you about this right at the time of sale and give you a copy of the contract and two copies of a cancellation form. To cancel, sign and date one copy and mail it to the address given; the FTC suggests certified mail. The seller then has 10 days to refund all of your money.
Ready to talk?
Call and ask these questions directly
One call connects you with an independent siding contractor serving Parma, Parma Heights, Seven Hills, Middleburg Heights, Broadview Heights and North Royalton. Describe the house and the problem, and arrange a visit if it makes sense to you.
Cracked panels, a wall that leaks, or siding past its years? Talk it through with a local contractor.
Your call goes to an independent siding contractor that works in Parma and the neighboring cities. Repairs are as welcome as full re-siding jobs.
Call (440) 372-9008Calls may be recorded. See the referral disclosure and privacy policy.