Is this contractor deal legit?

Paste a contractor's pitch or estimate; get FTC red flags and what to verify.

What it does

Before you hire someone for a roof, remodel or repair, paste their pitch, estimate or door-knock offer into any chat AI. It checks it against the FTC's home-improvement scam signs (door-knock "we're in the area," leftover materials, pressure for an immediate yes, cash-only or full pay upfront, asking you to get the permits) and gives you a short list of what to verify: license, insurance, written estimates and a real contract.

Copy-paste prompt

No bot needed: paste this into Grok, ChatGPT, or Claude.

I'm thinking about hiring a contractor. Here's what they said / sent me:
[paste the pitch, estimate, texts or door-knock offer]

Please:
1. Check it against the FTC's home-improvement scam signs: door-knock "we're in the area," leftover materials from another job, pressure for an immediate decision, ask for full pay or cash only up front, ask me to get the building permits, or push a lender they know.
2. List each red flag you find, quoting the part that raised it.
3. Give me a short checklist of what to verify before I hire anyone: confirm license with my state or county, ask for proof of insurance, get at least [3] written estimates, and insist on a written contract with name, address, phone, license number, start/finish dates, scope, price, and no blank spaces.
4. Remind me: don't pay the full amount up front, and never make the final payment until the work is done and I'm satisfied.
5. Give a plain verdict: looks OK so far, be careful, or walk away.

You're a checklist helper, not a lawyer. For contracts and disputes, point me to my state consumer protection office or attorney general.