ILCS » Chapter 815 · Act 513
Illinois Compiled Statutes

815 ILCS 513/20 (2026)

Consumer rights brochure

✓ current as of May 2026
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(815 ILCS 513/20)
    Sec. 20. Consumer rights brochure.
    (a) For any contract over $1,000, any person engaging in the business of home repair and remodeling shall provide to its customers a copy of the "Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights" pamphlet prior to the execution of any home repair and remodeling contract. The consumer shall sign and date an acknowledgment form entitled "Consumer Rights Acknowledgment Form" that states: "I, the homeowner, have received from the contractor a copy of the pamphlet entitled 'Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights.'" The contractor or his or her representative shall also sign and date the acknowledgment form, which includes the name and address of the home repair and remodeling business. The acknowledgment form shall be in duplicate and incorporated into the pamphlet. The original acknowledgment form shall be retained by the contractor and the duplicate copy shall be retained within the pamphlet by the consumer.
    (b) For any contract for $1,000 or under, any person engaging in the business of home repair and remodeling shall provide to its customers a copy of the "Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights" pamphlet. No written acknowledgment of receipt of the pamphlet is required for a contract of $1,000 or under.
    (c) The pamphlet must be a separate document, in at least 12 point type, and in legible ink. The pamphlet shall read as follows:
 
"HOME REPAIR: KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS

    As you plan for your home repair/improvement project, it is important to ask the right questions in order to protect your investment. The tips in this fact sheet should allow you to protect yourself and minimize the possibility that a misunderstanding may occur.
 
AVOIDING HOME REPAIR FRAUD

Please use extreme caution when confronted with the following warning signs of a potential scam:
    (1) Door-to-door salespersons with no local connections who offer to do home repair work for substantially less than the market price.
    (2) Solicitations for repair work from a company that lists only a telephone number or a post-office box number to contact, particularly if it is an out-of-state company.
    (3) Contractors who fail to provide customers references when requested.
    (4) Persons offering to inspect your home for free. Do not admit anyone into your home unless he or she can present authentic identification establishing his or her business status. When in doubt, do not hesitate to call the worker's employer to verify his or her identity.
    (5) Contractors demanding cash payment for a job or who ask you to make a check payable to a person other than the owner or company name.
    (6) Offers from a contractor to drive you to the bank to withdraw funds to pay for the work.
 
CONTRACTS

    (1) Get all estimates in writing.
    (2) Do not be induced into signing a contract by high-pressure sales tactics.
    (3) Never sign a contract with blank spaces or one you do not fully understand. If you are taking out a loan to finance the work, do not sign the contract before your lender approves the loan.
    (4) Remember, you have 3 business days (or as provided in Section 22 if you are age 65 or older) from the time you sign your contract to cancel any contract if the sale is made at your home. The contractor cannot deprive you of this right by initiating work, selling your contract to a lender, or any other tactic.
    (5) If the contractor does business under a name other than the contractor's real name, the business must either be incorporated or registered under the Assumed Business Name Act. Check with the Secretary of State to see if the business is incorporated or with the county clerk to see if the business has registered under the Assumed Business Name Act.
    (6) Homeowners should check with local and county units of government to determine if permits or inspections are required.
    (7) Determine whether the contractor will guarantee his or her work and products.
    (8) Determine whether the contractor has the proper insurance.
    (9) Do not sign a certificate of completion or make final payment until the work is done to your satisfaction.
    (10) Before you pay your contractor, understand that the Mechanics Lien Act requires that you shall request and the contractor shall give you a signed and notarized written statement (known as a "Sworn Statement") that lists all the persons or companies your contractor hired to work on your home, their addresses along with the amounts about to be paid, and the total amount owed after the payment to those persons or companies.
    Suppliers and subcontractors have a right to file a lien against your home if they do not get paid for their labor or materials. To protect yourself against liens, you should demand that your contractor provide you with a Sworn Statement before you pay the contractor. You should also obtain lien waivers from all contractors and subcontractors if appropriate. You should consult with an attorney to learn more about your rights and obligations under the Mechanics Lien Act.
    Disclaimer: The contents of this paragraph are required to be placed in the pamphlet for consumer guidance and information only. The contents of this paragraph are not substantive enforceable provisions of the Home Repair and Remodeling Act and are not intended to affect the substantive law of the Mechanics Lien Act.
 
BASIC TERMS TO BE INCLUDED IN A CONTRACT

    (1) Contractor's full name, address, and telephone number. Illinois law requires that persons selling home repair and improvement services provide their customers with notice of any change to their business name or address that comes about prior to the agreed dates for beginning or completing the work.
    (2) A description of the work to be performed.
    (3) Starting and estimated completion dates.
    (4) Total cost of work to be performed.
    (5) Schedule and method of payment, including down payment, subsequent payments, and final payment.
    (6) A provision stating the grounds for termination of the contract by either party. However, the homeowner must pay the contractor for work completed. If the contractor fails to commence or complete work within the contracted time period, the homeowner may cancel and may be entitled to a refund of any down payment or other payments made towards the work, upon written demand by certified mail.
    (7) A provision stating the grounds for termination of the contract if you are notified by your insurer that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss under the insurance policy, you may cancel the contract by mailing or delivering written notice to (name of contractor) at (address of contractor's place of business) at any time prior to the earlier of midnight on the fifth business day after you have received such notice from your insurer or the thirtieth business day after receipt of a properly executed proof of loss by the insurer from the insured. If you cancel, any payments made by you under the contract will be returned to you within 10 business days following receipt by the contractor of your cancellation notice. If, however, the contractor has provided any goods or services related to a catastrophe, acknowledged and agreed to by the insured homeowner in writing to be necessary to prevent damage to the premises, the contractor is entitled to the reasonable value of such goods and services.
    Homeowners should obtain a copy of the signed contract and keep it in a safe place for reference as needed.
    To file a complaint against a roofing contractor, contact the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation at 312-814-6910 or file a complaint directly on its website.
 
IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN DEFRAUDED OR YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
    If you think you have been defrauded by a contractor or have any questions, please bring it to the attention of your State's Attorney or the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
Attorney General Toll-Free Numbers
Carbondale         (800) 243-0607
Springfield        (800) 243-0618
Chicago            (800) 386-5438".
(Source: P.A. 100-670, eff. 1-1-19; 101-264, eff. 8-9-19.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 30 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2005–2022 · leading case: MD Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Abrams, 888 N.E.2d 54 (Ill. 2008).
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MD Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Abrams, 888 N.E.2d 54 (Ill. 2008). · cites it 12× “815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2006). The Act specifies that it is "unlawful for any person engaged in the business of home repairs and remodeling to remodel or make repairs * * * before obtaining a signed contract or work order [for] over $1,000.”
Fandel v. Allen, 937 N.E.2d 1124 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 12× “" 815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2006). Section 30 of the Home Repair Act states: "§ 30.”
MD Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Abrams, 859 N.E.2d 1070 (Ill. App. Ct. 2006). · cites it 5× “” 815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2004). “§30. Unlawful acts.”
Behl v. Gingerich, 920 N.E.2d 665 (Ill. App. Ct. 2009). · cites it 5× “815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2006). The Act specifies that it is “unlawful for any person engaged in the business of home repairs and remodeling to remodel or make repairs *** before obtaining a signed contract or work order [when the amount of the work is] over $1,000.”
Roberts v. Adkins, 921 N.E.2d 802 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 4× “See 815 ILCS 513/20, 30 (West 2006). Section 20 of the Act requires that those engaged in the business of home repair and remodeling provide to their customers a copy of a pamphlet that explains consumers’ rights prior to the execution of any home repair or remodeling contract.”
Artisan Design Build, Inc. v. Bilstrom, 397 Ill. App. 3d 317 (Ill. App. Ct. 2009). · cites it 3× “, appeals from an order of the circuit court of Du Page County dismissing its complaint against defendants, David and Jody Bilstrom, for failing to furnish defendants with a consumer rights brochure, in violation of the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act (Act) (815 ILCS…”
Kunkel v. P.K. Dependable Constr., LLC, 902 N.E.2d 769 (Ill. App. Ct. 2009). · cites it 2× “In addition, the complaint alleged that the defendants failed to provide the plaintiffs with a copy of the “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights” pamphlet prior to the execution of the contract, as required by section 20 of the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act (815 ILCS…”
Smith v. Bogard, 879 N.E.2d 543 (Ill. App. Ct. 2007). “815 ILCS 513/30 (West 2004). The person performing the construction services must also provide the customer with a copy of the pamphlet: “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights” prior to the execution of any contract.”
Cent. Illinois Elec. Servs., L.L.C. v. Slepian, 831 N.E.2d 1169 (Ill. App. Ct. 2005). · cites it 2× “*** 815 ILCS 513/20 (West. Supp. 2004). After reviewing this language, it is clear that the Slepians do not fall into the class of consumers the legislature was seeking to protect and CIES does not fall into the category of contractors from whom the legislature was seeking to…”
Universal Structures, Ltd. v. Buchman, 937 N.E.2d 668 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 6× “Alan Buchman and Diane Buchman, because plaintiff failed to procedurally comply with the Home Repair and Remodeling Act (Act) (815 ILCS 513/20, 30 (West 2008)) and obtain the defendants’ signatures on work orders and failed to furnish the defendants with a consumer rights…”
Tom Geise Plumbing, Inc. v. Taylor, 917 N.E.2d 1209 (Ill. App. Ct. 2009). · cites it 3× “4) plaintiff failed to comply with the Act by not (a) providing a written contract stating the total cost (815 ILCS 513/15 (West 2006)), (b) obtaining a signed contract or purchase order from defendants prior to the commencement of work or charging for the remodeling or repair…”
Artisan Design Build, Inc. v. Bilstrom, 922 N.E.2d 361 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 3× “, appeals from an order of the circuit court of Du Page County dismissing its complaint against defendants, David and Jody Bilstrom, for failing to furnish defendants with a consumer rights brochure, in violation of the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act (Act) (815 ILCS…”
Show all 30 citing cases →
— 815 ILCS 513/20(a) — 11 cases
Fandel v. Allen, 937 N.E.2d 1124 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). “" 815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2006). Section 30 of the Home Repair Act states: "§ 30.”
Roberts v. Adkins, 921 N.E.2d 802 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). “See 815 ILCS 513/20, 30 (West 2006). Section 20 of the Act requires that those engaged in the business of home repair and remodeling provide to their customers a copy of a pamphlet that explains consumers’ rights prior to the execution of any home repair or remodeling contract.”
Kunkel v. P.K. Dependable Constr., LLC, 902 N.E.2d 769 (Ill. App. Ct. 2009). “In addition, the complaint alleged that the defendants failed to provide the plaintiffs with a copy of the “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights” pamphlet prior to the execution of the contract, as required by section 20 of the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act (815 ILCS…”
MD Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Abrams, 859 N.E.2d 1070 (Ill. App. Ct. 2006). “” 815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2004). “§30. Unlawful acts.”
Kagan v. Waldheim Cemetery Co., 2016 IL App (1st) 131274 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016).
— 815 ILCS 513/20(c) — 6 cases
MD Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Abrams, 888 N.E.2d 54 (Ill. 2008). “815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2006). The Act specifies that it is "unlawful for any person engaged in the business of home repairs and remodeling to remodel or make repairs * * * before obtaining a signed contract or work order [for] over $1,000.”
MD Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Abrams, 859 N.E.2d 1070 (Ill. App. Ct. 2006). “” 815 ILCS 513/20 (West 2004). “§30. Unlawful acts.”
Artisan Design Build, Inc. v. Bilstrom, 397 Ill. App. 3d 317 (Ill. App. Ct. 2009). “, appeals from an order of the circuit court of Du Page County dismissing its complaint against defendants, David and Jody Bilstrom, for failing to furnish defendants with a consumer rights brochure, in violation of the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act (Act) (815 ILCS…”
Artisan Design Build, Inc. v. Bilstrom, 922 N.E.2d 361 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). “, appeals from an order of the circuit court of Du Page County dismissing its complaint against defendants, David and Jody Bilstrom, for failing to furnish defendants with a consumer rights brochure, in violation of the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act (Act) (815 ILCS…”
MD Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Abrams (Ill. 2008).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.