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What does District of Columbia law tell a homeowner before a home job?

District of Columbia earns a C in the 2026 Home Job Readiness Grade, with 4 of 6 possible points on 3 scored measures. The grade covers what state law and official state pages tell a homeowner about deposits, written contracts, cancelling and an online contractor record.

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District of Columbia Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: C (4 of 6 points)

This grade is a compilation of statute text and official state pages, reviewed 24 October 2026. It is not legal advice.

How did each measure score?

Statutory deposit limit: 0 of 2 points

No statutory deposit limit was found in the official sources reviewed 22 October 2026. Not found means not found in the sources checked; it is not an official statement that the state has no cap.

Official sources reviewed: source 1, source 2, source 3

Written-contract rule for home-improvement work: 2 of 2 points

A state statute or regulation requires a written contract for home-improvement or residential work within its scope, and lists what it must contain. The scope, including any dollar threshold or licence condition, is in the quoted words below.

808.2 The written understanding of the parties shall be incorporated in a written contract which shall be filled in and signed in at least triplicate, on a form which shall comply in all respects with this chapter, with all blank spaces filled in. 808.3 The contract shall be signed by the homeowner and, as the case may be, either by the contractor, or by the salesperson or other agent for the contractor subject to the contractor's approval.

Source: 16 DCMR §§ 808.2-808.3, read 14 October 2026

808.9 Each contract for home improvement work shall bear the name, address, and telephone number of the home improvement contractor and his home improvement contractor's license number.

Source: 16 DCMR § 808.9, read 14 October 2026

808.10 Each contract shall include a description of the terms of payment, the approximate date on which the work required by the contract is to start, and the approximate date on which the work will be completed, such starting and completion dates to be subject to change at the time the contract is accepted by the contractor and at no other time (except by written agreement between the homeowner and the contractor), with notice of any such change to be set forth in the written notice of acceptance of the contract furnished the homeowner by the contractor.

Source: 16 DCMR § 808.10, read 14 October 2026

Statutory right to cancel: 2 of 2 points

A state statute gives a right to cancel that reaches home-improvement contracts or sales made at the home within the scope and dollar limits in the quoted words below.

(a) As used in this section, “home solicitation sale” means a cash sale or a consumer credit sale of goods, other than farm equipment, or services in which the seller or a person acting for him engages in a personal solicitation of the sale at or near a residence of the buyer and the buyer’s agreement or offer to purchase is there given to a seller or a person acting for him. It does not include a sale made pursuant to a preexisting revolving credit account or prior negotiations between the parties at a business establishment at a fixed location where goods or services are offered or exhibited for sale.

Source: D.C. Code § 28-3811(a), read 14 October 2026

(b) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, in addition to any right otherwise to revoke an offer, the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs an agreement or offer to purchase which complies with this section.

Source: D.C. Code § 28-3811(b), read 14 October 2026

Online public record of the state's home-contractor credential: Not scored

Not scored: online public record of the state's home-contractor credential - official text not captured as of 24 October 2026.

What is not scored, and why?

A measure we could not settle from official text is not scored: it leaves both the points earned and the points possible, so it never counts against a state.

Is there a federal rule too?

Federal rule, not scored here: 16 CFR 429.1(a), the FTC door-to-door sales rule, covers a sale the seller personally solicits that is agreed at a place other than the seller's place of business, for $25 or more at the buyer's home or $130 or more elsewhere, with exceptions in 16 CFR 429.0. For those sales it requires this statement in the buyer's contract or receipt:

You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction.

Source: 16 CFR 429.1(a), eCFR, read 22 October 2026

What can a homeowner check in District of Columbia before hiring?

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District of Columbia Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: C, points by measure

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<figure><img src="https://instabids.ai/fl/data/home-job-readiness-grade/district-of-columbia.svg" alt="District of Columbia Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: C, points by measure" width="640"><figcaption><a href="https://instabids.ai/us/home-job-readiness-grade/district-of-columbia">InstaBids</a></figcaption></figure>

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