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How do you file a complaint against a contractor in Hawaii?

File with Hawaii's Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO), online or on its contractor complaint form, with copies of your contract, payments and letters; RICO recommends trying to resolve the dispute with a licensee first. Its jurisdiction is limited to violations of Hawaii's licensing laws and rules, and it does not represent you.

Source: Hawaii DCCA, Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) home page, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, Manual-file option, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.

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By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. Sources read: 22 October 2026 Updated 2026-10-22

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Key facts

Where do you file a contractor complaint in Hawaii?

With Hawaii's Regulated Industries Complaints Office, known as RICO, either through its online formal complaint or on its paper contractor form. RICO's own description of its role, the limit its form sets on what it can look at, and the wording of its filing pages are quoted below.

Source: Hawaii DCCA, Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) home page, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, File an Unlicensed Activity Tip or a Formal Complaint, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, Manual-file option, read 22 October 2026.

RICO's home page, read 22 October 2026, says: "RICO is a licensure-enforcement agency that reviews complaints against specialized industry service-providers who hold licenses from a professional or vocational licensing board." It continues: "RICO can file administrative actions against misbehaving licensees, and, sue those who provide industry services without having a board-issued license."

Source: Hawaii DCCA, Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) home page, read 22 October 2026.

RICO's contractor complaint form (rev. 1-28-2026), read the same day, opens with this line: "RICO’s jurisdiction is limited to violations of Hawaii’s licensing laws and rules."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.

RICO's home page, read 22 October 2026, describes the filing option this way: "Submit a complaint against a licensee with RICO, or report unlicensed activity, or send a private demand letter to a regulated service-provider to expedite resolution of your dispute". The filing page, read the same day, lists three choices: "Unlicensed Activity Tip", "Formal Complaint" and "Self-Help Letter".

Source: Hawaii DCCA, Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) home page, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, File an Unlicensed Activity Tip or a Formal Complaint, read 22 October 2026.

The manual-file page, read 22 October 2026, says: "You may download, complete, sign and send in a complaint form from the alphabetical listing below." Its listing includes: "Contracting Form – Please use this form to file a complaint about a contractor, electrician or plumber."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Manual-file option, read 22 October 2026.

The contractor form itself, read the same day, says: "Please complete one complaint form per respondent." It ends with this note on where a paper form can be handed in: "Complaint forms are accepted at neighbor island RICO offices for mailing."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.

Should you write to the contractor before filing?

RICO's contractor form recommends it when the contractor holds a board-issued licence, and RICO posts a sample letter for that step. Its form sets out a different position for work done without a licence, quoted below.

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, File an Unlicensed Activity Tip or a Formal Complaint, read 22 October 2026.

RICO's contractor complaint form, read 22 October 2026, says: "If your dispute involves a licensed business or individual, RICO recommends that you attempt to resolve your dispute with the licensee before filing a formal complaint." The next sentence reads: "Please note unlicensed companies and individuals are not authorized to perform work that requires a license, therefore, RICO cannot recommend resolution of unlicensed complaints that involve additional or corrective work."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.

RICO's filing page, read the same day, says of its sample letter: "Please use this letter to communicate your concerns before a complaint is filed." The sample self-help letter, read 22 October 2026, asks the business to "respond within 14 days of the receipt of this letter" and ends with the line "cc: Regulated Industries Complaints Office".

Source: Hawaii's RICO, File an Unlicensed Activity Tip or a Formal Complaint, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, Sample Self-Help Letter (PDF), read 22 October 2026.

What papers does RICO's contractor form ask you to attach?

Copies, not originals, of whatever paperwork you have from the job. RICO's form lists the kinds of documents it wants, and its FAQ page describes how to prepare them; both are quoted below.

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.
Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

RICO's contractor complaint form, read 22 October 2026, says: "If you have any of the following documents, please indicate by checking the box(es) and attaching COPIES of the documents." It adds: "Do not submit originals; we are unable to return documents to you." Five items from its checklist are "Contracts or agreements", "Change orders", "Building permits", "Invoices or billing statements" and "Photos".

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.

RICO's FAQ page, read the same day, says: "Gather, organize and photocopy relevant paperwork such as contracts, emails, photographs, invoices, records of payment, etc., and then include the copies with the complaint." On cost and help it says: "Money is not required to pursue a RICO complaint." and "An attorney or representative is not necessary to pursue a RICO complaint, but one can file a complaint on a person’s behalf."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

The form's certification section, read 22 October 2026, says: "Complaining witnesses are required to complete, sign, and certify below for RICO to process this."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.

What does RICO do after receiving a contractor complaint?

It goes through intake review, may be investigated and may go to RICO's lawyers, and unless you file anonymously the contractor is told who complained and what was alleged. RICO's FAQ page describes each stage and the time it can take, in the words quoted below.

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

RICO's FAQ page, read 22 October 2026, says: "Complaints are screened for jurisdiction and appropriateness by an investigator in the Consumer Resource Center (CRC) who is familiar with the licensing laws governing the regulated industries." Of the next stage it says: "The investigators review information and gather evidence and may refer matters for potential prosecution to the Legal Section for consideration."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

The same page says: "The complainant’s identity, and the allegations and claims they make, are disclosed to the respondent." For anyone who files without giving a name, it says: "Anonymous Reporting Witness do not receive updates on the matter."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

On timing, the FAQ page says: "Case processing can range from a few months to a year or even longer, depending on factors such as the seriousness of a matter, the complexity of the issues, the depth of investigation required, and whether the matter can be resolved informally through settlement."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

RICO does not represent you, and it closes complaints that fall outside its subject matter jurisdiction; its FAQ page lists those subjects and points to other routes, in the words quoted below.

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

RICO's FAQ page, read 22 October 2026, says: "RICO does not represent any party to a licensing dispute, including individual consumers who often want to recover money or damages." It says some complaints end at intake "because they fall outside of RICO’s subject matter jurisdiction such as labor, wages and other employer/employee relations, contractual disputes, billing disputes, and personality conflicts."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

Among other options, the FAQ page says: "Checking with another organization or agency may prove helpful, including the Judiciary which also has Small Claims Courts in every County for quick resolutions." It also says: "Checking with the regulated industry’s licensing board on whether they have a fund that consumers can claim against because of the ill practices of a licensee, may be helpful too. As of 2021, the Contractor’s Licensing Board and the Real Estate Commission have such funds."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), read 22 October 2026.

RICO's contractor form, read the same day, says: "Consumers, therefore, should consider seeking private or civil dispute resolution procedures and remedies too."

Source: Hawaii's RICO, Complaint Form – Contractor (rev. 1-28-2026, PDF), read 22 October 2026.

How can you prepare a contractor complaint in Hawaii?

Put the whole job on paper before you file, so the complaint reads as one dated story supported by copies. A clear file is easier for an intake investigator to read, and the same papers serve you if you also go to court or mediation. This is practical reasoning, not legal advice and not a finding from any agency.

  1. Write a short timeline: the contract date, each payment, when work started, when it stopped, and each time you contacted the contractor.
  2. Send the contractor a dated letter that names the problem and the fix you want, and keep a copy. RICO's sample letter suggests asking the business to "respond within 14 days of the receipt of this letter".

    Source: Hawaii's RICO, Sample Self-Help Letter (PDF), read 22 October 2026.

  3. Photograph the work as it stands now, and keep every text message and email about the job.
  4. Make copies of the contract, change orders, permits, invoices and proof of each payment, and keep the originals yourself.
  5. Fill in one form for each business or person you are complaining about, sign it, and attach the copies.
  6. Decide at the same time whether you also want advice from a lawyer or a small claims filing, since the RICO process runs on its own timeline.

Who sees your contact details when you post on InstaBids?

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 22 October 2026.

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