Contractor Gone ยท Indiana
Contractor gone in Indiana: where the money can come from
Indiana has no fund and no state license, but the Home Improvement Contracts Act and the Attorney General's consumer division give you real leverage on an abandoned job. Small claims runs to $10,000.
Run the free check for Indiana
The four paths in Indiana
| Card chargeback | Same in every state. Dispute for services not rendered within 120 days of the promised completion, no later than 540 days after the payment. Each payment has its own clock. |
| State fund | None. Indiana has no recovery fund and no state bond program for homeowners. The money paths are the chargeback, small claims or civil court, and the bankruptcy claim if there is a case. |
| Bankruptcy claim | If the company filed, a proof of claim (Official Form 410) with the court by the bar date. A deposit for personal or household services is a priority claim up to $3,800 for cases filed on or after April 1, 2025 (11 U.S.C. 507(a)(7)); the rest is general unsecured. |
| Lien exposure: Mostly protected | On an owner-occupied one- or two-family home, a sub must give written notice within 30 days of first work, and its lien is limited to what you still owed the contractor when you got the notice. |
Is the contractor licensed?
No state license. No statewide general contractor license; many cities and counties license locally. Check the local building department for a license and permit history.
Deposits and the contract
Indiana's Home Improvement Contracts Act requires a written contract over $150 with start and completion dates; violations are deceptive acts under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. confirm
Small claims
Small Claims Court, generally up to $10,000 as of 2025; confirm the current limit on the court's site before filing. Above the cap, the regular civil docket, where a lawyer is optional but usual. confirm
In order
- Pull the contract, every receipt, and your card or bank statements. The contract page shows where each number lives.
- If you paid by card, call the issuer today and open a dispute for services not rendered. The window closes; everything else waits.
- Send the demand letter by certified mail. It starts the clock the licensing body and the court will want to see.
- Search PACER for the company. A bankruptcy filing stops the letters and the lawsuit and replaces them with a proof of claim.
- Answer any subcontractor notice in writing with proof of what you paid. On an owner-occupied one- or two-family home, a sub must give written notice within 30 days of first work, and its lien is limited to what you still owed the contractor when you got the notice.
The paperwork, done
The Contractor Gone kit, $39, fills every letter and form above with your facts: the chargeback script, the demand letter with Indiana's deposit rule cited, the licensing complaint, the small-claims worksheet, the lien-defense letter, the proof of claim worksheet, and a checklist for hiring the contractor who finishes the job. What's in it, or run the check first; the answers carry into the kit.
Page written 2026-09-07. Rows marked verified were read on the agency page or statute on the date shown in the data; rows marked confirm are from general knowledge and should be checked with the agency. Spot an error? Email jon@homestillworks.com and it gets fixed the same day.