Contractor Gone ยท New Hampshire
Contractor gone in New Hampshire: where the money can come from
New Hampshire has no license and no fund. The Consumer Protection Bureau takes the complaint, small claims runs to $10,000, and the lien statute protects an owner who paid before the sub's notice.
Run the free check for New Hampshire
The four paths in New Hampshire
| 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. New Hampshire 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 | A sub who gives notice can lien only for what you still owe the contractor after the notice (RSA 447:6). |
Is the contractor licensed?
No state license. No general contractor license. Electricians and plumbers are state-licensed.
Deposits and the contract
No statute caps deposits or sets a refund clock. confirm
Small claims
Circuit Court, District Division, small claims, 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. A sub who gives notice can lien only for what you still owe the contractor after the notice (RSA 447:6).
The paperwork, done
The Contractor Gone kit, $39, fills every letter and form above with your facts: the chargeback script, the demand letter with New Hampshire'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.