Contractor Gone ยท Oregon
Contractor gone in Oregon: where the money can come from
Oregon has no fund but the CCB runs a real complaint process with a bond behind every license, and the CCB complaint has its own deadline, so file it now. The bond pays homeowners ahead of suppliers. Check the CCB license page for the bond amount and any earlier complaints.
The four paths in Oregon
| 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. |
| Contractor bond | CCB surety bond, Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB). Amount: bond amount by endorsement (residential general commonly $20,000; confirm). How: Licensed contractor; CCB complaint filed within the deadline, then a judgment or CCB determination; the bond pays in a set order. Deadline: CCB complaint generally within one year of the work ending (confirm). confirm Agency page |
| 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: Depends on notice | Subs must send an Information Notice and a Notice of Right to Lien; an owner who paid before the notice has a defense to that extent. Ask for the notices. |
Is the contractor licensed?
Licensed by the Construction Contractors Board. Look up the license. The CCB license page shows the bond amount and the complaint history.
Deposits and the contract
No cap, but CCB rules require a written contract and the consumer notice on residential jobs. confirm
Small claims
Circuit or Justice Court, 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.
- Check the license at the link above. Licensed opens the bond; unlicensed means small claims and a report to the licensing body.
- 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.
- File the complaint with Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) and ask for the bond and surety details. Bond claims are paid in order; file early.
- 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. Subs must send an Information Notice and a Notice of Right to Lien; an owner who paid before the notice has a defense to that extent. Ask for the notices.
The paperwork, done
The Contractor Gone kit, $39, fills every letter and form above with your facts: the chargeback script, the demand letter with Oregon's deposit rule cited, the licensing complaint, the bond claim, 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.