It's a significant betrayal of trust when you hire a contractor to do some work in your home and he or she proves to be dishonest. There are several different ways that a contractor can disappoint you, from taking your money and not finishing the job to actually stealing from your residence. Fortunately, there are also several different ways that a local private investigator can catch a dishonest contractor in the act. If you're unhappy with a contractor, it's advantageous to hire a private investigator to help you. Here are some ways that this professional can provide this help.

Electronic Surveillance

Your private investigator can visit your home in advance of the contractor's next arrival and set up hidden cameras that will document the contractor's actions. Perhaps you're concerned about sloppy work, the contractor spending less time on a project than he or she indicates, or theft. Whatever the case, these cameras will hopefully obtain the footage that you need to either confront the contractor or take action legally. A private investigator is adept at not only hiding cameras where the contractor won't find them, but also using tiny cameras that are difficult to detect.

Tracking Him/Her Down

If your contractor has taken payment for the job and then left before finishing it — or perhaps not really starting it at all — you'll want to track him or her down. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be a challenge for you, leaving you feeling as though you've lost what might be a significant amount of money. Count on a private investigator to find the contractor, which may be the first step in you threatening or actually taking legal action to get your lost money back. Sometimes, the private investigator will masquerade as a prospective client who is interested in having some work done as a way of contacting the contractor.

Intercepting Stolen Property

You can call the police if you believe that your contractor has stolen from you, but there's a good chance that this complaint won't be at the top of your local police department's list of priorities. Instead, rely on your private investigator. If you think the contractor has stolen something from you and taken it to a pawn shop to sell, your investigator will visit pawn shops in the area with a description and perhaps even a photo of the item in question. Ideally, this hard work will result in the recovery of the item and evidence that you can pass to the police.