Storm contractor rules in Georgia: price gouging orders, the post-disaster contract law and licensing

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The wider picture is on the storm contractor rules page. All four pages are consumer guidance from the Attorney General, not the statute text.

The four pages in one table

Page	What it says
Storms and Fraud	Gives tips for people who need home repair work or tree-removal services. Describes a law, SB 201, with a section effective July 1, 2025 that lists acts a contractor may not do in a contract made with a homeowner within one year of a natural disaster
Price Gouging	The Governor may prohibit price increases on items considered necessary, and must identify the specific goods and services. Violators can be fined from US$2,000 to US$15,000 per violation
Price Gouging Statute	Lists each state of emergency in which the Governor invoked the law, with its start and end. As read, it listed two, one beginning September 29, 2026 and one beginning October 8, 2026
Release of September 25, 2024	Says general contractors, electricians, plumbers and heating and air conditioning contractors must be licensed with the Secretary of State, and that tree removal services among other specialty occupations are not required to be licensed by the state

Price gouging

The Price Gouging page says the law is triggered by a declared state of emergency, either in response to or in anticipation of a natural disaster or a national security emergency, and covers all counties unless the order names some. It says price increases on the goods and services the Governor lists are only permitted if they reflect an increase in the cost of new stock or of moving it, plus the retailer's average markup in the 10 days before the declaration. The Consumer Protection Division has authority to investigate. The page does not say whether tree services are on any given list, because each order sets its own list. The 2024 release says the order of that year covered goods and services needed for preparation, response and recovery, and ran until 11:59 p.m. on October 2, 2024.

Contracts after a natural disaster

The Storms and Fraud page says that under the section of SB 201 effective July 1, 2025, a contractor who signs a contract with a homeowner within one year of a natural disaster to repair, replace or mitigate damage acts illegally by doing any of five things. They are failing to substantially begin work within one year of the contract, doing work in a substandard way, taking an assignment of the homeowner's insurance proceeds, doing work inconsistent with state minimum standard codes or accredited industry standards, or breaking the cancellation rules. The cancellation rules require the business to accept cancellation before midnight on the fifth business day after the homeowner gets written notice from the insurer that the claim is not a covered loss, and to supply a notice of cancellation form with set wording in boldface of at least ten points.

The same page lists tips: avoid door-to-door offers, steer clear of full payment up front or cash-only payment, get written bids from at least three contractors, and consider paying no more than one third as a down payment. It adds that roofers are not allowed to file claims for customers unless the roofer is or employs a licensed public adjuster. The page does not say whether the contract rules apply to tree work.

Licensing

The 2024 release names tree removal services among specialty occupations not required to be licensed by the state. It lists what it says legitimate contractors should be able to provide: a business licence, general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and written manufacturer and labour warranties. How other states treat tree work is on the page about contractor licences for tree work, and the scams the offices warn about are on the page about storm tree scams.