Driveway paving and masonry scams: leftover asphalt, door-to-door crews and other warning signs

Updated November 11, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What does a driveway or masonry scam look like?

Most start at the door. The Federal Trade Commission's list of home improvement scam tactics reads like a description of the classic paving pitch: someone knocks because they are "in the area", says they have materials left over from a previous job, presses for a decision on the spot, and wants payment up front or in cash. The FTC adds two more warning signs: a contractor who asks you to get the building permits, and one who suggests you borrow from a lender they know.

Has this happened in Pennsylvania?

Yes. In August 2026 the Attorney General's office announced a complaint against a Lackawanna County paving business and its owner. The office says it received at least 14 consumer complaints, and alleges high-pressure sales, prices raised without consumers' knowledge, abandoned and unfinished jobs and substandard work, in violation of the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act and the state's consumer protection law. The business advertised paving, sealing and asphalt work through social media and door to door.

One case in the complaint is a pattern worth knowing. A senior citizen in Dauphin County was told the crew had extra materials left over from another project. The quoted price was $16,000, with an $8,000 down payment. After the work, the business tried to collect twice the contract price; terms had been added to the contract without the consumer's knowledge. Fearing a lien on his house, he paid $32,000. These are the office's allegations; the complaint was pending court approval when announced.

Which upsells can harm old masonry?

Some extras are not scams in the legal sense but can still do damage on an older house. Treat these with care, and ask why each one is needed:

• Waterproofing or sealing brick. Angi lists brick waterproofing at $1 to $4 per square foot as an add-on to repointing. The National Park Service (NPS) says waterproofing brick with chemicals sold for the purpose, or painting it with non-permeable coatings, will accelerate decay by trapping moisture behind the coating.
• Hard mortar sold as "stronger". The NPS says that on old, soft brick a hard, portland-rich mortar is incompatible, and shows a house where the stone wore away around hard new joints.
• Parging or coating a wall. The NPS says coating historic masonry with an impervious material such as high-content portland cement is never recommended.
• Sandblasting or high-pressure washing. The NPS says abrasive cleaning strips the hard outer surface of brick. The General Services Administration's specification for historic masonry starts with water and soft brushes and notes that most commercial pressure washers run far above the pressures it allows.

How do you protect yourself?

• Do not decide at the door. The FTC advises getting several written estimates and not automatically choosing the lowest.
• Check the registration. Anyone doing home improvements worth $5,000 or more a year in Pennsylvania must register with the Attorney General, and the number, PA followed by digits, must be on ads, estimates and contracts. Check it on the contractor search or at 1-888-520-6680. Driveway construction and repair are named in the law's definition of home improvement.
• Get everything in writing. For a home improvement over $500, Pennsylvania requires a signed contract with the work, approximate dates, the total price and your right to cancel. The FTC adds: make sure no blank spaces are left, and that every promise made in conversation is in the contract.
• Know your three days. The Attorney General reports that the state Supreme Court has held you can cancel within three business days of signing by any means, including a phone call, as long as the contractor actually gets the notice.
• Do not pay it all up front. The FTC says never to make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied.
• Do not sign financing in a hurry. The FTC warns against arranging a loan through the contractor without shopping around, and against signing any document you have not read or that has blank spaces.
• Permits are the contractor's job. A contractor who asks you to pull the permit is on the FTC's list of warning signs.

Where do you report a problem?

First, try to resolve it with the contractor, the FTC says, and follow any calls with a letter sent by certified mail. If that fails, take it to the Attorney General, which accepts complaints online, by phone at 1-800-441-2555 and by email at scams@attorneygeneral.gov. Two county offices in the region also take these complaints: Bucks County Consumer Protection mediates disputes with businesses, and Delaware County's Office of Consumer Affairs takes complaints about home repair and remodeling.

Before you hire, use the questions to ask a contractor and check what Pennsylvania requires. Registered businesses are listed on the masonry contractors page.

Sources

1. How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
2. AG Sunday's Bureau of Consumer Protection Files Complaint Against NE Pa. Contractor Who Failed to Complete Work or Issue Refunds, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
3. Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
4. Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
5. PA Supreme Court Upholds Consumer Right-to-Cancel Home Improvement Contracts Within Three Days Regardless of Medium, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
6. Submit a Complaint, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
7. Common Problems with Brick Masonry, U.S. National Park Service
8. This Masonry is for the Bees!, U.S. National Park Service
9. Cleaning historic masonry, U.S. General Services Administration
10. Consumer Protection/ Weights & Measures, Bucks County
11. Consumer Affairs/Weights & Measures, Delaware County
12. How Much Does Repointing Brick Cost? [2026 Data], Angi