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Homeowners, beware.

It is that time of year again when the out-of-state driveway pavers are here. They claim to have an office in a nearby town so they appear to be local. They travel around, going door to door, saying they have extra asphalt from a job they just finished and that they can give the homeowner a great deal on a paved driveway.

Here are five reasons this is a scam:

First, they will give you what appears to be a great price, but by the time they are finished, the price will have gone up.

Second, the asphalt they are hauling around has become an inferior product which cannot do a job correctly because it has cooled too much as they haul it here from out of town.

Third, they do not prepare the areas properly. Usually, there is no rock brought in for proper grade work to be done and no professionally applied weed killer used to ensure no weed growth.

Fourth, they do no put down the required depth of asphalt to ensure a solid, long-lating driveway.

Fifth, after they have you money in their hands, you will never be able to contact them when you beging to have problems with your new driveway.

Since they are not really from here, there will be no real warranty on their work (reputable companies usually offer a one-year warranty). If you were to google “gypsy pavers,” the information you would find would confirm all of the points I have listed.

MARIE COLLINS

Sandpoint