(a) Estimate and authorization required. Every licensee who makes a repair in the customer's home shall not commence work without:
(1) informing the customer of his or her right to request a Written Estimate and, if there is a charge for a Written Estimate, the amount of such charge; and
(2) furnishing the customer or his or her agent with an estimate, which shall be in writing if the customer so requests and which conforms in substance to the requirements of a Written Estimate, as defined in 6 RCNY § 2-254(a)(1), (2), (4), (5) and (6); and
(3) obtaining the customer's or his or her agent's signed authorization to proceed with repairs, except that such authorization may be orally communicated under the circumstances and in the manner specified in 6 RCNY § 2-254(e) and (f).
(b) Final bill required. Every licensee who makes a repair in the customer's home shall not collect a fee for repair unless the licensee has first delivered a Final Bill, as defined in 6 RCNY § 2-257, to the customer or his or her agent. If neither the customer nor his or her agent is present, the Final Bill shall be left at the customer's premises. The estimate, authorization and Final Bill may be contained in the same document, so long as the information required by 6 RCNY § 2-255(a) and (b) is included therein.
(c) Charges in excess of estimate. The total charges (excluding tax) for repairs shall not exceed the original estimate by more than 20 percent, without licensee first receiving the customer's written or oral consent to proceed with repairs, as provided by 6 RCNY § 2-254(f). When the customer does not authorize the increased cost estimate, the licensee must reassemble the item, in which case the licensee shall receive payment for only those repairs and costs which were authorized and completed, and only to the extent of the price provided in the estimate.
(d) Disclosure of service call charge. A licensee who charges for a service call separately from the costs of repair shall fully disclose these policies prior to making a service call. If the charge for a service call is not a fixed, but a variable amount, a licensee must also disclose the applicable method of computation. Failure to make such disclosures shall be deemed to be an untrue and misleading practice.