Scam alert
A Paving Crew Knocks With a Low Price for Today? Say No Thanks
Posted
Wisconsin · fox6now.com · Arrives by a knock at the door
The short answer
An unexpected crew at your door offering to pave your driveway for a low price is the sign to say no thanks. Since September 2026, Wisconsin's Division of Trade and Consumer Protection has received reports of asphalt paving crews going door to door with cheap offers. Some take the money and disappear without doing any work, and others pour some asphalt, then demand more money to finish. Do not let the crew into your home, write down their vehicle and license plate, and if you need paving, get several bids from local businesses.
What is happening
In October 2026, Wisconsin's Division of Trade and Consumer Protection said that since September it has received reports of asphalt paving crews showing up at people's homes and offering to pour new driveways for a low price, FOX6 Milwaukee and WRCO reported. Michelle Reinen, the division's administrator, told FOX6 that some contractors take the money and disappear without doing any work, while others take the money, pour some asphalt and demand more money to finish the job. A St. Francis woman told FOX6 that a crew approached her around this time last year saying they had just done a job nearby and had material left over, and her driveway ended up in even worse shape.
How to recognize it
- A crew shows up without being asked and offers to pave or fix your driveway for a low price.
- They say they just finished a job nearby and have material left over that will not last.
- They push you to decide on the spot.
- They take money up front, or pour some asphalt and then demand more money to finish.
- They ask to come inside your home.
What to do instead
- Say no thanks to a high-pressure offer at the door, and do not let the crew into your home.
- Write down the make and model of their vehicle and the license plate number, and tell local police.
- If you need paving, take your time, ask friends for recommendations, and get several bids.
- Pick a local business you can reach later if there is a problem with the work.
- If you want to tell someone, the rule is: driveway work never starts the day a stranger knocks.
If it already happened
Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.
- These crews are friendly and fast, and saying yes on the spot is easy to do.
- Do not pay more money to finish a job. Give local police the vehicle and license plate details.
- In Wisconsin, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.
- If you paid by card, call your card company. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Common questions
- Is every contractor who knocks a scam?
- Not every one, but Wisconsin officials say to resist high-pressure pitches at the door. "If you need your driveway done, take time, do the research, pick the right contractor for you," Michelle Reinen of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection told FOX6.
- What about crews that knock after a storm?
- Another alert on this site, Storm Repairs Offered at the Door? Check the License First, covers contractors who go door to door after storms.
Practice this safely
Practice saying no thanks to a driveway offer at the door and getting bids from local businesses instead.
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A Paving Crew Knocks With a Low Price for Today? Say No Thanks An unexpected crew at your door offering to pave your driveway for a low price is the sign to say no thanks. Since September 2026, Wisconsin's Division of Trade and Consumer Protection has received reports of asphalt paving crews going door to door with cheap offers. Some take the money and disappear without doing any work, and others pour some asphalt, then demand more money to finish. Do not let the crew into your home, write down their vehicle and license plate, and if you need paving, get several bids from local businesses. Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/door-to-door-driveway-paving-scam
Where this comes from
These links open the published sources in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.
- FOX6 Milwaukee: Paving scams: Wisconsin official warns of door-to-door offers (October 21, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
fox6now.com
- WRCO: Be cautious of door-to-door home improvement crews (October 20, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
wrco.com
- Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)
ReportFraud.ftc.gov
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