Cuomo, whose office has handled more than 1,550 complaints against home-improvement contractors since the end of 2006. While New York City and Long Island handle contractor complaints independently, the database provides additional protection and recourse.

The Web site, NYKnowYourContractor.com, lists the company, date, county and nature of each complaint. The site allows searching to see which contractors have been subject to legal action, and which contractors have had substantiated consumer complaints filed against them. Users who feel they have been the victim of an unscrupulous contractor can notify the AG's office by clicking on the “File a Complaint” link.

Chuck Bell, programs director of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, said at Cuomo press conference annouincing the site, “We see this as a simple solution to a systemic problem. This Web site ought to be a first stop.”

New York is one of nine states without statewide licensing regulations for contractors, which currently vary among different regions. Cuomo said he favors uniform regulations.