By Jericka Duncan

BRIGANTINE, N.J. (CBS) - Once destroyed belongings are trashed, contractors will remain in the shore towns to help.

From Brigantine to Long Beach Island, municipalities are trying to make it hard for unlicensed contractors to target shore residents.

Right now, officials say only licensed New Jersey contractors are allowed on Long Beach Island.
Those contractors are helping to clean up the estimated $1 billion worth of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

“For residents, only this weekend will be a go,” said Long Beach Township Mayor Joe Mancini.

Mancini says residents can return Saturday. He says he is aware of potential problems that may follow weeks later, when all contractors are allowed on the Island.

The mayor says the township will create a list of reputable contractors and put them on the township’s website.

Long Beach Island homeowner Robert Musgung says for him, it’s important local contractors and architects like himself be first to check property damage.

He says last week he wrote a letter to his congressman, Jon Runyan, petitioning for local crews to be first on the island before contractors from out-of-state.

South of Long Beach Island, Brigantine Police have issued a warning telling neighbors there to make sure contractors are fully licensed and insured.

A spokesperson for Brigantine police department tells Eyewitness News they’ve received at least a dozen complaints from homeowners who say they’ve been approached by potentially unlicensed contractors.