HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR? All contractor advertisements—whether it be an ad online, on the radio, TV, in the newspaper, or phone book, a flyer that shows up at your front door, or the company’s name on the side of a truck—must have the California contractor’s state license number issued by the Contractor’s State License Board. You can check the license status online at cslb.ca.gov or call (800) 321-CSLB (2752). You can also build a personalized list of licensed contractors in your area by using the website www.ca-tt.com. Most licensed contractors are competent, honest, hardworking and financially responsible. However, many of the problems CSLB sees could be prevented if homeowners knew their home improvement rights. A responsible and informed consumer can work more effectively with reputable licensed contractors and avoid being victimized by unscrupulous or unlicensed operators.
Make sure your contractor has a current business address and telephone number. A contractor who operates a business from the back of a pickup truck with a cellphone may be difficult to find if a job needs to be fixed after the last bill is paid. You can find a licensed contractor’s “address of record” when you look up his/her license status.
Verify Insurance Coverage
Ask to see a copy of the Certificate of Insurance or ask for the name of the contractor’s insurance carrier and agency to verify that the contractor has insurance. In California, if a contractor has employees, he/she is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. The importance of this cannot be overstated. If a worker is injured working on your property and the contractor doesn’t have insurance, you could be financially liable to pay for injuries and rehabilitation. Your homeowner’s insurance may or may not cover those costs. Shop Around Before Hiring a Contractor When you look up a contractor’s license status on CSLB’s Get at least three written bids on your project, and website you will see the insurance information, or a statement make sure you’re comparing bids based on identical plans, specifications, and scope of work. Do not automatically accept that the contractor is exempt from carrying insurance because they have no employees. It’s a red flag if the contractor the lowest bid. In fact, you should beware of any bid that is substantially lower than the others. It probably indicates that says he/she has workers but has a workers’ compensation the contractor made a mistake or is not including all the work insurance exemption on-file with CSLB. Also, you should check with your insurance carrier to make sure the workers’ quoted by his or her competitors. You may be headed for a compensation insurance coverage being provided by the dispute with your contractor if you accept an abnormally low contractor will cover all the workers on your job. bid. It also is possible that a low-bidding contractor may cut Commercial general liability insurance is not required; corners or do substandard work to make a profit. Consumers can always find a list of CSLB-licensed contractors in their area however, it covers damage to your property. If the contractor does not carry general liability insurance, he/she should be by using the “Find My Licensed Contractor” feature on cslb. able to explain how damage or losses will be; otherwise you or ca.gov. your insurance company could end up paying for damages. When the contractor comes to your house to give you a A licensed contractor must provide you with information bid, ask to see his/her pocket license, along with a picture I.D. regarding both types of insurance in your written contract. Make sure the person you’re dealing with is the same person All C-39 roofing contractors (whether or not they have on the license. employees) must carry workers’ compensation insurance or Contractors also can hire salespeople to work for them. have a valid Certification of Self-Insurance on file with CSLB. Those people must be registered with CSLB as a Home This information is indicated when you review the status of a Improvement Salesperson. Ask to see the registration card, contractor’s license. along with a picture I.D. Contractors are required to have their state license number on their business card and on all bids and contracts. Seeing Learn About Contractor Bonds a license number doesn’t necessarily mean the license is California licensed contractors are required to have a valid. Check the license status. Although an unlicensed $15,000 license bond. Other bonds are not required, but operator may give you a low bid, the risks of possible financial might be good for the contractor to get for your job. Some and legal consequences outweigh any benefits a lower bid bonds are designed to protect you against substandard work may seem to offer. that does not meet with local building codes. Bonds do not assure the financial or professional integrity or competency of a contractor. Institutional lenders such as savings and loans, Out of State Contractors insurance companies or commercial banks generally require Contractors who work in California must be licensed by licensed contractors to secure bonds for large jobs. Learn CSLB. A contractor licensed in Nevada cannot take a job in more about bonds by reading CSLB’s Guide to License Bonds California unless they are licensed by CSLB. at https://cslb.ca.gov/Resources/GuidesAndPublications/ ContractorsLicenseBondsGuide.pdf. Ask for Personal Recommendations Friends and family recently may have had similar projects completed. If they are satisfied with the results, chances Filing a Complaint are you will be too. Local customers, material suppliers, If you do have a problem with your contractor and can’t get subcontractors, and financial institutions are good reference it resolved, you can file a complaint with CSLB. Learn more sources to check whether the contractor is financially about the complaint process at http://cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/ responsible. If you are still unsure, you also may wish to check Filing_A_Complaint/How_The_Complaint_Process_Works.aspx. the contractor out with your local building department, trade association or union, consumer protection agency, consumer This article is reprinted with permission from the California fraud unit, and the Better Business Bureau. Check your Contractors State License Board. For more information, visit cslb. references using CSLB’s Instant License Check to make sure ca.gov. the contractor has an active license on cslb.ca.gov.
Verify Contact Information
16 | CATT GUIDE / 2024-2025