Hire a Licensed Contractor

All contractor advertisements—whether it be an ad online, on the radio, TV, in the newspaper, or phone boo a flyer that sho s up at your front door or the company s name on the side of a truc must have the alifornia contractor s state license number issued by the

Contractors State License Board. You can check the license status online at www.cslb.ca.gov or call (800) 321-CSLB (2752). You can also build a personalized list of licensed contractors in your area with the “Find My Licensed Contractor” on the CSLB’s website. Most licensed contractors are competent, honest, ar working an financially re on i le owe er, many o t e problems CSLB sees could be prevented if homeowners knew their home improvement rights. A responsible and informed con umer can work more effecti ely wit re uta le licen e contractors and avoid being victimized by unscrupulous or unlicensed operators.

hop round efore iring a ontractor

Get at least three written bids on your project, and make sure you’re comparing bids based on identical plans, ecification an co e o work o not automatically acce t the lowest bid. In fact, you should beware of any bid that is substantially lower than the others. It probably indicates that the contractor made a mistake or is not including all the work quoted by his or her competitors. You may be headed for a dispute with your contractor if you accept an abnormally low bid. It also is possible that a low-bidding contractor may cut corner or o u tan ar work to make a rofit Con umer can alway fin a li t o CSLB licen e contractor in t eir area by using the “Find My Licensed Contractor” feature on www. cslb.ca.gov.

When the contractor comes to your house to give you a bid, a k to ee i / er ocket licen e, along wit a icture Make sure the person you’re dealing with is the same person on the license.

Contractors also can hire salespeople to work for them. T o e eo le mu t e regi tere wit CSLB a a ome Improvement Salesperson. Ask to see the registration card, along wit a icture

Contractors are required to have their state license number on their business card and on all bids and contracts. Seeing a license number doesn’t necessarily mean the license is valid. Check the license status. Although an unlicensed operator may gi e you a low i , t e ri k o o i le financial an legal con e uence outweig any enefit a lower i may eem to offer

ut of tate ontractors

Contractors who work in California must be licensed by CSLB. A contractor licensed in Nevada cannot take a job in California unless they are licensed by CSLB.

s for ersonal ecommendations

Friends and family recently may have had similar projects com lete t ey are ati fie wit t e re ult , c ance are you will be too. Local customers, material suppliers, u contractor an financial in titution are goo re erence ource to c eck w et er t e contractor i financially responsible. If you are still unsure, you also may wish to check the contractor out with your local building department, trade association or union, consumer protection agency, consumer fraud unit, and the Better Business Bureau. Check your references using CSLB’s Instant License Check to make sure the contractor has an active license on www.cslb.ca.gov.

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 i cult to fin i a o nee to e fi e a ter t e la t ill i ai ou can fin a licen e contractor’ a re o recor when you look up his/her license status.

erify nsurance overage

A k to ee a co y o t e Certificate o n urance or a k or 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 in urance you coul e financially lia le to ay or in urie an rehabilitation. Your homeowner’s insurance may or may not cover those costs.

When you look up a contractor’s license status on CSLB’s website you will see the insurance information, or a statement t at t e contractor i e em t rom carrying in urance ecau e t ey a e no em loyee t’ a re flag i t e contractor says he/she has workers but has a workers’ compensation in urance e em tion on file wit CSLB Al o, you oul check with your insurance carrier to make sure the workers’ compensation insurance coverage being provided by the contractor will cover all the workers on your job.

Commercial general liability insurance is not required; however, it covers damage to your property. If the contractor does not carry general liability insurance, he/she should be a le to e lain ow amage or lo e will e ot erwi e you or your insurance company could end up paying for damages.

A licensed contractor must provide you with information regarding both types of insurance in your written contract.

All C roofing contractor w et er or not t ey a e employees) must carry workers’ compensation insurance or a e a ali Certification o Sel n urance on file wit CSLB This information is indicated when you review the status of a contractor’s license.

earn bout ontractor onds

California licensed contractors are required to have a $15,000 license bond. Other bonds are not required, but might be good for the contractor to get for your job. Some bonds are designed to protect you against substandard work that does not meet with local building codes. Bonds do not a ure t e financial or ro e ional integrity or com etency o a contractor. Institutional lenders such as savings and loans, insurance companies or commercial banks generally require licensed contractors to secure bonds for large jobs. Learn more about bonds by reading CSLB’s Guide to License Bonds at https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/GuidesAndPublications/ ContractorsLicenseBondsGuide.pdf.

iling a omplaint

If you do have a problem with your contractor and can’t get it re ol e , you can file a com laint wit CSLB Learn more a out the complaint process at http://cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Filing_A_Complaint/How_The_ Complaint_Process_Works.aspx This article is reprinted with permission from the California Contractors State License Board. For more information, visit www. cslb.ca.gov.

CA #894230 NV #70412