Kip K. McBane, AIA, Architect

In California, any remodeling or construction project that exceeds $500 (labor and materials), requires a contractor to have an active license with the California Contractor State License Board (CSLB).

The CSLB is one of the highest rated licensing boards in the US. Applicants are required to pass a written board exam and prove at least four years of prior, relevant work experience. In addition, the CSLB requires all license holders to maintain at least $2,500 in operating capital and provides you with a range of other consumer protections.

Contractors in California are required to carry workers' compensation insurance if they have employees and proof of liability insurance with the cumulative limit of $1 million for licensees with five or fewer persons, and an additional 100,000 for each additional member over five, not to exceed $5 million total.

All licensed contractors in California are required to maintain a bond, which provides you with financial recourse in case they perform defective work or violate license regulations. If you feel as though you have been taken advantage of, you should leave feedback on the contractor's BuildZoom profile and file a complaint with the CSLB.

California contractors are required to submit their fingerprints to the board, which are then checked against criminal records held by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) prior to obtaining a valid contracting license.

The BuildZoom score is based on a number of factors including the contractor's license status, insurance status, verified work history, standing with local consumer interest groups, verified reviews from other BuildZoom users and self-reported feedback from the contractor.

When it comes to major construction work or even minor alterations to your home, hiring the wrong contractor could result in incomplete or defective work. You may even find yourself dealing with huge liability claims. BuildZoom does the homework for you and helps you hire the right contractor.

The California State License Board recommends getting at least three written bids before hiring a contractor. Do not automatically accept the lowest bid - an abnormally low bid may indicate the contractor made a mistake and is not including the same work quoted by their competitors. We've made the bid collection process extremely simple (and free). Just click here to get started.