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How do I find the right licensed contractor?
Make sure the contractor is licensed.
All contractor advertisements, whether it be an ad in the phone book or newspaper, a flyer that shows up at your front door, or the company's name on the side of a truck, must have the contractor's license number. You can check the license status by calling 1-800-321-2752 (CSLB)
Most licensed contractors are competent, honest, hardworking and financially reponsible. However, most of the problems the CSLB sees could be prevented if homeowners knew their home improvement right and took responsibility for their project. A responsible and informed consumer can work more effectively with reputable contractors, and can avoid being victimized by unscrupulous or unlicensed operators.
shop around before hiring a contractor.
Get at least hree written bids on your project, and kame sure you're comparing bids based on identical plans, specification and scope of work. Do not automatically accept the lowest bid. In fact, you should be ware of any bid that is substantially lower than the others. It probably indicates that the contractor made a mistake or isnot 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 is also possible that this contractor will cut corners or do substandard work in order to make a profit on the job.
When the contractor comes to your house to give you a bid, ask to see their pocket license, along with picture I.D. You want to make sure the person you're dealing with is the same person on the license.
Contractors can also hire sales people to work for them. Those people must be registered with the CSLB. Ask to see their registration card, along with a picture I.D.
Contractors are required to have their license number on their business card and all bids and contracts. Seeing the number there does'nt necessarily mean the license is valid. Check the license status by calling the SLB 1-800-321-2752. Although an unlicensed operator may give you a low bid, the risk of possible financial and legal consequences you may face outweigh any benefits a lower bid may seem to offer.
Ask for personal recommendations.
Friends and family may have recently had samiliar projects completed. If they are satisified with the results, chances are you will be too. You may also wish to check the contractor out with trade association, comsumer protection, comsumer fraud unit, and the Better Business Bureau.
A contractor who operates a business out of the back of a pickup truck with a celluar telephone may be difficult to find, to complete a job or fix something that has gone wrong. you can find a licensed contractors address of record from the CSLB. |
Picking a Contractor
