Home

Keep up with UCAN.org by following us on Twitter!

Thanks for visiting UCAN.org! Please remember our services are available because of grassroots donations from people like you. Please help us continue our work with a donation of any amount.  Click here to visit our secure donation page.

State board handles home repair complaints, helps consumers evaluate contractors

Posted January 28th, 2009 by Laura Impastato

 

Hiring a contractor can be a complicated, and expensive, proposition -- especially if you've never done so before. The first thing you should know is that while there are many reputable contractors in California there are also some very bad apples.

One of the first places you should go when needing a contractor is the Web site of the California State Contractors' License Board (CSLB). Their mission is to protect consumers and keep tabs on complaints against contractors.

On their Web site you can find educational materials about hiring contractors and the construction process.  Examples of some of the materials available include: Ten Tips for Making Sure Your Contractor Measures Up; A Checklist for Prescreening Contractors, and What Seniors Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor.

You can also check the status of a contractor's license, find other important Contractors License Law information and, if necessary, file a complaint.

It's worth your time, to get several bids when planning a project that will require a contractor and then research the ones you are interested in on the CSLB Web site at  http://www.cslb.ca.gov/. When you get to the site, click on the CONSUMERS heading.

Spending the time up front may save you a lot of money and frustration if the job you contract for isn't done properly. 

Filed Under
Money & Privacy Money Saving Tips -
Add new comment

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

yes it is right to evaluate

On February 25th, 2010 Billtmore Roofing (not verified) says:

yes it is right to evaluate the contractor, read their customers review. find one that offer quality for less

Good Contractor

On February 23rd, 2010 lara07 (not verified) says:

planning to get good contractor. find the best offer i can have. try companies offering quality for less. such as
Roofing Company including services like Windows Replacement,and Residential Painting.

First thing is check the

On February 8th, 2010 Appliance Repair Services (not verified) says:

First thing is check the status of a contractor's license, and find other important Contractors License Law information.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <em> <p> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <!--break-->
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options



Like what you see? Go ahead and show your support! UCAN is a truly independent non-profit watchdog organization, dependent on grassroots donations like yours!

Utility Consumers' Action Network

(619) 696-6966 or file a complaint about a company online.

Terms & Conditions

UCAN.org is made available by the Utility Consumers' Action Network to assist you in becoming what you always knew you could be, a consumer ROCK STAR! We take no corporate money, and are beholden only to you, the consumer. As such, the site is here for educational, advocacy, and empowerment purposes, as well to to give you general information and a general understanding of the law. Just remember this site is NOT here to provide specific legal advice. By using this web site you of course understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the Web Site publisher, UCAN. The Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

That said, get to digging on the site, inform yourself, speak your mind, and earn Watchdog Bones! This is YOUR site, and we mean it. So comment on any of the content, discuss the latest issues in the forums, file a complaint on a company with the fraud squad, and generally cut loose.

See our Terms of Use, Privacy, and Copyright complaint policies as well as our Content Reuse Policy, Some Rights Reserved.