Ask the Contractors
Board …
Experts Answer Common Home Improvement Questions
By Matt Kelly, Chair
California Contractors State License Board
Sacramento: Do you
have questions about hiring and managing building
contractors? The California Contractors State License
Board (CSLB) has answers. For more information,
or to check out a contractor’s license, bond
and workers’ compensation insurance information,
visit the CSLB website at www.cslb.ca.gov.
Q: I have heard that you need to make sure your
contractor has general liability insurance. How
can I verify if the contractor I hire is insured?
I want to make sure the person who repairs my home
has the right coverage.
A. Contractors are required to give you a notice
about commercial general liability insurance and
tell you if they carry it. If he or she is insured,
your contractor must provide you with the telephone
number and name of the insurance company. Go ahead
and check with the insurance company to see if the
contractor is insured with them before work starts.
Although it is optional for contractors to carry
this, it is best to hire a contractor with general
liability insurance, to cover any property damage
or third-party injury that occurs on the work-site.
Q: I am preparing to landscape my back yard and
I want to install an in-ground spa as well. Do I
need to get a swimming pool/spa contractor in addition
to the landscape contractor to install the spa,
or can the landscape contractor install it?
A: Since the spa is in-ground, it must be installed
by a swimming pool/spa contractor. If your landscaper
has that classification as well, you’re good
to go. If not, they can sub-contract the job to
a licensed swimming pool/spa contractor. Your landscaper
cannot install a spa if he/she only has a landscaping
license. Make sure to also check the license of
the sub-contractor who is hired to install the spa,
in addition to the license of the landscape contractor.
Also ensure the contractor has workers’ compensation
insurance to cover all sub-contractors, in order
to relieve you of all liability in case of an accident
or job related injury. For more information, visit
www.cslb.ca.gov and look at the “Choosing
the Right Landscaper” for your landscaping
questions.
Q: I am an elderly woman who needs to have some
repairs made to my home. I know the elderly get
taken advantage of quite often, and I want to make
sure I am hiring someone who will do a good job
and not rip me off. I am also a little concerned
about my safety while a stranger works in the house.
Any advice?
A: You are right, there are operators who will prey
on the elderly, but you don’t have to be one
of the victims. It is important that you research
different contractors for your job, get at least
three bids, verify the contractor’s license,
and ask friends or family for referrals of contractors
that have done work on their home. The CSLB website
at www.cslb.ca.gov has more information designed
just for seniors. If you don’t feel safe when
a contractor is working in your home, then invite
a friend over, or ask a family member to assist
you in the process of managing the contractor. If
you are vigilant about the project and the paperwork
that accompanies it, you are more likely to have
a worry free contracting experience.
(Matt Kelly is the Chair of the Contractors State
License Board. The Contractors State License Board
operates under the umbrella of the California Department
of Consumer Affairs. The CSLB licenses and regulates
California's 302,000 contractors, and investigates
more than 20,000 complaints against contractors
annually. In fiscal year 2004-05, the CSLB helped
consumers get more than $36 million in restitution.)
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