Contractor Licensing FAQs

Everyone can read the contractor rules and regulations, but understanding what is written, especially when much depends on someone else’s interpretation, is not so easy as our contractor questions illustrate… Q: I recently found your articles on the Internet and they have helped me out tremendously. I’m in the process of forming a new business and…

I have been told ‘eyewitnesses’ don’t always report seeing the same thing. It’s a matter of perspective. When reading the regulations for licensed contractors your interpretation, or ‘vision’ needs to be accurate and complete. Individual viewpoints are often different and yours may not always mesh with what the Board actually requires. That different ‘viewpoint’ can give…

As we all cope with the downturn in our economic reality, contractors are ready, willing and able to provide the services you may need. For anyone who profited in the last ten years, now is a great time to give your local contractors a chance to update that landscaping, repaint the house, build the deck you…

Now you see them, now you don’t! Has your bonding company ‘disappeared’? With all the recent emphasis on ‘green’ tech, it is no surprise to many that the CSLB is ‘shining’ its light on solar energy contractor’s regulations. As licensed contractors you have the right to work in California. You also have an obligation, really a…

I assist a contractor’s family that ran into a ‘brick’ wall when trying to ‘dig’ up answers to questions they had about licensing. While regular readers know how complex the rules and regulations for contractors can be, looking ‘in’ from outside the world of licensed contractors is even more daunting for one attorney who needs some…

While the voters passing Proposition 209 changed the rules for minority-owned companies in California, bid goals remain for some contractors. Is there a contract ‘advantage’ for your company? I shake the ‘foundation’ of another contractor’s ideas before ‘wading’ into a plumbing question… Q: Where can I sign up for the women-owned business? Seems I can’t find…

Funny how one question leads to another, but I will respond with more on the “A” vs “B” from a previous column. It is this back and forth of discussion that often leads to many contractors learning more about these issues critical to getting the most from your own license. With only so much space to…

It was planes, trains and automobiles carrying me south for the latest California State Contractors License Board meeting. With only a dozen or so audience members in attendance, James Miller, Chairman of the CSLB gaveled their quarterly meeting to order in San Diego. A wide variety of topics were discussed during their 3-½ hour gathering on…

Human wisdom partially comes from experiences that are shared by a friend or relative. This collective learning is often expressed by our most common clichés like ‘haste makes waste.’ That’s one every contractor can appreciate when paying for materials. Another to keep close to mind is ‘the devil is in the details’ especially when thinking about…