Ask a Professional - May 2007

Last month you mentioned about homeowner rights. What are my rights as a homeowner when I hire a contractor?

First you have the right to hire a licensed contractor. I know this seems like a silly question but here is another area where homeowners can easily be duped. The license I’m talking about is legal Contractors License, not a Drivers License! Don’t just take his or her word for it either. The Contractors License Board usually gives to the contractor a credit card size card stating that he or she is licensed by the state, tells the type of work they that they are doing and the date of expiration. Every contractor should carry this card when presenting a bid. A sales representative for a contractor should also carry a card of registration c/o the licensed contractor. When reading an advertisement, make sure that the Cal. Lic. Number is in the Ad. If the Ad just says Licensed Contractor, that doesn’t mean he or she has a valid California Contractors License so do your homework and go on the CSLB website and make sure. Next month we’ll get into what type of license contractor you’ll need.