All Posts tagged California contractors

Palm Springs – Maybe you’ve done it . . . or you know someone who has  – that is, paid a contractor up-front for work to be done on their home . . . and then it didn’t get finished or was done poorly or the contractor skipped town.

California consumers are now being alerted by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) about what the law is regarding down payments paid to contractors – painters, landscapers, or any other type of construction contractor.  It is illegal for a contractor to ask for or accept a down payment of more than 10% of the total home improvement contract price . . . or $1,000, whichever amount is less.

Consumers who were victimized and have filed complaints with the CSLB tell investigators they were unaware of  a legal limit for down payments.  And there are many unlicensed operators out there who also don’t know about this California law.  If that is the case, this should be a red flag for you if you are looking to have work done by them.

If you are asked for a large amount of money up front before beginning work at your home, the worker may not be licensed or have the skills necessary to perform the work satisfactorily.  There have been many cases where unlicensed operators have taken a substantial down payment from a homeowner and never start the project.  It is virtually impossible at that point to recoup your money.

So, be careful when selecting contractors to do work on your home.  Ask them if they are licensed, and if they do give you a license number, go to the CSLB website at www.cslb.ca.gov and check it out to make sure they are legitimate.