This page will inform you of what to look for when comparing your licensed general contractors...

• The Contractor's State License Board(CSLB) was instituted for the protection of the consumer.
• Selecting a licensed installer grants you the warranty of the install.  Any future claims may be taken to the CSLB and you have their assistance in addressing the problems and have the validity of the installer's license in your specific project.  This is the State's way of protecting the consumer from faulty installs, unreachable contacts, and evading wrongdoers.
• It is easy to check to see if your installer is licensed by going to http://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/default.asp
• They can provide you with information, easily help you check on your installer's license by name or number, and connect to other information that can assist you.
• California created the cslb to protect you and your project! It is FREE, use it.
• Insist that all questions be answered. Incomplete answers can lead to incomplete jobs.
• Test the contractor's phone number on several occasions. Do you get a machine, voice mail or a human? Humans solve problems, not machines. Note response times. If it takes days to get a return call, this could spell trouble if you start a job with this contractor.
• The cost breakdown is so important. It allows you to compare quotations quite easily. You can see why one quote is low and another is high. On larger projects, a blank space in the breakdown tells you an item has been forgotten.
• Insurance coverage is mandatory. You want real copies with current dates to show you will be covered if someone gets injured on your job. Remember that sub-contractors must have their own separate insurance coverage.
• Start - Stop Dates will help you determine if the contractor is serious about your job. Ask about who will be working on your job and when they intend to show up. Ask about delays - what causes them and how long might they last.
• References are critical. The key is to find ones from the different time periods. Ask the people different questions. The most recent reference can provide you with interesting data. For example, did the contractor arrive when promised? If  there was a delay, what was the problem?  How long was the delay? Was the jobsite kept clean? Did anybody play loud music?  What would the referral do  differently if  allowed to  start the job over from the beginning?
• Ask the referral from two years ago about warranty claims. Was repair work necessary? Were their severe problems? Was the contractor responsive? Were the defects fixed correctly the first time or were repeated attempts necessary?
• The oldest referral has good information too. Ask how well the work has held up. Ask what they would do differently? Would they hire the contractor again, OR have they since found a different contractor who does better work? You might be surprised by the answers.
• Hire a specialist of a trade that they are licensed to do.