Too often, homeowners seeking an experienced contractor for a home construction project make the mistake of hiring an “imposter” – a handyman or unlicensed person masquerading as an experienced and licensed contractor. Learn how to spot the fakers!
Unless a contractor’s “claim” of being licensed, bonded, and insured is backed and evidenced by the Department of Consumer Affairs Contractors State License Board (CSLB), those claims are nothing more than empty words.
The express purpose of the CSLB is to protect consumers by regulating the construction industry through policies that promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the public in matters relating to construction. When you work with an imposter for any home remodel or construction project, should something go wrong, your legal recourse is far more difficult, and your safety, legal, and financial exposure is far greater. Consequently, finding and hiring an actively licensed contractor for your upcoming home remodel, renovation, or repair project is mission critical!
Unbeknownst to many homeowners, imposters are often simply a handyman hoping “to earn more by doing more.” The problem is, a handyman is limited to projects of no more than $1000. Even a very modest bathroom remodel is going to be more than $1000, so why would you entrust anything more than the replacement of a light fixture or a simple drywall repair to a handyman? This is a clear case of BUYER BEWARE!
Interestingly, most California homeowners interested in remodeling their kitchen, master bathroom, or some other part of their home, are unfamiliar with the Department of Consumer Affairs and its CSLB. This lack of awareness and understanding can result in hiring mistakes and construction mishaps, as well as serious financial and legal consequences.
To avoid high cost hiring mistakes, it’s important to understand the various types of licensed contractors available to you, and why one type may be better than another.
If you want to expand and upgrade your kitchen, or you’re looking to rearrange the floor plan and layout of your master bedroom and bath, or you’re ready to remodel your entire house for better space usage and flow, then you’re best served by working with a General Building Contractor who has a current and active B (also known as a B-1) license. The aforementioned types of construction – that involve changes to the structure, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, insulation, and drywall – demand a general contractor for submitting the plans and pulling the building permits that are required.
Even if you plan to interact with the building department yourself, your first and best choice for projects of this complexity will be a general contractor – whose license also allows this type of contractor to manage, supervise, and coordinate your entire project, from start to finish.
A licensed General Building Contractor is the appropriate contractor for you in any remodeling project that will involve any kind of structural change. Why? Unlike other contractors, those holding a current and active B license may do ANYTHING in connection with ANY structure built. To use the exact words of the CSLB, B license contractors may do any construction requiring “the use of at least two unrelated building trades or crafts, or to do or superintend the whole or any part thereof.”
If you have a far simpler remodeling project that will not involve any structural changes or alterations, then perhaps a B-2 Residential Remodeling Contractor could suffice. B-2 contractors “shall not contract to make structural changes to load bearing portions of an existing structure, including, but not limited to, footings, foundations, load bearing walls, partitions, and roof structures.” Additionally, they “shall not contract to install, replace, substantially alter, or extend electrical, mechanical, or plumbing systems or their component parts, or the mechanisms or devices that are part of those systems, unless the residential remodeling contractor holds the appropriate license classification, or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed contractor.”
The third type of contractor is a Speciality Contractor who holds a C license. Specialty contractors do “construction work requiring special skill and whose principal contracting business involves the use of specialized building trades or crafts.” Examples of this would be: plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, landscapers, etc. The extent of their construction capabilities, per their license, would be limited to their specific area of specialization.
In summary, choosing an actively licensed contractor for your home construction project depends upon the type of construction you need to have done. By avoiding imposters who falsely claim expertise yet lack an active contractor’s license, you can spare yourself from potential harm and ensure your home construction project is completed correctly and with every legal safeguard in place.
This blog is part 4 of an important 10 part series that encourages homeowners to “Beware of Imposters.” This special blog series is focused on helping California homeowners identify and avoid unlicensed contractors, who we refer to as “imposters.” If you have questions about an upcoming home repair, remodel, room addition, or building an ADU, then call Ed Neir Construction (license #: 928715) at (707) 999-5878 or text (408) 368-7162 for a free estimate.
Ed Neir, General Contractor, License #: 928715
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