How do I verify a contractor's license in California?

Go to the California Contractors State License Board website at cslb.ca.gov and search the contractor's license number. You can verify it's active, confirm the license classification, and check for any disciplinary actions.

What should a contractor estimate include?

A proper contractor estimate should itemize materials, labor, and any subcontracted work separately. It should specify allowances clearly and outline a payment schedule tied to project milestones — not arbitrary dates.

Is the lowest bid always the best choice for a contractor?

No. Low bids often hide artificially low allowances that increase when you make actual selections, exclude work that will become necessary, or reflect a contractor who cuts corners on materials or labor. Get three detailed bids and compare scope carefully — not just the bottom line.

How much should I pay upfront to a contractor?

California law limits contractor down payments to 10% of the total contract or $1,000, whichever is less, for home improvement projects. Be cautious of any contractor who demands a large upfront payment before work begins.

How to Choose the Right Contractor in San Diego (2025)

After 25 years of building in San Diego, I've heard a lot of contractor horror stories from homeowners who hired the wrong person. A nightmare remodel doesn't happen because someone got unlucky — it almost always happens because the hiring process was rushed or the wrong signals were ignored.

Here's what I'd tell a family member before they hired any contractor in San Diego.

Step 1: Verify the License Before Anything Else

In California, any contractor performing work over $500 in labor and materials must hold a valid CSLB license. This isn't a formality — it means they've passed trade exams, carry workers' comp insurance, and are bonded. Hiring an unlicensed contractor voids most homeowner's insurance coverage for that work and leaves you with no legal recourse if something goes wrong.

Go to cslb.ca.gov and search the contractor's license number. Confirm it's:

Active (not expired or suspended)
The right classification for your project (B-General Building, C-10 Electrical, C-36 Plumbing, etc.)
Free of disciplinary actions or complaints

Don't take their word for it. Ask for the license number upfront and look it up yourself. A legitimate contractor will have no problem with this.

Step 2: Get Three Detailed Bids — Then Compare Scope, Not Price

Three bids is the right number. One gives you nothing to compare. Two feels like a coin flip. Four or more and you're spending more time interviewing than moving forward.

When the bids come in, resist the urge to compare the bottom line first. Compare the scope. What's actually included? What are the allowances for cabinets, countertops, or fixtures? What's excluded? A $65,000 bid that excludes electrical, permits, and tile installation is not cheaper than a $78,000 bid that includes everything — it's just less honest.

Questions to ask about every bid:

What's the allowance for cabinets, countertops, and fixtures — and are those amounts realistic?
Are permits included?
What trades are being subcontracted, and who are those subs?
What's the payment schedule, and is it tied to milestones?
What's not included in this estimate?

Step 3: Understand Who Is Actually Doing the Work

Many general contractors are essentially project managers who subcontract every trade — framing, plumbing, electrical, tile — to separate crews who may have never worked together before. This isn't always bad, but it creates coordination risk. When the plumber finishes before the tile sub shows up and the project sits idle for two weeks, you're paying for that gap in time and quality.

Ask directly: Which parts of this project will your own employees handle, and which will be subcontracted? A contractor who runs their own in-house crews on the major trades typically delivers tighter timelines, more consistent quality, and a clearer line of accountability.

Step 4: Watch for These Red Flags

Red Flags to Walk Away From

No physical address or no fixed business location
Refuses to provide a license number or pulls a number from memory without documentation
Asks for more than 10% down before starting work (California law limits this)
Wants cash payment only
Vague estimate with no line-item breakdown
Pressures you to sign the same day
No written contract or says "we'll work out the details as we go"
Can start immediately on a large project (legitimate contractors are usually scheduled out)

Step 5: Check References and Recent Work

Ask for three references from projects completed in the last 12 months — similar in scope to yours. Call them. Ask: Did they finish on time? Was the final cost close to the estimate? Would you hire them again?

Google reviews and Yelp are useful but imperfect. Look for patterns across a large number of reviews, not just the handful of five-stars at the top. A contractor with 50 reviews averaging 4.8 stars tells you something different than one with 8 reviews averaging 5.0.

What a Good Estimate Looks Like

A thorough estimate is one of the clearest signals of how a contractor will manage your project. If they take the time to write a detailed, itemized proposal — materials and labor broken out by trade, allowances specified, exclusions listed — they're showing you how they think. A one-page quote for a $70,000 project is not an estimate. It's a guess.

At Complete Builders Inc, our estimates typically run 6–10 pages. Clients tell us it's the most useful document they received from anyone they talked to — whether they hired us or not. That's intentional. We'd rather give you the information to make a good decision than rush you into signing.

Bottom line: The right contractor is licensed, communicates clearly, puts everything in writing, and doesn't pressure you. They may not be the cheapest bid — but in 25 years, I've never seen a homeowner who saved money by hiring the wrong contractor.

Frank Megura

Owner & Licensed Contractor · CA Lic. #722402

Frank founded Complete Builders Inc in San Diego over 25 years ago. He has managed hundreds of remodeling and construction projects across San Diego County and has seen firsthand what separates a good hiring decision from a costly one.

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