Guides for California homeowners and contractors
Plain-language guides to California contractor licenses, license bonds, workers' compensation and building permits, checked against official sources.
How to check a California contractor's license
A plain-language guide to the CSLB license lookup: when California requires a license, how to search, and what active, inactive, expired and suspended mean.
Read the guideThe California contractor license bond: what it is and who needs it
What the $25,000 California contractor license bond is, who must file it with CSLB, what it protects, and how a homeowner or worker makes a claim.
Read the guideWorkers' compensation for California contractors: when it's required and what an exemption means
When California contractors must carry workers' compensation, which CSLB classifications can't be exempt, what an exemption means, and the change coming in 2028.
Read the guideWhat a building permit tells you before you hire a contractor
Why California requires building permits, what a permit record shows about a contractor's past work, how to look up Los Angeles permits, and the risks of skipping one.
Read the guideCheck a contractor on BLDAssure
Look up license status, classifications, bond on file and project history for California contractors, compiled from public records.