Coverage · California
California verification coverage
What a California Contractor Verification Report checks, check by check. Every report also shows which checks were completed for that contractor, with the date each source was read.
What each level means
- Live
- Checked in every California report.
- Partial
- Checked where a source covers it; the report says where it stops.
- Direct confirmation required
- The report shows what the record holds; confirm the rest with the issuer before you rely on it.
- Not available
- No source VetACrew reads covers it yet; the report names the next step.
Check by check
| Check | Coverage | What it covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity | Live | The license found by number or by name, with the business name, address, and people the board names on it. | State licensing board |
| Business registration | Partial | Corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships in the registry filing changes VetACrew holds, which are not a complete registry. Sole proprietors and fictitious business names are not registered there. | Secretary of State |
| License status | Live | Current status, secondary status such as probation, issue and expiration dates, and status changes. | State licensing board |
| Classification | Live | Every classification the license holds. Early access Comparison with the project type you select is in early access. | State licensing board |
| Bond | Live | The contractor bond and any qualifying individual’s bond: surety, amount, number, and dates. | State licensing board |
| Workers’ compensation | Live | The filing on the license (carrier, policy, and dates) or the exemption on file, with gaps between filings. | State licensing board |
| General liability | Direct confirmation required | The liability filing the board holds for limited liability company licensees, the only licensees it requires to file one. Ask for a certificate of insurance and confirm it with the carrier or agent. Early access Confirmation with the insurer or agent is in early access. | State licensing board; the insurer or agent |
| Permits | Partial | City of Los Angeles permits and inspection outcomes that carry the license number on the record, for the years searched. | Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety |
| Permits outside Los Angeles | Not available | Other cities and counties are not searched yet. Ask the contractor where they have pulled permits, then check with that office. | None yet |
| Complaints | Partial | Complaints the board discloses. Complaints it does not disclose, such as one resolved in the contractor’s favor, cannot appear. | State licensing board |
| Enforcement | Live | Citations, accusations, suspensions, revocations, and probation the board publishes. | State licensing board |
Before you pay a deposit in California
The state licensing board advises paying no more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less (source). A license bond is not insurance: it covers only damage from breaking state contractor law, and one bond is shared by everyone with a claim (source). Check the contractor before your money changes hands.
The rules behind these checks
The state licensing board advises paying no more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less.
Source: CSLB, What You Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor (pamphlet)
The license bond is not insurance and does not guarantee quality. A homeowner can claim against it only for damage caused by the contractor breaking state contractor law, and one bond is shared by everyone with a claim.
Every active California contractor license must keep a $25,000 contractor’s bond on file with the state licensing board. If continuous bond coverage lapses, the license is suspended.
Source: Business and Professions Code §7071.6; CSLB, General Bond Information
A separate $25,000 bond is required for a qualifying individual who is not the owner, a general partner, or a joint licensee, unless an exemption applies (for example a qualifier who owns at least 10 percent).
A limited liability company licensee must carry general liability insurance: at least $1,000,000 in the aggregate with five or fewer people on the license, plus $100,000 for each additional person, up to $5,000,000. The board may post the insurer, policy number, and limit.
Every active license must have workers’ compensation coverage on file with the board unless it has certified that it has no employees; concrete, heating and air, asbestos, roofing, and tree service licenses need coverage even without employees. A lapse suspends the license.
An active license entitles its holder to contract for work in the classifications that appear on the license, with a limited exception for work incidental and supplemental to the licensed trade.
Source: CSLB, Issuing My License; Business and Professions Code §7059
The board discloses a complaint only once it is referred for investigation after a probable violation is found, and discloses citations, accusations, and revocations for set periods. A complaint resolved in the contractor’s favor is never disclosed.
The board advises consumers to get at least three written bids and to ask for a certificate of insurance or the name of the contractor’s insurance carrier and agency to verify that the contractor has insurance.
The City of Los Angeles publishes its building permit and inspection records online.
Source: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Search Online Building Records
The Secretary of State’s business search covers corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships. Sole proprietorships are not registered with the Secretary of State, and fictitious business names are filed with the county.
Source: California Secretary of State, Business Entities: Information Requests
Sources read on .
Working outside California?
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