Licensed and bonded

How to check a license

• Open the Contractors State License Board's “Check a Contractor License” page.
• Search by license number (1137566), business name, or the contractor's name.
• Read the status and the classification on the record.

Source: Contractors State License Board: Check a Contractor License

The bond

A California contractor's license bond has to be $25,000; it rose to that amount on January 1, 2023.

Who can make a claim against the bond is set out in Business and Professions Code §7071.5.

The bond covers any project the contractor takes on, and the license board warns it is often not enough to cover several complaints or a project worth more than the bond.

The license board's record for a contractor has a “Contractor's Bond History” link showing which surety company wrote the bond.

Sources: Contractors State License Board: Bond Requirements; California Business and Professions Code §7071.5 (who the contractor's bond is for); Contractors State License Board: How do I find the right licensed contractor?; Contractors State License Board: Bond Basics

Insurance

The license board says a contractor's insurance information is on the contractor's license history page.

What the license board requires of contractors for workers' compensation, and for which license classes, is set out on its workers' compensation page.

Sources: Contractors State License Board: How do I find the right licensed contractor?; Contractors State License Board: Workers' Compensation Requirements