All states California

1. Get the license number from the contractor

   Ask for the license number before anything else. A licensed contractor has it on the bid, the contract, the business card and often the truck. If someone says "we're licensed and insured" but can't produce a number on the spot, treat that as your first answer.

   California CSLB license numbers are plain digits, usually six or seven. The classification letters (B, C-10, C-39 and so on) are listed on the record, not in the number.

2. Search the number on the official site

   Search the number on the official site. In California that is the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) (opens official site) license search at cslb.ca.gov. Search by the number first; a name search can miss a business that is licensed under a different legal name.

   You can also look the contractor up here . Our results come from California's own published license file, so they are a fast first check, but the official record is live and also shows complaints and discipline.

3. Read the record: status, name, expiration

   Three things have to line up. The status should say active, current or valid, not expired, inactive, suspended or revoked. The name on the license should be the business or person on your contract. The expiration date should be after the day the work finishes, not just after the day you sign.

   Look for a complaints or discipline section on the record. Most California license searches show open complaints, past discipline and sometimes bond claims. One old complaint on a long-running license is normal; several recent ones are not.

4. Check that the license covers your job

   California licenses general, residential, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing and specialty work at the state level. A license covers one kind of work, so a roofer's license doesn't cover your electrical panel, and a specialty license doesn't cover a whole remodel. Check that the classification or license type on the record matches the job you are hiring for.

   Hiring for one trade? California may license it through a different board. See electricians in California , plumbers in California or HVAC contractors in California .

5. Know the small-job line

   California lets unlicensed people do small jobs under $1,000. Jobs under $1,000 total for labor and materials are exempt only if minor, need no building permit, are not split from a larger job, and the worker does not advertise as a contractor or use employees. Above that line, the person doing the work needs a license, and the exemption doesn't cover someone who splits a big job into small invoices.

6. Ask for proof of insurance

   California requires insurance to hold a license: Workers' compensation if the contractor has employees; LLCs also need liability insurance of at least $1 million.

   A bond is also required: $25,000 contractor bond, plus a $25,000 qualifying individual bond when applicable.

   Whatever the state requires, ask for a certificate of insurance made out to you, and call the insurer on the certificate to confirm it is current. A license search tells you the contractor met the requirement when the license was issued or renewed, not that the policy is still paid.

7. Make sure the permit is pulled in the contractor's name

   Any job that needs a permit should have the permit pulled by the contractor, under the contractor's license. A contractor who asks you to pull the permit as the homeowner is usually hiding a license problem. Permits come from the building department for your city or county.

8. If something goes wrong, file with the board

   If the contractor stops showing up, does work the permit doesn't cover, or the license turns out to be wrong, put it in writing to them first, stop paying, then file a complaint in California (opens official site) . Boards can suspend licenses, which gets attention a lawsuit doesn't.