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Prior to hiring a contractor there are many factors you should consider before picking up the phone to make that appointment. Asking these key questions will almost always safeguard you from the illegal contractors that may take your money and never even start the work or start the work and walk away before the job is done. Mechanics Liens are also a problem when sub-contractors or their employees do not get paid for their work. These liens get filed against your home for non-payment even if you paid the contractor. You can not sell, refinance or convey title to your home to anyone else until the lien is removed. Illegal contractors have nothing to loose because they have no-one to answer to when they walk away! Always check out the contractor on the website below to check their credentials and make sure they are contracting with a current active license, bond, work comp, and in their field they are licensed. A landscape contractor is not licensed to do your roof.

1. What is your Contractors License number and company name. These should match on the California State Contractors Board website and no-one else is allowed to contract under that license unless they are listed as a partner, partner of the corporation or LLC . Click on check a contractor or consumer buttons to input their information. Always Check Them Out, call their referrals and personally visit past jobs they have done before signing any contracts. www.cslb.ca.gov

2. Ask if they have a bond and workman's compensation to protect you & your home from injured employees trying to sue you. This will show up on the Contractors License Board site at the bottom of the page where their (specific contractor) license information shows up. If they are using Sub-Contractors with employees, the sub-contractor will also have to carry workman's compensation & bond and be legally licensed in the field they are working. Sub-Contractors working Only for themselves with absolutely NO employees (including day labor) do not have to carry work comp, but must be licensed and carry a bond.

3. Ask if they run their employees on payroll! Illegal contractors usually pay their employees cash and if caught working on your home You can be held liable for their state and federal taxes, unemployment insurance, disability & medical if injured.

4. Ask for referrals and Check Them Out! Also look at the jobs to see the quality of the work and talk to the referrals to see how the job was handled. If a contractor will not give you contact information for his referrals there is most likely a problem.

5. Ask if the Contractor will give a detailed bid on work to be done with explicit details of materials necessary, Labor & time it will take to do the work and a payment schedule not to exceed work completed. Check all bids against each other and compare apples to apples. (Some contractors leave out large details to appear to be the lowest bid when in reality they are the highest).

6. Ask how much deposit they require. The deposit should be 10% or $1000 whichever is less.