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Ten questions to ask before you sign

Including the awkward ones. Several have legal answers, which makes them easy to check, and a vague answer to one of those tells you plenty.

Published July 2, 2026Current as of August 27, 20264 min read
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The short version

  • You can verify any California contractor's license, bond, and insurance in about thirty seconds at cslb.ca.gov.
  • The deposit on a home improvement contract is capped by law at $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less.
  • The exclusions list in a bid tells you more than the inclusions list.
  • If one bid is far below the others, there's a reason. Ask what it is.

Ask us these. Ask everyone else these too.

  • 01

    What's your license number?

    You can look up any California contractor at cslb.ca.gov: status, classification, bond, workers' comp, and any disciplinary history. Thirty seconds. A number handed over without hesitation is a good sign.

  • 02

    Who pulls the permit?

    The contractor should. If you're asked to pull it yourself as an owner-builder, understand what that does: you become responsible for the work, the code compliance, and potentially for anyone hurt on your property. Occasionally legitimate. More often a way around a licensing or insurance problem.

  • 03

    How much is the deposit?

    On a home improvement contract in California it's capped at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. That's Business and Professions Code section 7159.5. A request for 30 percent up front isn't a company policy. It's a violation.

  • 04

    What's excluded from this price?

    More informative than the inclusions. The usual omissions: utility upgrades, site work, permit fees, impact fees, school fees, landscape repair, appliances. A bid with no exclusions section either hasn't been thought through, or the exclusions are coming later as change orders.

  • 05

    Which of these numbers are allowances?

    An allowance is a placeholder for something you haven't picked yet, like tile or fixtures. Perfectly normal, and also where a low bid hides. Ask what each one assumes. A tile allowance that buys nothing you'd actually choose is a price increase waiting to happen.

  • 06

    How does the payment schedule work?

    Payments should follow completed work you can see: foundation poured, framing inspected, drywall done. A schedule tied to calendar dates instead of progress moves the risk onto you.

  • 07

    Can I see your insurance certificate?

    General liability and workers' compensation, current, with your project named. Ask for the certificate, not a verbal yes. If someone gets hurt on an uninsured job at your house, that can land on you.

  • 08

    How do change orders work?

    In writing, priced, signed before the work happens. Every job has changes. The question is whether you find out what one costs when it's proposed or when the invoice shows up.

  • 09

    What about lien releases?

    You may get preliminary notices from suppliers early on. That's routine, not a warning. What matters is that you receive unconditional lien releases as payments go out, so nobody can put a claim on your house after the job closes.

  • 10

    Who do I call, and how often will I hear from you?

    One name, one number, and a stated rhythm. The most common complaint homeowners have about construction isn't cost or quality. It's not knowing what's happening at their own house.

And one about the bid itself

If one number comes in dramatically under the others, find out why before you treat it as good news. There are only a few explanations:

  • Something's excluded that the others included
  • An allowance is set unrealistically low
  • The scope was misread
  • The number isn't real, and the difference arrives later as change orders

Ask which one it is. A contractor who can explain a low number is worth listening to.

Ask all ten before you hire anyone, us included. Verify the license first. It takes half a minute, and it's the same half minute worth spending on everyone you talk to.

Sources

This is our read of the rules, not legal advice. We write these because they're the questions we get asked, and we keep them current. ADU law changes most Januaries, and every city adds its own rules on top of the state's, so before you spend money on anything here, confirm it with your city or county planning counter. Or call us and we'll confirm it for you.

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Want this answered for your address?

State law is the floor. What your city allows on top of it is the part that decides your project. Tell us where you are and we'll tell you what fits.

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Ten questions to ask before you sign | The Omni Company LLC