How to Check an ADU Contractor Before You Sign

An ADU is a big contract on the most expensive thing most people own. Four checks cover the basics: the license record, the deposit, who does the work, and the written scope.

Every California contractor license is public on the Contractors State License Board website, cslb.ca.gov. Enter the license number and read the whole record: the status, the classification, and any public disciplinary action. A general contractor building a structure like an ADU holds a General Building license, listed as Class B. Then match the name. The business name on the record should match the name on the estimate, the contract and the ads. A mismatch isn't automatically a problem, but ask about it. California contractors must also show their license number in their advertising. If a website, flyer or ad has no license number, ask why.

California limits the down payment on a home improvement contract to the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of the contract price. The statute is Business and Professions Code section 7159.5. Whether a particular ADU contract counts as a home improvement contract is a legal question, so read the CSLB's home improvement contract guidance and ask the contractor directly. A contractor who asks for a large deposit up front owes you an explanation. Get it in writing.

Estimates tell you what a contractor will charge. They don't tell you who will be standing in your yard. Ask whether the contractor's own crew does the work or whether subcontractors do, and which trades. Ask who is on site day to day and who you call when something goes wrong. Ask who pulls the permit and who is the point of contact with the city or county. Whittier addresses can fall under the City of Whittier or under unincorporated LA County, so the contractor should know which applies to your parcel before you sign.

Two estimates can differ by a lot because they cover different work. Put them side by side and compare line by line. Does each one include the plans, the permit fees, utility connections and finish work, or are some of those left to you? Don't accept a verbal scope. If something matters to you, it belongs in the written contract.

A contractor who answers the phone is easier to deal with if something goes wrong. Call G3 at (714) 747-1912, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Ask your questions and see how they answer.

G3 General Contractors, Inc. is a licensed general contractor, CSLB #1145796. Look us up on the CSLB site and read our record the same way you'd read anyone else's. We build garage conversions, junior ADUs, free-standing ADUs and multi-unit ADUs, and we offer free estimates with no pressure. Call or text (714) 747-1912. Sources: Contractors State License Board (cslb.ca.gov); California Business and Professions Code sections 7159.5 and 7030.5.