Contractors May Be Unlicensed, Despite What Ads Show
While looking through the classified section recently, Robert Brennan found an electrician to do some work on his new home. After receiving an estimate, Brennan looked up the contractor's license, only to find that he was not qualified for a state contractor's license and was advertising with his city of Bakersfield business license. Brennan used the state contractor's license board website to look up the license number and found that it did not exist. Brennan found 19 advertisements for people who did not have proper state contractor's licenses--some were canceled, expired or did not exist.
Contractors May Be Unlicensed, Despite What Ads Show
March 1, 2007
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Hiring a contractor for that spring construction project may not be as easy as it once was.
Video: Some Contractors Advertise Licenses Without Any
While looking through the classified section recently, Robert Brennan found an electrician to do some work on his new home. After receiving an estimate, Brennan looked up the contractor's license, only to find that he was not qualified for a state contractor's license and was advertising with his city of Bakersfield business license.
Brennan used the state contractor's license board website to look up the license number and found that it did not exist. Brennan found 19 advertisements for people who did not have proper state contractor's licenses--some were canceled, expired or did not exist.
Brennan felt the ads were misleading, while contractor Edgar Gonzalez--who has an ad that lists a license, but it's his city business license--feels that it is not deceptive. Contractors with a business license but not a contractor's license can do work, but no more than $500.
Gonzalez believes the contractor has to be upfront about his or her license situation before taking on any job.
ABC 23 spoke with the vice president of advertising from The Bakersfield Californian. He said that until now, they have not verified if the license numbers in advertisements by contractors were valid state contractor's licenses. However, it is now going to verify all license numbers through the state board.
For more on how to check a contractor's license, you can log on to the state board's website at: www.cslb.ca.gov.
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