California contractor license lookup: how to check an HVAC contractor (CSLB)

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses California contractors and runs a free online tool for checking a license's status and reviewing complaint disclosure information.

1. Get the contractor's license number. CSLB notes that a California contractor license number contains no letters.
2. Open CSLB's Check a License page, listed in the sources below.
3. Search by license number. You can also search by business name or by a person's first and last name. A business name search returns up to 50 names and a personnel search up to 100, so the number is the fastest route.
4. Open the record and compare it with your quote.

CSLB says its database is unavailable from Sunday at 8 p.m. to Monday at 6 a.m. for maintenance. You can also check a license by phone at (800) 321-CSLB (2752). CSLB warns that a license number shown in an ad does not guarantee the license is valid, so always check the status yourself.

• Status. The license should be current and active.
• Business name. It should match the company on your quote and contract.
• Classification. Heating and cooling work belongs to C-20, which CSLB titles Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor.
• Bond. CSLB says licensed contractors must carry a $25,000 contractor license bond. It also cautions that the amount may not cover several complaints or a large project, and that a bond does not assure a contractor's integrity or competency.
• Workers' compensation. California requires it when a contractor has employees. CSLB says C-20 contractors must carry it, or have a valid Certification of Self-Insurance on file, even without employees.
• Complaint disclosure. Read anything listed.

CSLB's consumer pages set out several rules worth knowing before you sign for a new AC, furnace or heat pump:

• A written contract is required for home improvement projects over $500 in combined labor and materials.
• The down payment should never exceed 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless the contractor has a Blanket Performance and Payment Bond on file with CSLB.
• The contract must identify the contractor and give the address and license number. It should state the work, the price, when payments are due, who obtains building permits and the completion date.
• Changes should be made in writing on a change order.
• You may cancel within three days of signing. The notice must be mailed before midnight of the third day.

CSLB also advises getting at least three written bids based on the same plans and scope, and it warns against automatically taking the lowest one. A bid far below the others can signal a mistake or missing work.

CSLB's permit page says most construction work, including alterations and repairs to a building, requires a permit from the local building official, and that code requirements vary between cities and counties. For an AC, furnace or heat pump replacement, ask your building department what applies and make sure the contract says who obtains the permit. A contractor who proposes skipping it is shifting risk onto you.

An active C-20 license shows the contractor may legally do the work. It does not show that the system is sized correctly or that the price is fair. That is what the three bids are for. For how this site connects readers with contractors, see how contractor matching works.