California Contractors State License Board Reviews

In 2014, I claimed with a wrong license No that the landscaper wrong wrote on the estimate. That's why the board sent the notice to a wrong contractor(a roofer). Even so, it should've checked the content and sent right. Anyway, I sent an email and left a message asking "Do I have to send the claim again with right No?: no response for several weeks. I again made all the docu and sent it. One month later, the officer recommended me to get back only $150, the one on the contract. I reluctantly yielded accepting it as I wanted to finish it fast. But now that I look back what I hurt from the scary landscaper that carries CA natives, it should've had her(landscape designer) to refund in full($300).

Have been asking for a simple form to fill out so we can re-activate our license. I've applied by phone twice and once over website. I don't understand why the form can't be available on line and then we can just print it and send it in with the fee...?

You guys really need to step it up this is ridiculous

What a waste of State funds. The inspectors have a casual relationship with some of the contractors which makes obvious violations i.e.,working without a permit , bogus receipts from contractor's etc ,. etc,. hard to get justice or compensation from the contractor.
By the time my case came up for reinspection , the inspector and the contractor's representative were telling me where I could buy the material's needed to fix the damage caused by the contractor.
Contractor's State Licensing Board does not operate honestly or with any type of integrity. It's what's on paper that looks good. Disappointed. Let down and negatively look upon this state program. It serves very little purpose.

If you want to get in line to have someone ACTUALLY pick up the phone on the other end, punch in these numbers in sequence while waiting a bit between each one: 21343. Had some questions that wasn't answered on their website. Before my test, the few interactions I had with them were not pleasant. This is why so few people have a license in California- which i guess is a good and bad thing... less competition comes to mind. Just one more hurdle that even the best tradesman have to jump over to get "Official" and have their licence number on the side of their company truck. The biggest joke ever. This doesn't encourage free enterprise. The just are punished with the crooks. Hate it, because every serious tradesmen is forced to work with them or they would be considered a criminal. Comply or else- its the law!

We mailed our renewal 3 days before the postmark date. But someone must have opened it and hand delivered it a day late and the office stamped it and sent it back to us notifying us we had to pay the extra $200 since it was now late. We've tried multiple times to have them look into this but they don't care, they just want more money.

Name a government agency that actually solves a problem...

I sent my license renewal forms in 3 weeks ago (twice for good measure) by mail of course after I didn't even receive the renewal forms in the mail the first time and had to request a duplicate...also sent out by mail only. Paid online...in advance of sending in both. I guess someone in the CSLB must have gone to IT school finally and figured out how to set up online payments on their website...whoah is it 2010 already?

My license is now sitting expired and my GC customers are not paying me our monthly draws. So I'm sitting here bleeding thousands of dollars in interest to pay bills with loans in the middle of a world wide pandemic, and our state is on fire. No wonder people are scrambling like rats to get out of this state. GET IT TOGETHER CSLB!

Consumer protection agency???? Not even close. Mediation put some pressure on my HVAC contractor but nothing got resolved. Finally after trying to get contractor to finish job I gave permission to elevate to Investigation. The "Investigator" came and Interrogated me like I was the criminal not the victim in this $25,000 HVAC job gone bad. Top of the line Thermostats and system don't work as one would expect like turn on and off when temp reached. Dr told me to move out of house due to getting a lung infection from excessive insulation dust coming out of my brand new duct work. CSLB sent an "HVAC expert" who didn't listen when I answered him, talked to me like I was stupid and wrote a report that was so full of false information from what was witnessed by him and now I have no recourse because he was the "expert and said there were zero problems with the job. He brought no tools except cell phone and only took photos of what he wanted to paint a story that helps the contractor not the consumer. Where does the consumer turn for help when job is abandoned and not even permitted?

Its Friday, January 26th, CSLB have had my license renewal for a month but my license is set to expire next Tuesday. When will they process my application?

CSCLB IS A JOKE...USELESS TO THE CONSUMER

In January 2016 I presented 90 pages of evidence about a landscape contractor whose license was suspended (not on website) and presented himself as licensed and bonded, He billed us for over $85,000 before we discovered his lies and deceit.The contractors board has been useless in stopping this guy and recovering my losses. After almost two years of forms and countless contacts with CSCLB investigators and supervisors NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE to conclude their investigation or recover the monies they said he would have to pay to keep his license.

Do your diligence. Call ahead for information on what paperwork and monies you need to take for your particular action. Been here thru the years and have yet to have a bad experience.

They show you what to study for the Contractor License Exam.

Absolutely ridiculous that you can't get ahold of somebody and renew your license, California what a joke.

FOUR WEEKS to reschedule an exam re-take! Absolutely unacceptable!
Everything the government touches turns to trash. This agency is only efficient at taking in money. It's all about stealing people's hard earned money on both ends: consumers and those seeking to be licensed.

They've been helpful with everything I've gone in there.

There system is terrible it been 4month and they still have not been able to renew my business license. They should be reported because of there lack of service. They should be reported because there system is slow it take 4months to activate a License. This people don't care due to there effortlessness bad customer service.

They're quick to take your money and slow to get anything done. The quintessential bloated government agency.

Very unprofessional. Because it is state run no one even does their job, can t return calls, can t review paperwork correctly. You call and all they do is transfer you to 50 different departments. No one is on the same page, different answers every time you ask a question. Pay all this money to get a license and they can t even file the paperwork in a timely manner. Been almost a year and still haven t gotten anywhere. This kind of state run institute is why people work unlicensed. This building should just close down.

If anyone believes that the CSLB represents the consumer they are in need of psychiatric treatment. My experience over the past 11 months has proven that this agency is nothing but a bunch of do nothing government bureaucrats. They are quite worthless!

Its ALL ABOUT Pensions, Payroll Retirements !!! We need contractors overseeing these individuals so we get better results WAKE UP!!!

No stars would be better. They are an F ing joke and always have been.

They are not for the contractors they are against them! They never want to help instead they attack them!

It might be helpful if the CSLB posted information regarding contractors that have had complaints , issue s of unprofessional work ethics or not operating within the guidelines set out by CSLB. My issue was , amongst many , that the contractor didn t apply for the permit to do the work but when the issue was brought before the board they allowed him to get the permit 3 years later ( that s how long the process for justice was ) with no backlash. It was as if he had done nothing wrong. And then he turned around and opened a business in another name. All of you should be ashamed to allow your contractors to act in such a way. Had I known that 2 years previous to my complaint he had an issue with another person in this park. Had CSLB made that info public I would have never hired him. But they protect the useless ones and for that I give them 1 star. I wrote my Congressman and anyone that had anything to do with this board. It serves NO PURPOSE!!!

2016 and you still can't make payments online or over the phone. Mail or over the counter only. Extremely inconvenient as what they are supposed mail you don't always show up. You'd think they'd have the technology to email you notices and info, nope

This is not the fastest govt agency and it isn't without an occasional bad apple, but all things considered I think they do an alright job. They verify and enforce the competency of all contractors in California, which is a seriously important function of govt, a massive Herculean mountain of work, and a totally thankless job. No little kid dreams of becoming a CSLB worker. Furthermore, the contractors they work for don't like them because take time and complying with regulations costs money, which is why CSLB has a low rating and I bet they hear BS from contractors all day. Despite this, the workers themselves have been helpful, competent, and motivated and I think the board is effective and beneficial for both taxpayers and contractors.. There are much worse parts of the California government.

you have got to be kidding, I have tried to correct my address for 2 years and it is still wrong so the renewal doesn't get sent to me and i end up paying a penalty.
BUT GETTING AHOLD OF THE RIGHT PERSON HELPS, the guy calling me from CSLB was very cordial and had some empathy, here's hoping second time is the charm

Most useless agency in the world! Employees absolutely doesn't know what they are doing, always different answers on the same questions! Trying to apply application for the 3RD TIME, paying money 3rd time, they still didn't do absolutely nothing, they just lost all paperworks!! I have no words, someone need to stop this

Typical GOVERNMENT ran system... wWORTHLESS!!!! ZERO help and you CAN NOT reach out or speak to anyone ...VOICE MAIL HELL!!!

Democrat ran STATE at it's finest...just send us money....worthless !!!

Been trying to contact them for days and all you get is some automated phone line. and your not able to speak with somebody from there office.

The Contractors Licensing Board is useless. What a waste of our state's money. They were of no help to me in regards to my landscape contractors ineptitude. I had to handle everything through the bond agency. I proved to the Bond agency that the contractor ruined my yard
and they paid me to have my contractor's work taken out and replaced with quality work. I really don't know what good the licensing board does.
My interactions with them were a complete waste of time. They were useless.