Some of you have been lucky and have never had a Contractors’ State License Board complaint. Others have had a few. Lately, the “consumer playbook” is to not only litigate, but to file complaints with the CSLB, the license bond surety, and post negative reviews on social media including Yelp and Angie’s List. This article will only focus on the CSLB, but your response may be similar though the ramifications are different.
When a complaint is received by the Contractors Board, it is first assigned to an intake center which will informally try to resolve the case before sending it to an investigator. It is at this point that your best move is to do what you can to settle the claim. The CSLB usually sends a form letter to the contractor, advising that a complaint has been received from a complainant, the address where the project is located, and an advisory that the contractor should contact the customer and attempt to settle the matter. The form also requires a response to the Contractors Board. That response requires the contractor to advise the board if: