Hiring a general contractor is one of the most consequential financial decisions a Los Angeles homeowner makes. With projects ranging from $50,000 kitchen remodels to $500,000 room additions and $1M+ estate renovations, the choice of contractor determines not just the quality of the work but whether the project finishes on time, stays on budget, and avoids legal and permit problems. These are the 20 questions that separate a great contractor from a problematic one — with explanations of what the right answer looks like. APLA Construction (CA Lic #1136359) welcomes every one of these questions and answers them directly.
What you want: A current, active California contractor license. For general contracting, you want a Class B (General Building) or a specialty classification that covers your specific scope. Verify at cslb.ca.gov — enter the contractor name or license number to confirm active status, no disciplinary actions, and that the license type matches the work.
APLA’s answer: CA General Contractor License #1136359 — active, Class B General Building. Verify at cslb.ca.gov.
What you want: An immediate, confident answer. A contractor who hesitates, says “I’ll have to look that up,” or gives you a number that doesn’t match the CSLB lookup is a major red flag. Every licensed contractor knows their license number.
What you want: General liability insurance (minimum $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate) and workers’ compensation insurance for employees. Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI) with you listed as an additional insured. Request the COI directly from the contractor’s insurance broker to avoid altered documents.
What you want: Yes, with the ability to provide documentation. Subcontractor liability flows to the general contractor on a licensed project, but you want to know subcontractors are individually licensed for their specialty trades.
What you want: Yes, always. Permits are the mechanism by which the city inspects and signs off on construction. Work done without permits cannot be verified for code compliance and creates problems at resale — buyers’ lenders and title companies increasingly require permit records for renovation work. A contractor who suggests skipping permits to save time or money is offering to put you at legal and financial risk. Never accept this.
What you want: A confident, correct answer specific to your address. In greater Los Angeles, permits go through LADBS (City of LA), or through the independent building departments of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Long Beach, Malibu, Pasadena, Glendale, or Burbank. A contractor who doesn’t know which department handles your project is not experienced in your area.
What you want: A specific range that matches the scope and jurisdiction. Kitchen permit through City of Culver City: 3–5 weeks. Room addition through LADBS: 5–9 weeks. Second story in Beverly Hills: 6–10 weeks. A contractor who says “a few weeks” without specificity doesn’t have deep permit experience.
What you want: A named project manager or lead who will be on-site regularly and reachable by phone and text. Projects where the owner sells the job but disappears have the highest rate of problems.
What you want: Daily during active construction phases, with a clear schedule for each phase. Be wary of crews that work for a week, disappear for two, work for another week — this is typically a sign the contractor is over-extended.
What you want: A written milestone schedule — permit, demolition, rough framing, rough electrical/plumbing, inspections, insulation, drywall, finish work, punch list. Vague “it’ll take about 4 months” answers leave you with no recourse when the project drags.
What you want: A milestone-based payment schedule tied to completed phases of work — not a large upfront deposit. California law limits the initial deposit to 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less, for home improvement contracts. A contractor who requires 30–50% upfront is both violating state law and a significant financial risk.
What you want: A detailed written scope of work that specifies what is included and explicitly lists exclusions. “Allowances” for tile, fixtures, or appliances should be disclosed with a specific dollar amount — if the actual cost exceeds the allowance, the owner pays the difference. Unclear scope is the #1 cause of disputes and change orders.
What you want: A written change order process — any scope change is documented, priced, and signed by both parties before work begins. Verbal changes result in verbal disputes. Every change order should be in writing before execution.
What you want: References from projects similar in scope and neighborhood to yours. Call them. Ask specifically: Did the project finish on schedule? Was the final cost within the original estimate? Would you hire this contractor again? Were permits pulled and inspections completed?
What you want: A portfolio of actual completed work — not stock photos, not renderings. Ask to visit a recently completed project in person if possible. The quality of finish work in person is often very different from photos.
What you want: Yes, with specific examples. Beverly Hills, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and hillside LA properties each have unique permit processes, fire zone requirements, and construction challenges. A contractor without specific experience in your municipality or terrain type will learn on your project.
What you want: A thoughtful, specific answer that shows the contractor has actually looked at your property and thought through its challenges — not a generic answer. Hillside grading? Fire zone requirements? Coastal Commission? HOA approval? A good contractor identifies these before you sign.
What you want: At minimum, a one-year workmanship warranty on all labor. Some contractors offer longer warranties on specific components. California law provides a 10-year statutory warranty on structural defects and a 1-year warranty on other construction defects — your contractor’s written warranty should not be less than the statutory minimum.
What you want: A clear, specific process — written notice, response timeline, remediation within defined timeframe. A contractor who is vague or dismissive about post-project service is showing you exactly how a warranty claim will be handled.
What you want: Yes. A conditional lien release (upon payment) from the contractor and major subcontractors protects you from mechanics’ liens filed by unpaid subs or material suppliers. Ask for lien releases at each payment milestone. This is standard practice for legitimate licensed contractors in California.
Go to cslb.ca.gov and use the license lookup tool. You can search by license number or contractor name. The lookup shows license status, classification, expiration date, insurance status, and any disciplinary actions. Always verify before signing a contract.
Under California Business and Professions Code Section 7159.5, the maximum initial deposit for a home improvement contract is 10% of the total contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. A contractor who demands more than this is violating state law. This limit exists to protect homeowners from contractors who take large deposits and do not perform.
A valid California home improvement contract must include: contractor name, address, and license number; a detailed description of the work to be done; start and completion dates; total price; payment schedule; change order procedures; and the contractor’s warranty terms. The California CSLB provides a model contract checklist at cslb.ca.gov.
Yes. APLA Construction (CA Lic #1136359) provides written proposals with full scope, milestone payment schedules, detailed timelines, and certificate of insurance. We pull all permits and welcome reference calls. Call (818) 818-4419 or email info@aplaconstruction.com to schedule a free in-home estimate.
Call: (818) 818-4419
Email: info@aplaconstruction.com
CA General Contractor License #1136359
Serving all of greater Los Angeles including Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Culver City, Santa Monica, Glendale, Pasadena, Manhattan Beach, and the South Bay.
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