The City Attorney announced today his office will file criminal charges against 37 unlicensed contractors. He says they are bilking home owners out of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

State and local leaders suggest the following when evaluating potential contractors:

1. Only trust licensed contractors. Ask for their license number and be sure to check it against the Contractor’s State License Board. Also make sure the names and address correspond to the ones given to you by the contractor.

California State Licensing Board website: http://www.cslb.ca.gov

CSLB toll-free information line: 800-321-CSLB

2. Be sure to get a written contract that specifies the project’s cost, the down payment amount, and the start and completion dates.

3. You are only legally obligated to pay a maximum of $1,000 or 10 percent of the project cost, whichever is less, for a deposit. NEVER pay more than $1,000 for a deposit.

4. If extra money is requested to buy materials, the best thing to do is go with the contractor and purchase them together.