PASADENA — Fourteen contractors have been cited on suspicion of working without a license in Pasadena, authorities announced Thursday.
The Contractors State License Board engaged in a two day “Blitz” of stings targeting unlicensed contractors throughout California, CSLB officials said in a written statement.
More than 110 people were cited in the two-day operation, which was carried out in nine cities on Oct. 20 and 21. The CSLB conducts such stings twice annually.
“This Blitz is a wake-up call for all California consumers,” CSLB Registrar Steve Sands said. “
“You must check out the people you’re going to hire to work on your home to make sure they’re properly licensed. Your family safety or your finances could be jeopardized by not taking a few minutes to verify the contractor on CSLB’s website or through our toll-free phone system,” he said.
Two of those cited in Pasadena were also booked and fingerprinted before being released, officials said.
In the sting, CSLB investigators posed as homeowner and community organization volunteers as they solicited bids from unlicensed contractors for work ranging from swimming pool repair to painting, according to the CSLB statement.
Those who bid more than the legal limit of $500 for labor and materials received a notice to appear in court for a misdemeanor charge contracting without a license.
Under California law, contractors may work without a license on jobs valued at $500 or less, so long as they advertise that they are not licensed.
Other charged levied against suspected unlicensed contractors included illegal advertising and soliciting excessive down payments, officials said.
With a few exceptions that are noted on the CSLB’s website, it’s against state law to solicit a down payment for contracting work of more than 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less.
According to the CSLB statement, “The goal of CSLB’s twice-yearly blitz is to educate consumers about potential dangers of hiring phony contractors, and to encourage people who want to work in the construction trades and who qualify to get their contractor license to comply with California law.”
Contractors working without licenses don’t carry workers’ compensation, leaving homeowners potentially liable if a worker is hurt on the job, officials said. Additionally, if something goes wrong with the project, consumers have fewer options to get their money back when dealing with an unlicensed contractor.
Other cities included in the sting were Fresno, La Mesa, Placerville, Porterville, San Juan Capistrano, Seaside, Visalia and West Sacramento.
The CSLB can be reached online at www.cslb.ca.gov, or by calling 800-321-2752.