Remodel contract rules for Concord, CA

The contract is with the contractor

California Business and Professions Code section 7159 applies to a home improvement contract over $500. A kitchen or bathroom remodel is that kind of work: repairing, remodeling, altering, converting, or modernizing a residence. The prime contractor is responsible for following the rules, and a failure to comply is cause for discipline. This site does not write that contract.

Section 7159.5 requires the contract to be in writing, with the full contract amount in dollars and cents, and any finance charge listed separately.

Down payment and progress payments

The down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and the contract must say so in 12-point bold type. Other payments belong in a schedule of progress payments tied to work performed. Except for the down payment, the contractor may not take payment ahead of the work done or the materials delivered. That cap is a rule in the statute. This site does not arrange payment terms.

Notices the contract has to include

The contract must include the Mechanics Lien Warning and the CSLB notice. Change orders must be in writing. The buyer gets a Three-Day Right to Cancel notice. That notice becomes five days for a senior citizen, unless the contract is negotiated at the contractor's place of business.

What this referral will not do on a call

Section 7159 also treats an agreement, oral or written, between a salesperson and an owner as a home improvement contract, whether or not that person is a registered home improvement salesperson. Because of that, a call to this site does not quote a price, agree a scope, take a deposit, or book the job. We pass contact details and we can schedule a time for a licensed general contractor to follow up. CSLB's online-marketplace Fast Facts say a referral service cannot solicit or negotiate a contract for a contractor, or offer to do the construction itself. You contract with the contractor and you pay the contractor.

Who may sell the job

Section 7152 says a person who solicits, sells, negotiates, or executes a home improvement contract for a licensed contractor must be registered with CSLB. As amended effective January 1, 2026, the statute exempts, among others, officers of record of the licensed corporation or LLC, listed general partners, the qualifying person, and a person who contacts you only to schedule an appointment for a registered home improvement salesperson. Ask who will come to the house, and whether that person is registered, or is an officer or the qualifier on the license. Calls to this site stop at scheduling. We do not discuss a price for your job.

Check the license before you sign

Look up the contractor on the CSLB license check. Section 7030.5 requires a licensee to show the license number in advertising. This site does not name a contractor. When one is named, the name and license number will be shown. Section 7027.1 makes it a misdemeanor to advertise for construction without a license in that classification, and advertising includes an electronic page. Concord Remodel Guide is a referral service, not a contractor, which is why the pages say a licensed general contractor will do the work.

Concord's own permit rule still applies on top of the contract: a kitchen or bathroom remodel in Concord, CA needs a building permit, including a replacement. See the permit guide.