Fire Rebuild Guides
To check a licensed general contractor for an Eaton Fire rebuild in Altadena, read three records before you approve anything. First, the license at cslb.ca.gov, by number: the status, a Class B General Building classification, the bond, the workers' compensation line and the complaint history. An exemption on file with a crew on site is a warning sign on day one. Second, the permit history under the company name in the County record: finished houses with a certificate of occupancy, not a list of remodels. Third, the agreement: a fixed price with a written scope, a down payment capped at the lesser of ten percent or a small fixed amount set by state law, a payment schedule in dollars tied to named work, lien releases before each draw, and the seven-business-day cancellation notice a disaster-area agreement must carry. Read it with your attorney. If you want these checks run for you, the first call is free.
I am Sebastian Moreno Rivera, the owner of Build And Decor Construction, and I wrote this on October 23, 2026. The license, CSLB #1113888 (Class B General Building and C-33 Painting and Decorating), is held by the corporation, Build And Decor Construction, and I am its qualifying individual on the State record.
The business card says licensed. The State record says what kind, whether it is active, whether the bond is in force, and whether the company carries workers' compensation or has an exemption on file. Read all four lines at cslb.ca.gov by license number, then read the complaint history on the same page. A house needs a B classification. A contractor with employees and an exemption on file has a gap you would be paying for.
Altadena permits live with Los Angeles County Public Works Building and Safety, and the record is public. Pull the permits under the company name and read what was finished. A certificate of occupancy on a new single-family house is the proof that the company has carried a whole house from foundation to final. A record of remodels tells you what you are buying.
Fixed price, written scope. A disaster rebuild in California is a home improvement contract under the Business and Professions Code, and the State's disaster guidance calls for a fixed price. Cost-plus or time and materials on a fire rebuild is a red flag by itself.
The down payment is capped at the lesser of ten percent of the price or a small fixed amount set by state law, with no exception for special-order materials.
Nothing runs ahead of the work. After the down payment, a contractor may not request or accept payment above the value of work performed and materials delivered on site. The rule covers money released by your lender or financier. Materials and mobilization are invoiced when the materials are on your lot, never before.
The schedule is in dollars against named work, and you may ask for an unconditional lien release for everything you have paid before you pay the next draw.
The cancellation notice. A contract for repair or restoration after a declared emergency carries a seven-business-day right to cancel on a detachable page. Missing is a question to ask before you approve.
A time-and-materials or cost-plus offer. A workers' compensation exemption with a crew on site. A down payment above the cap or a request to pay for materials not yet on the lot. No permit history of finished houses. A payment schedule in percentages or calendar dates instead of named work. No cancellation notice. Any pressure to approve before your attorney has read it.
The first month of my owner's representative service is exactly these checks: your builder, your permit record and your agreement, with the findings in writing before you commit. I take no fee from any builder. Book a free first call (opens in a new tab) or read how the service works.