10 Questions to Ask a Contractor Before Hiring Them in San Jose in 2025

Quick Answer: Before hiring a contractor in San Jose, you should ask these 10 questions: (1) What is your CSLB license number? (verify it at cslb.ca.gov before signing anything); (2) Are you carrying general liability insurance and workers’ compensation? (ask for a certificate of insurance — a contractor without workers’ comp puts you on the hook for workplace injuries); (3) Will you pull all required permits? (any contractor who suggests skipping permits to save money is telling you to accept illegal work); (4) Who are your subcontractors and are they licensed? (5) What is your payment schedule? (never pay more than 10% down or $1,000 — whichever is less — per California law for contracts under $500K); (6) Do you provide a written contract with detailed scope? (7) What is the project timeline from start to certificate of occupancy? (8) Do you have references from similar San Jose projects in the past 12 months? (9) What is the process for change orders and how are they priced? (10) Is your pricing fixed-price or time-and-materials?

Red Flags When Interviewing Contractors in San Jose

• Offers a large cash discount — legitimate contractors don’t need to hide revenue
• Suggests skipping permits “to save time and money” — this is illegal and shifts liability to you
• Cannot provide a CSLB license number or the license doesn’t verify at cslb.ca.gov
• Asks for more than 10% down payment before work begins
• Has no online presence, no reviews, or only reviews from the past few months
• Cannot provide references from similar projects in San Jose
• Won’t sign a written contract with a detailed scope of work
• Pressures you to sign quickly or says the price is only valid for today

Quartz Construction is CSLB Licensed #1003436, carries $2M general liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and pulls all required permits on every project. We provide a fixed-price written contract for every job. Call (650) 749-7436 to get an honest estimate.