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can you do contractor work and get paid above $500 in CA

CaliforniaLicenses

actually I was helping a client in CA - there is a website that indicates that as long as you disclose that you are not a licensed contractor you can do the work and get paid more than $500

3 replies

Feb 19, 2020
California is exceptionally strict regarding licensing requirements and the ability of unpaid construction participants to recover money owed. If a license is required for the work performed, an unlicensed contractor NOT ONLY cannot file a valid mechanics lien, but s/he also cannot file suit to recover, either. Additionally, note that contracting without a license is a misdemeanor crime. This means that it is illegal for a unlicensed party to perform construction work for which the combined value of labor and materials is more than $500. And to add insult to injury, unlicensed contractors can be forced to disgorge money that was already paid to them as well as be subject to fees and fines! “Handyman” work is an exception to the license requirement, but there are very strict requirements for what qualifies as handyman work. Of specific importance is that California law states that an unlicensed handyman cannot charge more than $500 for a job. This pay includes both labor and cost of materials, and is not increased if more than one task is undertaken at the same time. Further, a handyman cannot break a larger job up into smaller parts to avoid the $500 limitation. Handymen must disclose that they are not a contractor in any advertising, but this does not let them avoid the $500 limit.
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Oct 29, 2021
Where is this site?
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Oct 19, 2022
Isn't any unlicensed person just a handyman, thus subject to the $500 limit ? What specific statute renders the work illegal ?
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