What does California law tell a homeowner before a home job?

California earns a A+ in the 2026 Home Job Readiness Grade, with 8 of 8 possible points on 4 scored measures. The grade covers what state law and official state pages tell a homeowner about deposits, written contracts, cancelling and an online contractor record.

InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.

Reviewed 24 October 2026. Researched by the InstaBids editorial team.

Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.

For your AI assistant

MCP connector · REST API · plain HTML

Hand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.

MCP connector URLhttps://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp
Agent API (OpenAPI)https://instabids.ai/openapi.json
Start-request linkhttps://instabids.ai/intake?from=us-home-job-readiness-grade-california&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=home-job-readiness-grade
Prompt for any AI, with your job

Open it in your assistant

Add InstaBids as a connector

Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.

California Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: A+ (8 of 8 points)

This grade is a compilation of statute text and official state pages, reviewed 24 October 2026. It is not legal advice.

How did each measure score?

Statutory deposit limit: 2 of 2 points

A state statute sets a maximum deposit for home-improvement or residential contracts. The statute's own words, conditions included, are quoted below.

(3) If a downpayment will be charged, the downpayment shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or 10 percent of the contract amount, whichever amount is less.

Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159.5(a)(3), read 22 October 2026

(8) A contractor furnishing a performance and payment bond, lien and completion bond, or a bond equivalent or joint control approved by the registrar covering full performance and payment is exempt from paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), and need not include, as part of the contract, the statement regarding the downpayment specified in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (8) of subdivision (d) of Section 7159, the details and statement regarding progress payments specified in paragraph (9) of subdivision (d) of Section 7159, or the Mechanics Lien Warning specified in paragraph (4) of subdivision (e) of Section 7159.

Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159.5(a)(8), read 22 October 2026

Written-contract rule for home-improvement work: 2 of 2 points

A state statute or regulation requires a written contract for home-improvement or residential work within its scope, and lists what it must contain. The scope, including any dollar threshold or licence condition, is in the quoted words below.

(d) A home improvement contract and any changes to the contract shall be in writing and signed by the parties to the contract prior to the commencement of work covered by the contract or an applicable change order and, except as provided in paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) of Section 7159.5, shall include or comply with all of the following: (1) The name, business address, and license number of the contractor.

Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159(d) (intro) and (d)(1), read 14 October 2026

(1) The contract shall be in writing and shall include the agreed contract amount in dollars and cents. The contract amount shall include the entire cost of the contract, including profit, labor, and materials, but excluding finance charges.

Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159.5(a)(1), read 14 October 2026

Statutory right to cancel: 2 of 2 points

A state statute gives a right to cancel that reaches home-improvement contracts or sales made at the home within the scope and dollar limits in the quoted words below.

(6) (A) The notice set forth in subparagraph (B) and entitled “Three-Day Right to Cancel,” or entitled “Five-Day Right to Cancel” for contracts with a senior citizen, shall be provided to the buyer unless the contract is: (i) Negotiated at the contractor’s place of business. (ii) Subject to the “Seven-Day Right to Cancel,” as set forth in paragraph (7). (iii) Subject to licensure under the Alarm Company Act (Chapter 11.6 (commencing with Section 7590)), provided the alarm company licensee complies with Sections 1689.5, 1689.6, and 1689.7 of the Civil Code, as applicable.

Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159(e)(6)(A), read 14 October 2026

Online public record of the state's home-contractor credential: 2 of 2 points

The state publishes an online public record of its statewide home-contractor credential. A lookup is an optional public-record step.

Enter the contractor license number to check the status of their license.

Source: cslb.ca.gov, read 22 October 2026

Is there a federal rule too?

Federal rule, not scored here: 16 CFR 429.1(a), the FTC door-to-door sales rule, covers a sale the seller personally solicits that is agreed at a place other than the seller's place of business, for $25 or more at the buyer's home or $130 or more elsewhere, with exceptions in 16 CFR 429.0. For those sales it requires this statement in the buyer's contract or receipt:

You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction.

Source: 16 CFR 429.1(a), eCFR, read 22 October 2026

What can a homeowner check in California before hiring?

The state agency page that leads to the public licence or registration lookup: cslb.ca.gov, read 22 October 2026. A lookup is an optional public-record step.
State consumer-protection office: California Attorney General, read 24 October 2026.
Ask for the job scope, the deposit and the cancel terms in writing before you sign, and keep a copy.

How can I embed this chart?

California Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: A+, points by measure

Anyone may embed this chart or reuse the data. A credit link to this page is welcome; nothing is required in return.

<figure><img src="https://instabids.ai/fl/data/home-job-readiness-grade/california.svg" alt="California Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: A+, points by measure" width="640"><figcaption><a href="https://instabids.ai/us/home-job-readiness-grade/california">InstaBids</a></figcaption></figure>

All 50 states and the District of Columbia, and how the grade works