Hire subs with fewer surprises.
Plain-language guides for California general contractors on licenses, workers' comp and insurance paperwork. Updated November 3, 2026.
How to check a California contractor license (CSLB): a GC's checklist
Step-by-step: how a California general contractor checks a sub's CSLB license, classification, bond and workers' comp before work starts, and what the lookup doesn't tell you.
Read the guide →Workers' comp and subcontractors in California: what GCs should check
How to read a California sub's workers' comp on CSLB records, which trades can't claim the no-employee exemption, and what changes on January 1, 2028 under SB 1455.
Read the guide →Certificate of insurance checklist for California general contractors
What a California GC should check on a subcontractor's certificate of insurance: named insured, dates, GL limits, additional insured and waiver endorsements, workers' comp, and who to confirm it with.
Read the guide →Additional insured and waiver of subrogation for subcontractors: a California GC's guide
What additional insured status and a waiver of subrogation mean on a sub's policy, ongoing vs. completed operations endorsements (commonly CG 20 10 and CG 20 37), why a certificate checkbox isn't enough, and what to ask the sub's agent for.
Read the guide →Risks of hiring an unlicensed subcontractor in California (for GCs)
What a California general contractor risks by hiring an unlicensed or wrongly classified sub: the $1,000 minor-work limit, B&P §7031, CSLB discipline under §7118 and §7117.6, and workers' comp exposure. Plus how to check in two minutes.
Read the guide →Workers' comp premium audits and subcontractors in California: how to prepare
How California workers' comp premium audits treat a GC's subcontractors: when payments to uninsured or unlicensed subs can be charged as your payroll, what auditors look at, and a checklist to prepare.
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