ADU contract and license rules for Berkeley, CA

The contract is with the contractor

California's home improvement contract rules in Business and Professions Code section 7159 apply to a home improvement contract over $500, and section 7151 defines home improvement broadly. Ask the contractor how those rules apply to your project. The contract must be in writing, with the full price in dollars and cents, under sections 7159 and 7159.5. This site does not write that contract.

Who may sell or sign you up

Section 7152 requires anyone who solicits, sells, negotiates, or executes a home improvement contract for a licensed contractor to be registered with CSLB as a home improvement salesperson, with narrow exemptions. A call to this site stops at scheduling; we do not sell or negotiate anything.

What CSLB says about referral services

CSLB's Fast Facts for online marketplaces say a referral service may list licensed contractors and pass along contact information, but may not solicit or negotiate a contract, or claim to do the construction itself. Section 7027.1 makes it a misdemeanor to advertise for construction without a license in that class, which is why this site is described as a guide and referral, not a builder, and why a licensee must show its license number in advertising under section 7030.5.

Design is separate

We do not design ADUs or draw plans. Who designs your unit and who submits it to the city is a question for the contractor you hire.

Check the license before you sign

Look up any contractor on the CSLB license check before you sign anything, and confirm the license number on the contract matches. This site does not name a contractor.