How to Check a Concrete Contractor

Ask every contractor for their license number. Then look it up on the CSLB license check. It takes a minute.

• Is the license active?
• Does the name match the person or company you are talking to?
• Does the class fit the work?

Flat concrete falls under the C-8The state license class for concrete contractors. It covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing concrete. class. The state says a C-8 concrete contractor forms, pours, places, finishes and installs mass, pavement and flat concrete work.

Street work is different. El Cajon asks for an A General Engineering Contractor license for jobs that need street work. If your job touches the curb or the street, ask which license covers it.

Since January 1, 2025, California law (AB 2622) sets the line at $1,000. A job of that size or more, labor and materials together, needs a licensed contractor.

Even under $1,000, the small job exemption only applies when no permit is needed and the worker has no employees. Unlicensed workers who advertise must say they are not licensed. Read the CSLB bulletin on AB 2622.

Ask for a written contract before work starts. It should name the company and the license number. It should spell out the size, the slab thickness, the steel, the finish, who pulls permits and who hauls away the old concrete.

It should also list the price and when each payment is due. Do not pay in full before the work is done.

If the job reaches the sidewalk, curb or apron, a city encroachment permit comes first. Ask to see it. Our El Cajon permit guide lists the levels and fees.

The person digging must notify the regional notification center at least two working days before the dig. Ask your contractor if they have called 811.