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1 · The problem. Bids that don't match each other.
2 · One spec. Your job, written down once.
3 · Side by side. Quotes you can actually compare.
In California, a contractor cannot legally ask for a down payment of more than 10% of the contract price or $1,000 — whichever is LESS. The "whichever is less" part is the whole rule.
10% would be $2,000 — but the cap is $1,000.
The cap is still $1,000.
There is one narrow exception involving a special bond, and only about two dozen contractors in the state hold it — so if someone asks for $5,000 up front and can't show you that bond on the state licence board's site (CSLB), that's a red flag, not a normal deposit.
Before you sign, check the deposit against that cap, and the licence on CSLB. Both take two minutes.
If any of them are missing, the price isn't finished yet.
Deposit. Within the California cap above: 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less — unless a bond on CSLB proves the narrow exception applies.
Licence. The contractor's licence, checked on CSLB, and the licence classification matching the work in the bid.
Scope, in writing, in plain words. What job, exactly — the materials and the work included, what is NOT included, who pulls the permit and whether the permit fee and final inspection are in the price, and payments tied to completed work, not paid far ahead of the work. A silent exclusion is the problem.
Warranty, split in two, both in writing. Manufacturer = materials. Workmanship = labour. Different numbers, different lengths — both in writing.
If it was said but not written, it is not agreed. Get it in the bid, or treat it as not included.
Your uploaded files are never shared with the contractor, never sold, and only used for your review.
Already have a bid and something feels off? Send it to us and we'll check it free — no obligation, and we don't contact your contractor.
What happens to the text, honestly: PDFs and modern Word documents are read automatically, so you do not have to retype anything. Photos and pictures of contracts are read by a person during the review itself. Older .doc files are only partly readable automatically, so the reviewer opens the file itself. Either way, the review is checked by a person, not by a machine alone.
How long files are kept: Files are kept for 90 days after your review is delivered (if no review has been delivered yet, 90 days from upload), then deleted, unless you ask us to keep them for a follow-up review.
Upload up to 5 files, 10 MB each, 25 MB total (jpg, png, pdf, doc, docx). You only need to give your name, a reply email, the city, and the project type — plus anything the contractor told you verbally that is not in writing.
This is a check, not legal, engineering, or contracting advice.