# 6 Things to Check Before Hiring a Builder | Valley Home Construction Six checks to run on any builder before you sign: license, insurance, a written estimate, who Source: https://www.valleyhomeconstruction.com/blog/6-must-check-qualities-before-hiring-a-builder/ Home / Blog / 6 checks before hiring ## What should you check before hiring a builder? Valley Home Construction · Aug 17, 2025 a sage kitchen we built THE QUICK ANSWER What should you check before hiring a builder? Check six things before you sign: the license, the insurance, a written estimate, who's on site, what past customers say, and how you'll get updates. - Look up the license free at cslb.ca.gov before you sign anything. - Ask for the insurance certificate and check the dates are current. - Get a written estimate for the whole job, with the scope spelled out. - Call two past customers whose jobs were like yours. - Ask who pulls the permits and who sends you updates. Get my free estimate → Who it's for Sacramento-area homeowners about to hire a builder for a remodel or addition What you get Six checks you can run on any builder, most of them from public records Who's answering Valley Home Construction, in business since 1995 and owned by Ed Lane. CSLB #982830 ## Check 1 · The license Is the builder's license real and current? California licenses contractors through the Contractors State License Board, and anyone can look up a license free by number or company name at cslb.ca.gov . Ask for the number, then check three things: - the license is active, - it's in the name of the company you're dealing with, and - it covers the kind of work you're hiring for. Ours is CSLB #982830, and you can look it up the same way. A builder who hands over the number without flinching has already told you something useful. ## Check 2 · The insurance Does the builder carry insurance, and is it current? Insurance is what stands between you and a bill if someone gets hurt on your property or something in your house gets damaged. The CSLB warns that few unlicensed workers carry a bond or workers' compensation insurance ( CSLB ). Ask for the certificate and read the dates to make sure the coverage is current. ## Check 3 · The price Is the whole job in a written estimate? An estimate that just says "kitchen remodel" and a number leaves too much room. Get the whole job in writing: - what gets built, - what materials go into it, - what's included, and - the estimated price for all of it. Then ask what happens if you change your mind halfway through. In California, a change to the price or scope has to be written up as a change order and signed by you and the contractor before the change is made ( CSLB ). our own crew, on our own jobs ★★★★★ "The process was clearly outlined, our vision of what we wanted in the kitchen was well documented and Ed and his staff were extremely hard working and professional." Jeff Google review Get your free estimate → ## Check 4 · The people Who will actually be in your house? Some companies sell the job, then hand it to whoever is free that month. Ask four questions and get a straight answer to each: - Who designs it? - Who prices it? - Who's on site while the work happens? - Who do you call with a question? At Valley Home Construction, the same team designs your project, prices it and builds it ( our process page ). Wherever you're shopping, get the answer before you sign. ## Check 5 · The track record What do past customers say? Reviews show you the pattern. Read past the happy ones and look for how the builder handled a job that hit a bump. Then ask for two references from jobs like yours, and call them. Ask: - what surprised them, - how the builder handled it, and - whether they'd hire the same company again. ## Check 6 · The updates How often will you hear from them? Ask what the updates look like and who sends them. Ask who pulls the permits and schedules the inspections, and whether you're expected to deal with the city yourself. On our jobs we pull the permits and set up the inspections, and you get updates in plain English as the build moves ( our process page ). ★★★★★ "They were responsive to any questions and concerns throughout the project." David Google review Get your free estimate → KEY TAKEAWAYS ## Six checks before you hire a builder - Look up the license yourself at cslb.ca.gov. - Ask for proof of insurance and read the dates. - Get a written estimate for the whole job, and ask how changes get approved. - Ask who designs, prices, runs the site and answers the phone. - Call past customers, and ask who pulls permits and sends updates. QUESTIONS ## Questions people ask before hiring a builder **How do I check a builder's license in California? +** Look it up free by number or company name at cslb.ca.gov . Check that it's active, in the name of the company you're dealing with, and covers the kind of work you're hiring for. **Why does a builder's insurance matter to me? +** It's what covers you if someone gets hurt on your property or your home is damaged. The CSLB warns that few unlicensed workers carry a bond or workers' compensation insurance. **What happens if I change my mind halfway through? +** In California, a change to the price or scope has to be written up as a change order and signed by you and the contractor before the change is made ( CSLB ). **What should I ask a builder's past customers? +** What surprised them, how the builder handled it, and whether they'd hire the same company again. 1,000+ Sacramento projects completed Get your free estimate → ★★★★★ 4.9 on Google **## How we verified this page What we checked, what we couldn't, and who read it. Published by Valley Home Construction Checked Sep 24, 2026 3 sources Reported with AI +** ### What this page is for It gives a homeowner six checks to run on any builder before signing, most of which can be done from public records. ### Who we wrote it for A Sacramento-area homeowner about to hire a builder for a remodel or addition. It doesn't serve someone hiring for a small repair that needs no license. ### Our lens We're Valley Home Construction, a licensed Sacramento general contractor. We make money when a homeowner hires us, so we'd gain if you run these checks on us and on everyone else and pick us. Run them on us too. ### Key facts Fact Detail Source, checked License lookup Free, by license number or company name CSLB , Sep 24, 2026 Unlicensed workers Few carry a bond or workers' compensation insurance CSLB , Sep 24, 2026 Changes to the job A written change order, signed before the change CSLB , Sep 24, 2026 Who runs a Valley Home Construction job The same team designs, prices and builds it Valley Home Construction's process page, Sep 24, 2026 Permits and updates on our jobs We pull the permits, set up the inspections and send updates in plain English Valley Home Construction's process page , Sep 24, 2026 Valley Home Construction's license CSLB #982830, general building contractor CSLB license lookup , Sep 16, 2026 In business since 1995, in the Sacramento area Valley Home Construction's website, which has said 1995 since at least 2012 ### How we researched it This page first ran on the old Valley Home Construction site with no sources listed. On Sep 24, 2026 we checked each claim against the CSLB's consumer pages and the company's own process page, and cut or rewrote what we couldn't support. ### What we couldn't verify Ed Lane hasn't reviewed this page yet; claims that needed his confirmation were removed. Whether every builder keeps an insurance certificate ready to send, which the old page said. We couldn't check that, so it's now advice to ask for one. We also removed the company's review rating and project count from this page's text, since we didn't re-check them for it. ### Decisions we made - We kept the six checks from the original page, since each one is something a homeowner can actually do. - We replaced the old line about how our prices change with the state's own change-order rule. - We kept the page's web address so existing links keep working. ### Who wrote it Reported with AI. Every claim checked against its source. Published by Valley Home Construction. Ed Lane hasn't reviewed this page yet; claims that needed his confirmation were removed. ### Dates - Published Aug 17, 2025 - Last checked Sep 24, 2026 - Check again by Mar 24, 2027 ### Changes and corrections - Oct 2, 2026: we traced every line about how we work, and every quote from Ed Lane, back to its source, and corrected the source for our founding year. We simplified a photo caption. - Sep 24, 2026: Ed Lane hasn't reviewed this page yet; claims that needed his confirmation were removed. We removed a line about daily job logs and group texts and now cite our process page for how updates work. - Sep 24, 2026: moved from the old site, fact-checked and rewritten. Replaced 'your price moves only when you say so' with the CSLB change-order rule, softened the insurance-paperwork claim to advice, and moved the Google rating, BBB grade and project count out of the article text. ### Sources - CSLB, "What Kind of Contractor Do You Need?" , checked Sep 24, 2026. - CSLB, home improvement contract requirements , checked Sep 24, 2026. - Valley Home Construction, Our process page, checked Sep 24, 2026. ### Planning a remodel in Sacramento? Know what you'll pay before work starts. We give you a written estimate, and design is included. Get your free estimate → or call (916) 375-8800 ★★★★★ 4.9 on Google SINCE 1995 CSLB #982830 BBB A+ 1,000+ PROJECTS On this page Who's answering Read next - The quick answer - The license - The insurance - A written estimate - Who's on site - Past customers - How you'll hear from them - Key takeaways - Questions people ask Valley Home Construction Sacramento remodeler, owned by Ed Lane We design, price and build kitchens, bathrooms, additions and whole-home remodels across the greater Sacramento area. In business since 1995, CSLB #982830. 1995 in business since 1,000+ Sacramento projects 4.9 ★ on Google reviews More about how we work → How do you plan a home remodel in Sacramento? What red flags mean I should walk away from a contractor? How much can a contractor legally ask for as a deposit in California? See every article → FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION · DESIGN INCLUDED ## Want a licensed crew and a clear price before work starts? One call gets you a free in-home consultation, a written estimate and a start date. If the job changes, you'll see the new price in writing before we do the work. Get your free estimate → Call (916) 375-8800 SINCE 1995 1,000+ SACRAMENTO PROJECTS CSLB #982830 BBB A+ 4.9 ★ ON GOOGLE