# How Do I Choose a General Contractor? | Valley Home Construction What to check before you hire a contractor: license, insurance, a written estimate, and the questions that show who is really on your site. Source: https://www.valleyhomeconstruction.com/blog/how-do-i-choose-a-general-contractor/ Home / Blog / Choosing a contractor ## How do I choose a general contractor? Valley Home Construction · Sep 16, 2026 one of our kitchens, mid-build THE QUICK ANSWER How do I choose a general contractor? Choose a contractor with an active California license, current insurance, and a written estimate for the whole job before any work starts. - Look up the license number for free on the CSLB website. - California requires a license for jobs that need a permit, use hired help, or cost $1,000 or more in labor and materials. - Get a written estimate for the whole job before demo starts. - Ask who runs your site every day and who answers the phone. - Call two past customers before you sign anything. Get my free estimate → Who it's for Sacramento-area homeowners about to hire for a kitchen, bath, addition or whole-home remodel What you get The checks and questions that show you who to trust before you sign Who's answering Valley Home Construction, in business since 1995 and owned by Ed Lane. CSLB #982830 ## Check 1 · The license Is the contractor actually licensed? A licensed general contractor in California has an active CSLB license number, and you can look it up yourself for free before you sign anything. California requires a CSLB license when a job: - needs a building permit, - uses hired help, or - is worth $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials. Ask for the number, then check it on the CSLB website . The number should never be a hard question. A builder who hands it over right away has already told you something useful. Valley Home Construction holds CSLB license #982830, and the company has been remodeling homes in the Sacramento area since 1995. ## Check 2 · The contract What should be in writing before you sign? Your written contract should spell out five things before any work starts: - A written estimate for the whole job, not a range. - The full scope of what gets built. - The payment schedule. - The start and finish dates. - How a change gets priced and approved before anyone builds it. A real contractor gives you a written estimate before demolition starts, and every change is priced and approved in writing before the work is done ( CSLB ). If a contractor can't put a total in writing, you have your answer about whether they're ready to be hired. our own work, from build to finish ★★★★★ "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 3 · The people What questions should you ask before you hire? Ask every contractor you're thinking about hiring these four questions, and get a straight answer to each one: - Who designs the job? - Who prices it? - Who is actually on site while the work happens? - Who picks up the phone when something changes? Also ask whether design comes with the price, so you know what you're paying for before you pay anyone separately for drawings. With us, design is included. ## Check 4 · The trust Why does trust matter as much as price? A remodel means handing someone the keys to your kitchen or bathroom before you've seen a single day of their work. So the choice comes down to whether the person standing in your kitchen answers your questions plainly, and says so when they need to go find something out. A contractor's history of finished, permitted jobs in your own area is the closest thing to proof you get before you sign. That's why asking for two references, and actually calling them, is worth the time. ★★★★★ "They were responsive to any questions and concerns throughout the project." David Google review Get your free estimate → KEY TAKEAWAYS ## What to check before you hire a contractor - Look up the contractor's CSLB license number yourself, for free. - Get a written estimate for the whole job before demolition starts. - Make sure the contract covers scope, payments, dates and how changes get approved. - Ask who designs, prices, runs the site and answers the phone. - Call two past customers before you sign. QUESTIONS ## Questions people ask about hiring a contractor **Do I need to check a contractor's license before hiring? +** Yes. In California a license is required once a job needs a building permit, uses hired help, or is worth $1,000 or more for combined labor and materials, per the CSLB. Ask for the license number and look it up yourself on the CSLB site before you sign anything. **What should be in a remodel contract before you sign it? +** A written estimate for the whole job, the scope of work, the payment schedule, the start and finish dates, and how a change gets priced and approved before anyone builds it. If any of those is missing, ask for it in writing before you sign. **How many contractors should I get bids from? +** Enough to compare a written scope and price side by side, usually two or three. Compare what's actually included in each bid, line by line, since two bids for the same room can leave out different things. **Should I hire a contractor who wants to skip permits? +** No. A contractor who suggests skipping a required permit is asking you to take on the risk so the job moves faster. A licensed contractor pulls the permits that plumbing or electrical work requires and schedules the inspections. 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 helps a Sacramento-area homeowner decide how to vet a general contractor before hiring one, including what to ask and what belongs in the contract. ### Who we wrote it for A homeowner about to hire for a kitchen, bathroom, addition or whole-home remodel in the Sacramento area. It doesn't serve someone hiring for a small repair under $1,000 that needs no permit and no hired help, since that job doesn't require a license in the first place. ### Our lens We're Valley Home Construction, a licensed Sacramento general contractor. We make money when a homeowner hires us, so we have reason to want you to hire someone licensed and clear about pricing. We answered every question on this page the same way we're telling you to ask it. ### Key facts Fact Detail Source, checked When California requires a license Work that needs a building permit, uses hired help, or is worth $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials CSLB , Sep 24, 2026 Valley Home Construction's license CSLB #982830, active, 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 to check any contractor's license Free lookup by name or number CSLB , Sep 16, 2026 ### How we researched it We opened the CSLB's own guidance on when a contractor license is required, last checked Sep 24, 2026, and our own process page for how we price and design. The two reviews on this page are quoted word for word from Google. ### What we couldn't verify Ed Lane hasn't reviewed this page yet; claims that needed his confirmation were removed. How other Sacramento-area contractors handle design pricing or staffing. We couldn't check that independently, so we removed our earlier comparison of outside designers and national franchises. ### Decisions we made - We led with the license and the written estimate, because those are the two checks a homeowner can run before ever meeting a crew. - We left out a ranking of other Sacramento contractors, since we have no independent data to back one. - We kept what goes in writing and what to ask on this one page, because a homeowner asks all three questions at once. ### 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 Sep 16, 2026 - Last checked Sep 24, 2026 - Check again by Sep 16, 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. - Sep 24, 2026: Ed Lane hasn't reviewed this page yet; claims that needed his confirmation were removed. We removed an unchecked comparison of outside designers and national franchises. - Sep 24, 2026: new page layout. We now state the license number and the founding year separately, and corrected the interview date to Aug 19, 2026. ### Sources - CSLB, "What Kind of Contractor Do You Need?" , checked Sep 24, 2026. - Valley Home Construction, CSLB license #982830 ( license lookup, cslb.ca.gov ). - 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 - Is the contractor licensed? - What goes in writing - Questions to ask - Trust and price - 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? What's the difference between a licensed contractor and a handyman 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