Know what you are hiring
How the platform works, what licensed, insured and bonded actually mean, the rules we operate by, and the warning signs worth taking seriously.
Start here
These guides cover how the platform works, what we require of the contractors on it, the rules we operate by, and how to protect yourself when hiring anyone for work on your home. They are free to read and you do not need an account.
How Project Express works
The whole process from one sentence to a signed contractor, and what happens at each step.
Read this guideLicensed, insured and bonded: what we require
What a contractor must have to list and to quote on Project Express, and what those three words actually mean.
Read this guideOur rules, plainly stated
Reviews, privacy, memberships, ranking, and what we will and will not do with your information.
Read this guideWarning signs when hiring a contractor
The patterns that show up again and again before a home improvement job goes wrong.
Read this guideContracts, deposits and paying as work progresses
What a home improvement contract must contain, what a deposit may legally be, and how to structure payments so both sides stay protected.
Read this guidePermits and inspections, and why they protect you
When a permit is needed, who is supposed to pull it, what an inspector checks, and what unpermitted work costs you later.
Read this guideOutside resources worth knowing
We are not the only place to check, and on a large job you should not rely on any single source. These are public and free.
- The Contractors State License Board maintains California's public register of licensed contractors, including status, classification, expiry and disciplinary history.
- Your city or county building department can tell you whether your project requires a permit, and permit records are generally public.
- The CSLB also publishes guidance for homeowners on contracts, deposits and complaints.
If something in these guides is unclear, or a contractor has told you something that contradicts what you read here, please get in touch. We would rather know.
Say what you need. Get it done.
Describe your project in one sentence. It is free, and nothing is sent until you approve it.
Describe your project