Before You Hire an Electrician in California

Check two things, not one. The company needs an active C-10 license with CSLB.³ The people it sends to wire your home need a state electrician certificate, unless an exemption applies.⁵

Checklist

1. Look up the license number. Every contractor ad must show the state license number.¹ Check its status online at cslb.ca.gov or by calling (800) 321-CSLB (2752).¹ A printed number does not prove the license is valid.¹ See reading a CSLB license record.
2. Match the classification to the job. A C-10 Electrical contractor installs or connects wiring, fixtures, raceways, battery storage and solar systems.³ If your project mixes more than two trades, such as a kitchen with plumbing, electrical and carpentry, CSLB points to a "B" General Building contractor.² See California license classifications.
3. Check the bond and workers' compensation. A license requires a $25,000 contractor bond on file.⁷ A contractor with employees must carry workers' compensation insurance.¹ If that coverage lapses, the license is suspended automatically.⁸ Both appear on the CSLB record.¹ See contractor bonds and workers' comp on a license.
4. Ask who will do the wiring. People who work as electricians for a C-10 contractor must be state-certified.⁵ The license's qualifying person does not need a certificate.⁵ Registered apprentices are exempt.⁵ Trainees may work only under constant supervision of a certified electrician.⁶ The Labor Commissioner publishes lists of certified electricians and trainees.⁶
5. Agree who gets the permit. CSLB advises asking your local building department whether the project needs a permit.¹¹ In San Diego, no wiring or equipment may be installed or altered without an Electrical Permit, except listed exemptions.⁹ CSLB asks whether the contract requires the contractor to get permits before work starts, and whether fees are included.¹¹
6. Get a written contract. Work over $500 needs a written home improvement contract.¹² The down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less.¹² Details are in what a California home improvement contract must say.
7. Watch for red flags. CSLB's list is below. If someone pressures you to skip the checks above, stop.

The state certification rule

Electrician certification is in Labor Code sections 108 to 108.5. These sections replaced former sections 3099 to 3099.5, and old references now point to them.⁴ The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement runs testing and certification.⁴

"Electricians" here means people who connect electrical devices for C-10 contractors. The rule does not apply to connections under 100 volt-amperes.⁴ It also does not apply to work within a C-7 Low Voltage Systems or C-45 Electric Sign license.⁵

There are five certificates: general electrician, residential electrician, fire/life safety technician, voice data video technician, and nonresidential lighting technician.⁵ The general electrician exam requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience. The residential exam requires 4,800 hours.¹³

A C-10 contractor who willfully employs uncertified people as electricians can face discipline, including suspension or revocation of the license.⁵ CSLB has enforced this law since July 1, 2009.⁶

Permits: one city as an example

Permit rules differ by city and county. We use the City of San Diego as an example; check your own building department.

San Diego issues a Simple "No-Plan" Electrical Permit for minor installations.¹⁰ Examples include adding circuits, moving outlets, re-wiring and an EV charging station in a private garage.¹⁰ Applications go through the city's online permitting portal.⁹

Larger work needs plans and calculations.⁹ The city issues electrical permits only to a California-licensed contractor authorized for electrical work, or to the property owner or lessee.⁹ Once the permit is issued, an inspection can be scheduled.⁹

Questions to ask

Red flags CSLB names

• Door-to-door offers of work at a discount, followed by little or no work.¹¹
• High-pressure sales that leave no time for three bids, a license check or a permit check.¹¹
• Scare tactics: a free inspection that "finds" a danger such as faulty wiring.¹¹
• No written contract, or a claim that one is unnecessary.¹¹
• Demand for cash. CSLB advises avoiding cash payment.^11,14
• A down payment above the legal cap, often explained as cash for supplies.¹¹
• A bid far below the others. CSLB says it may mean a mistake or missing work.¹
• No fixed business address, only a truck and a cellphone.¹
• A salesperson with no CSLB registration card. Home improvement salespeople must register.¹

If you paid someone who needed a license and did not have one, the law lets you sue to recover all you paid.¹⁵ See unlicensed contracting. For status, workers' comp and license age across all electrical licenses, see what the state file says about electricians.