Verify Your Contractor

Before committing, do your research.

The Contractor’s State License Board is a great resource for homeowners to review very important information about their potential solar and roofing contractor. You’ll quickly confirm contractor’s experience or expose lies they’ve made during their pitch.

First, let’s take a look a Palomar Solar and Roofing

1. Navigate to the CSLB website here: https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx
2. Lookup your contract by license number.  Palomar’s license number is 945152

Here’s what you should look for:

EXPERIENCE
The CSLB website will show you the date the company started. It is not uncommon to run into companies who lie at your kitchen table telling you they’ve been around for 20 years, or my favorite combined 100 years’ experience only to find out they started a year ago. The CSLB site will also show what licenses the company carries. The C10 electrical license is the gold standard for solar. Unfortunately, the state made a confusing classification called C-46 for solar which was intended for pool solar and is the path of least resistance to installing solar as the C-10 electrical license is much more difficult to obtain. ​

PHYSICAL ADDRESS
Confirm the address on the license by Googling it. A lot of contractors work out of their home, a suite or PO box. Where are you going to go if you have an issue and feel like you are not being heard. Palomar Solar & Roofing owns their building and has solar on it.

BONDED
Is the contractor bonded, and has that bond been established for several years? Contractors are often required to have bonds in order to protect all the parties involved in a project from financial loss if the contractor does not follow through with the terms of the original contract.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Does the contractor have a history of Worker’s Compensation policies dating back to the company creation? If not, you have a contractor that simply doesn’t perform their own work. They’ll subcontract the labor to other entities that you’ve never seen before which may or may not have insurance. This can create a “blame game” situation if an issue arises during installation and potentially much worse if they are not insured and someone falls off your roof.

SALESPERSON LIST
Is the person who just visited your house licensed by the state as an in-home sales representative? You can check. Click on the “Salesperson List” link of the contractor’s license. This will not only tell you if they are licensed but also how long they have been representing that specific company. Remember your sales rep will be the conduit between you and the company should you ever need anything. At Palomar Solar and Roofing, you’ll quickly see that each one of our sales team is on this list. You can feel comfortable you’re speaking to an expert in the industry and not a new hire that doesn’t understand how to properly size and sell a solar system.

Now, repeat the process with another contractor you’re considering and compare.