arrow
  • Blog
  • Before You Hire a "Contractor"

Before You Hire a "Contractor"

We've touched on this subject before, but it's always good to have a reminder about how to protect yourself when hiring someone to work in your home. There are many people out there performing contractor jobs (including painting) without a valid contractor's license. Make sure you protect yourself from potential liabilities by hiring only licensed contractors for jobs over $500. The Shasta Builders Exchange recently published the below tips after several people were arrested in an undercover sting of unlicensed contractors working in Yolo County:

CSLB (Contractors State License Board) urges consumers to follow these helpful tips before hiring anyone to do work on their home or property:

  • Hire only licensed contractors and ask to see their license and a photo ID to verify their identity.
  • Always check the license number on CSLB’s website at www.cslb.ca.gov or www.CheckTheLicenseFirst.com to make sure the license is in good standing.
  • Don’t pay more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment.  There is an exception for about two dozen licensees who carry special bonds to protect consumers.  These exceptions are noted on CSLB’s website.
  • Don’t pay in cash, and don’t let payments get ahead of the work.
  • Get at least three bids, check references, and get a written contract.

The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs.  More information and publications about hiring contractors are available on the CSLB website or by calling 800-321-CSLB (2752).  You can also sign up for CSLB email alerts at www.cslb.ca.gov.  CSLB licenses and regulates California’s more than 300,000 contractors, and is regarded as one of the leading consumer protection agencies in the United States.

 

Our Promises to You

1. We’re committed to your project’s success

A lot of painters do the bare minimum, just to get by and move on. That’s not who we are or how we’ve built our reputation.

2. You can feel comfortable with our team

From the estimator to our office team, field employees to Crew Leader, we want you to know that you’re valued, cared for, and safe.

3. We’ll do the job correctly

You deserve total transparency, accountability, and exceptional work. No skipped steps or opting for the “easy way.”

4. We’ll stand by our job

Because we know we’re doing it all the right way, we can confidently stand by our work. We’re picky, and we want you to be 100% satisfied.

Most trusted painting company in the Greater Sacramento & Davis Areas

4.9 rating from 350+ reviews

Google Facebook Angi

Brooks did a fantastic job on our exterior and interior paint jobs. Quality was high, price was reasonable, and the team was extremely professional and detail-oriented. Mark was our crew lead and the team performed a number of exterior wood repairs, a door re-stain, interior and exterior painting. Mark clearly takes a lot of pride in his work and went above and beyond to ensure the work was high-quality, including finding exact matching siding to fix dry rot, and performing minor repairs that weren't even included in the quote. He and the team were all consistently positive and personable, joking with each other throughout the day, while also genuinely complimenting each other on the quality of their work. It was great to see, and that positivity definitely showed through the work they did. We couldn't be happier with the end result.

Ryan Schauland
Google

My experience with Brooks Painting has been outstanding, and, if it were an option on Google, I would assign 100 stars to their work. Mark and his crew were exceptional in painting both the inside and outside of my Central Davis home. They were considerate, careful, and respectful of my furnishings and yard. Kristen and her office staff were also responsive to my queries and were timely in scheduling the work. Thank you Brooks Painting for assisting in transforming my house into a beautiful home!

Hollis Skaife
Google

I wanted to have my kitchen cabinets painted but knew that that was a job that required skill and expertise. I called Brooks Painting and the experience from start to finish was perfect! Everyone I dealt with was personable and good at their jobs. They spent time answering questions, explaining the exact process, and did the work precisely as promised. They even did a few other small jobs (repairing and painting 2 water damaged ceilings) to perfection. And everything was neat and clean when they left! And the cabinets – better than I could have hoped for. Esteban is a master craftsman who was meticulous in every aspect of his work. The finish is smooth as glass with no imperfections. I couldn’t be happier!

Christina Fotenos
Google

We chose Brooks Painting based on their excellent reputation. It was an excellent choice! We had them do a complete exterior and almost complete interior painting of our two story house. They were done separately, while we were out of town. We are very pleased with the quality of the work. They even fixed up a few mistakes made by a crew that painted a portion of our interior ceilings a month prior (removal of asbestos popcorn ceiling), at no extra charge. Cleanup was great, also. They repaired some dry rot that was uncovered (extra charge, but worth it), and they even moved furniture back into place as well as put back the curtain rods that I had taken down, which wasn't expected. I highly recommend them, and will use them again for any future paint jobs.

Charlie Russell
Google

Very professional, live up to their billing! [The] company was very cooperative, on top of everything. [They] followed through with their commitment.

Marylan T.

Another great job by Brooks Paining. they did a great job on our trim painting and siding varnish. They were very timely and considerate of our home and property. This is our 3rd time in 19 years utilizing Brooks Painting. We haven't been let done. 👍👍

T Thompson

Brooks Painting is everything you would want. Excellence! Always on time. Great work!

Mary Jane B.

Efficient, prompt, dependable, quality, respectful, friendly and caring.

Marilou R., Winters

Eric and his crew were on time every day and did a very thorough job. I was thrilled that they were willing to paint my outdoor light fixtures which were getting rusty. I was particularly impressed how much time they spent going over their work at the end to catch spots that were missed. I’ll be using them again for interior painting.

C Lewis

Courteous and well mannered, attentive, discussed complete job and provided good service.

Juan C., C.H.P.

Very professional. Painters were very accommodating on the little things.

Claude V., Dixon

Great job in every way- quality of work to customer service.

Debbie M.

Schedule Your Free Estimate

Schedule an Appointment With an Estimator

COREY SCHMIDT

Book with COREY SCHMIDT

Residential and Commercial Estimator Corey is a wonderful asset to our sales team! Whether you're seeking expertise for a residential interior, cabinet, or exterior painting project, or you're a commercial owner or contractor in need of a quote, Corey is your go-to expert!

Schedule Estimate with Corey
Ryan Lowery

Book with Ryan Lowery

Residential Estimator Ryan is a fantastic new addition to our sales team! If you have a residential interior, cabinet or exterior project, book with Ryan!

Schedule Estimate with Ryan

Contact Us

Drag and drop files here or click to upload

    Why Work with Brooks Painting

    Quality

    Our reputation is built on our painting craftsmanship and excellence.

    Prompt Service

    We are proud of our reputation for friendly, prompt service, and this positive attitude is reflected by every one of our employees.

    Guarantee

    We offer a three-year labor guarantee for all painting projects involving one coat, and a five-year labor guarantee for all two-coat projects.

    Reputation

    Our priority has always been to deliver quality work, services, and customer experiences. This has led us to become the largest painting contractor in the Davis/Woodland area.

    Insurance

    Brooks Painting is a fully-licensed, bonded, and insured company. We also offer up to $1,000,000.00 in liability for your protection.

    Value

    We offer you superior value, from the materials we use to the quality of the services we perform.

    Schedule a Free Estimate