Information, not legal adviceRules checked Oct 3, 2026
Down payment: $1,000 or 10%
The limit
$1,000 or 10%
whichever is less
The down payment can't be more than $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less. There's no special-order exception.
Exception: A few contractors with a blanket bond on file with CSLB may take more.
Ask: Can the down payment be $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less?
Read the full rule
The down payment cannot be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, for a home improvement job or swimming pool, not counting finance charges. There is no exception for special-order materials. A few licensees with a blanket performance and payment bond on file with the state may take more.
The exception
Contractors holding a valid blanket performance and payment bond on file with the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) are not held to this limit.
If it wasn't negotiated at their office, for example at home
SignDay 0
1Business day
2Business day
3Last day
Cancel in writing within 3 business days of getting your signed copy (5 if you're 65 or older). Money back within 10 days.
Emergency repairs you ask for: the right ends once you sign and work starts.
The exception, in the rule's words
Service and repair contracts for emergency work you request on short notice: the right to cancel ends once you sign and the contractor starts work.
Longer in some cases
5 instead of 3, for buyers age 65 or older.
Read the full rule
When it applies
The contract was not negotiated at the contractor's place of business (for example, a sales visit at your home).
You can cancel in writing within 3 business days (5 if you are 65 or older) of getting your signed copy. The contractor must return any money within 10 days of getting your notice. This does not apply if the contract was negotiated at the contractor's place of business.
Some of these come from state guidance rather than a law. Each item's own words say which.
An estimate isn't the contract. Ask for all 10 in writing before you sign.
In writing, with cancel rightsYour right to cancel, in writing: show the rule's own words
In the state's guidance
Be in writing and legible, and tell you about your right to cancel (CSLB's consumer guide says projects over $500 in labor and materials need a written contract).
Name, address, phone & license #: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Show the contractor's name, business address, phone number and license number.
Work & materials, brand & modelThe work, materials and model #: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Describe the work and the materials specifically: style, brand, model, quality, quantity, color and size.
Price & payment scheduleThe total and when each payment is due: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
State the agreed price and a payment schedule; payments cannot exceed the value of the work performed.
Permits, start & end datesWho pulls permits; when it starts, ends: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Say who pulls the building permits and when the job will begin and end.
Mechanics lien warningA required notice about liens on your home: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Include the mechanics lien warning.
WarrantiesWhat is and isn't covered: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Put any labor or materials warranty in writing, with what it covers and for how long.
Signed change orders onlyAny change, in a signed writing: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Change the price or scope only through a signed written change order.
Cleanup & debris removalWho cleans up and hauls debris: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Spell out cleanup and debris removal.
Finance charges shown apartIf you finance the job: show the rule's own words
In the rule's words
Show finance charges separately from the contract amount, if there are any.
Deposit rule, 3-business-day (5 if 65+) cancellation, refund within 10 days, the place-of-business and emergency-repair exceptions, and the contract contents were read on cslb.ca.gov (What_Is_A_Contract page and the CSLB Home Improvement Contracts consumer guide PDF).
The CSLB guide cites a $500 written-contract threshold while CSLB's licensing page cites $1,000 for when a license is required. The app should not state a dollar threshold for the written contract; it should say to ask for one in writing either way.
CSLB's page lists the blanket-bond down payment exception but the full list of eligible licensees is on CSLB's website; the app does not list them.
General information from official California sources. For your situation, ask the state's consumer protection office or a lawyer.