Required headings, dates and the CSLB notice

Not legal advice. This page is a plain-English summary for general information. It may be incomplete, and the statute text controls. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Contractors State License Board or any government agency. For advice about your contract, consult a licensed California attorney.

What the statute says

Short quotes and close paraphrases; “…” marks omitted text. Read the full section at the link.

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(d)(1)

The name, business address, and license number of the contractor.

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(d)(3)

The heading “Home Improvement” (at least 10-point bold).

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(d)(4)

“You are entitled to a completely filled in copy of this agreement, signed by both you and the contractor, before any work may be started.”

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(d)(5)-(d)(7)

The headings “Contract Price” (with the amount in dollars and cents), “Finance Charge” if one will be charged, and “Description of the Project and Description of the Significant Materials to be Used and Equipment to be Installed.”

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(d)(10)-(d)(12)

What constitutes substantial commencement of work; the headings “Approximate Start Date” and “Approximate Completion Date” with the dates; and, if applicable, “List of Documents to be Incorporated into the Contract.”

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(e)(5)

A notice headed “Information about the Contractors State License Board (CSLB)”: “CSLB is the state consumer protection agency that licenses and regulates construction contractors. …”

In plain English

These are the basic building blocks of a California home improvement contract: who you are and your license number, the price, what you will build, when work starts and ends, and the CSLB information notice.
Several have type-size rules (for example 10-point bold for “Home Improvement”) and the contract must be signed and dated by both sides before work starts.
§7159 applies when the total price is over $500. Service and repair contracts that meet §§7159.10-7159.14 follow those sections instead.

What the checklist looks for

Each heading and statement listed above; the finance-charge and documents items are notes, since they apply only sometimes.
A weak check for signature and date lines (always “review”).

What it can't check

Type size, bold, and placement.
The salesperson's name and registration number (§7159(d)(2)).

Sources

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(b), (c)(3), (d)(1)-(d)(13), (e)(5) (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7159)
Bus. & Prof. Code §7159.5(a)(1)-(a)(2) (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7159.5)

Open the checklist (runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded).

Last checked against the statute text on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov on 2026-10-28. Laws change; check the current text. Lathcheck is a working name and prototype.