Financial Planner

Checklist: Contractors

Things to do this weekend with your money

Springtime is traditionally the season for sprucing up your home. Before you hire someone to work on your house, however, spend a few minutes checking out the contractor.

* Check the license. The California Contractors State License Board has a hotline and a Web site that allow you to find out whether a contractor is licensed, bonded and insured. The Web site at www.cslb.ca.gov allows you to look up the information by contractor name or license number. The hotline at (800) 321-2752 requires you to know the license number.

* Check the complaints. The Better Business Bureau offers company reports online for free at www.bbbsouthland.org or by faxing a request to (909) 825-6246. Reports by telephone at (909) 835-6077 cost $3.75 for each company.

* Check with your insurance company. You may need to increase your homeowner’s coverage if your improvements add significantly to the value of your home.