Licensed contractors in California are encouraged to join the Contractors State License Board’s (CSLB) Industry Expert Program. The program pays licensed contractors to help fellow contractors while allowing an opportunity for them to expand their trade knowledge.
Licensees enrolled in the program help investigate consumer complaints and are called on to inspect projects and provide an analysis of construction projects subject to complaints. They also provide expert opinion and testimony regarding specific complaint items and trade standards. Additionally, enrollees consult on license exam development and help the CSLB update its licensing exams.
Industry experts are licensed or registered professionals, such as contractors, engineers, architects, landscape architects, geologists, and accountants, or interpreters and manufacturers’ representatives with skills and/or expertise that the CSLB may require in specific investigations or criminal prosecutions.
To qualify to join the program applicants must be:
- A qualifier for at least five years on a current contractor license that is free of unresolved licensing and enforcement actions.
- Knowledgeable about currently accepted trade standards in your area of expertise.
- Effective at verbal communications.
- Able to write an effective expert opinion.
- Able to testify at arbitration or disciplinary hearings, as needed.
Program participants provide the following services:
• Complaint Investigation
• Mandatory Arbitration
• Voluntary Arbitration
• On-Site Negotiation
• Administrative Hearings
• License Exam Development Typical Assignments
To obtain more information about the Industry Expert Program or to request an application, contact the CSLB’s Enforcement Division at (916) 255-4027, or email your qualifications and preferred work location to IndustryExpert@cslb.ca.gov. Contractors can also write to: Industry Expert Program, Contractors State License Board, P.O. Box 26000, Sacramento, CA.
Business Consumer Alliance offers a variety of services to assist small businesses and contractors in particular. Find out how our membership programs can help you grow your business by filling out an application at https://www.checkbca.org/apply. Follow BCA on Facebook to stay updated on industry trends, get scam alerts, and a variety of consumer tips.
About Business Consumer Alliance
Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) is a non-profit company that started in 1928. The broad purpose of BCA is to promote business self-regulation. BCA's mission is achieved by assisting consumers in resolving complaints with businesses and using that complaint information, along with other relevant information such as customer reviews, to forecast business reliability. With community support, BCA can identify trustworthy and ethical businesses and warn the public to avoid unscrupulous businesses whose purpose is to defraud the marketplace. BCA also helps businesses promote themselves by providing services and tools to protect their business and reach out to their customers. BCA obtains its funding from member businesses who support the mission and purpose of the organization and who agree to abide by high standards of ethical business practices.