If They Ask for Half Down, Hang Up

The useful hour of a reroof is the hour you read the scope — before anyone owns a dumpster in your driveway.

Los Angeles does not have a shortage of roofers. It has a shortage of roofers who can survive a CSLB lookup, a permit desk, and a Saturday punch list. Citium Roofing Solutions would rather lose a job than win it the way storm-chasers win it. Here is the filter we tell neighbors in Mission Hills to use on everybody, including us.

The $1,000 rule

California Business and Professions Code § 7159.5: the down payment on a home-improvement contract shall not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. The contract must say so in bold language. A demand for 30% or 50% before work is not “industry standard.” It is a reason to stop talking.

Progress payments after work starts are a different thing. They should track delivered materials and completed stages, with a final chunk held until you walk the job.

License, insurance, name match

1. CSLB lookup: active C-39.
2. The business name on the license is the name on the contract and the name on the check.
3. Workers’ compensation if they have employees (they do).
4. General liability — ask for a certificate, not a vibe.
5. The phone number on the estimate matches Google, the CSLB file, and the truck.

Red flags that show up on Valley driveways

• Door knock the morning after Santa Ana winds
• Out-of-state number, PO Box, or “we’re in town for the storm”
• “We can start today if you sign now”
• Cash-only or checks to a first name
• “Don’t worry about the permit”
• “We’ll overlay, city doesn’t care”
• “We’ll waive your deductible”
• One-page bid with no product name
• No decking unit price
• Pressure to decide before you can verify the license

What a grown-up scope looks like

• Tear-off vs. overlay, stated
• Brand, line, color, and warranty of the covering
• Underlayment type
• Flashing and ventilation included — not “as needed”
• Permit holder named
• Decking replacement rate
• Workmanship warranty term
• Three-day cancellation notice on home-solicited contracts

Compare that list to the cost guide and you will see why two bids $8,000 apart are not comparable.

If you want the inspection without the circus, request it from Citium Roofing. Bring the other bids. We will tell you what they omitted.