The short answer: In California, someone without a contractor’s license can take a job only if three things are true. The total price (labor plus materials) is under $1,000, the work doesn’t need any kind of permit, and they’re doing it alone with no helpers. If even one of those isn’t true, you need a contractor licensed by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), no matter how small the job looks.
“It’s just a small job. Can’t my handyman do it?”
We hear some version of that question all the time, and it’s a fair one. Nobody wants to pay contractor prices to hang a shelf.
Sometimes the answer really is yes. But a lot of people, homeowners and handymen alike, are still going by an old rule. For years the magic number in California was $500. On January 1, 2025, a new state law bumped it up to $1,000. Here’s the part that trips people up, though: the dollar amount is only one of three tests.
Let’s go through all three, look at some everyday jobs, and then we’ll show you how to check out anyone before you hand them the keys.
So what actually changed?
A bill called AB 2622 updated the “minor work” exemption in California’s Business and Professions Code (section 7048). According to the CSLB’s bulletin on the change, the limit went from $500 to $1,000 starting January 1, 2025.
One detail people miss: that $1,000 covers everything. Labor, materials, all of it. So if your handyman quotes $600 for labor and the materials run $500, that’s an $1,100 job, and it’s over the line.
And no, you can’t break one project into a few smaller invoices to slip under the limit. The law specifically says that doesn’t count. If it’s really one job, or part of a bigger project, the exemption is off the table.
So far, pretty simple. Here’s where it gets interesting.
The three questions to ask before a handyman starts
The CSLB doesn’t mince words on this one: “if the minor work is subject to a permit requirement of any kind, or if the unlicensed person hires one or more workers to assist or perform the work, a license is required, even if the project is less than $1,000.”
So really, there are three questions, and you need a “yes” on all three:
- Is the whole job under $1,000? Labor, materials, everything, added up.
- Does it need zero permits? That means no building permit, and no electrical, plumbing, or mechanical permit either.
- Is one person doing all the work? The moment they bring a helper, a license is required.
One quick note on ads, too. An unlicensed person can advertise jobs under $1,000, but only if the ad says they’re not licensed. If someone advertises as “licensed” and isn’t, the exemption doesn’t protect them at all.
Of those three questions, the permit one causes the most confusion. Let’s dig into it.
Why the permit question matters more than the price
Here’s the surprise for a lot of folks: a $300 job can still require a licensed contractor if it needs a permit. And since permits are handled by your city or county, the rules depend on where you live.
Two local examples show how specific this gets:
- In Long Beach, the city’s Do I Need a Permit? page says painting, floor and wall coverings, and tile up to 48 inches high generally don’t need a permit. But the same page says replacement windows do. And for water heaters, the exemptions it lists cover certain repairs, not swapping in a new one.
- LA County Building and Safety’s list of work exempt from permits (for the unincorporated areas it covers) includes painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, and countertops where disabled access rules don’t apply. It also points out that you may still need a separate plumbing, electrical, or mechanical permit.
See the pattern? Cosmetic, surface-level work is often exempt. Anything that touches wiring, gas, water, venting, structure, or the outside shell of the house often isn’t. Your city may draw the lines a little differently, so a quick call to your local building department is always worth it.
Common jobs: handyman or licensed contractor?
Here’s a quick cheat sheet for everyday jobs. Think of it as a starting point, not the final word on your project, since prices and permit rules vary from place to place.
| Job | Usually under $1,000? | Permit often required? | Who to call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patch drywall and repaint a room | Often | Often not (finish work) | A handyman may be fine if they work alone |
| Hang shelves, swap cabinet hardware | Usually | Usually not | A handyman may be fine |
| Replace a faucet with the same type | Often | Long Beach lists this as exempt; check your city | A handyman may be fine; confirm locally |
| Replace a water heater | Often over | Commonly yes | Licensed contractor |
| Add a new outlet or circuit | Varies | Commonly yes (electrical) | Licensed contractor |
| Replace windows | Usually over | Long Beach says yes | Licensed contractor |
| Bathroom or kitchen remodel | No | Almost always, once plumbing, electrical, or layout changes | Licensed contractor, usually a B general building contractor |
| Remove or move a wall | No | Yes, and it may need engineering | Licensed contractor, plus a design professional if required |
Our rule of thumb: if the job involves anything hidden inside a wall, ceiling, or floor, treat it as licensed work until your building department tells you otherwise.
What’s the real risk of hiring unlicensed help?
This isn’t just about following rules. When something goes wrong, the homeowner is usually the one left holding the bag.
Someone gets hurt on your property. The CSLB warns that if unlicensed workers without liability or workers’ compensation insurance are injured, “you could be asked to pay for injuries and rehabilitation through your homeowner’s insurance policy or face lawsuits.” (More on the CSLB’s owner-builder risks page.)
Unpermitted work comes back to bite you. Work that should have had a permit can surface when you sell, refinance, file an insurance claim, or pull permits for a future project. Fixing it can mean opening the walls back up.
You have fewer options if it goes sideways. Licensed contractors carry a bond, and the CSLB can take action against a license. With an unlicensed worker, your options are a lot narrower.
To be clear, this isn’t a knock on handymen. A good one is worth their weight in gold for small, cosmetic, permit-free jobs. The trick is matching the right person to the right job.
Hiring a handyman? Get references first
Here’s something we see a lot at De Sisto Construction: many of the calls we get are from homeowners who need us to finish a job someone else started and walked away from, or to redo work that wasn’t done right the first time. By then, the homeowner has often paid twice: once for the original work and again to fix it.
A few minutes of checking up front can save you that headache:
- Ask for two or three references from recent jobs similar to yours, and actually call them.
- Ask the references the real questions: Was the job finished? Was it on time and on budget? Would you hire them again?
- Ask to see photos of past work, ideally of the same kind of job.
- Get the scope and price in writing before work starts, even for small jobs.
- Don’t pay a big chunk up front. Pay as the work gets done.
If a handyman can’t or won’t give you references, that tells you something.
DIY, handyman, or licensed contractor?
- Do it yourself: Painting, caulking, swapping cabinet hardware, small patches. Low risk, no permit, and mistakes are cheap to fix.
- Handyman: Small cosmetic repairs under $1,000 that need no permit, done by one person (with good references).
- Licensed specialty contractor (C license): One trade, like an electrician for a new circuit or a plumber for a water heater.
- Licensed general contractor (B license): Jobs that involve two or more trades, layout changes, structural work, or several permits, like a kitchen or bathroom remodel, an addition, or an ADU. As the CSLB puts it, a B contractor “may perform all of the work on a building, or subcontract parts of the job to contractors with specialty licenses.”
Good news: we’re a licensed contractor
If your project needs a license, you don’t have to wonder about us. De Sisto Construction is a California licensed general contractor (CSLB License #803545, B General Building), and we’ve been in business since 2001. That means we can take on the permitted, multi-trade work a handyman can’t legally do, and we handle the permits and inspections along the way.
Whoever you end up hiring, keep a few California contract rules in mind (from the CSLB’s home improvement contracts guide):
- Home improvement jobs over $500 (labor and materials combined) need a written contract.
- The down payment can’t be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less.
- Payments shouldn’t get ahead of the work that’s actually done.
The bottom line
The $1,000 handyman limit is real, and it’s handy for small, cosmetic, one-person jobs. But price is only the first question. If the job needs a permit, or your handyman brings a helper, California requires a license, no matter how small the job looks.
Not sure which side of the line your project falls on? That’s a smart thing to ask before anyone picks up a tool. As a licensed general contractor, De Sisto Construction helps homeowners and property owners in Long Beach, Signal Hill, Lakewood, and nearby cities plan their projects, break down costs line by line, and handle permits and inspections. And if you’re dealing with a job someone else left unfinished, we can take a look at that too. Either way, we’re happy to talk it through.
Give us a call at 562-425-1050 or email us at info@desistogc.com (dcidirect.net).
Frequently asked questions
What’s the handyman limit in California in 2026? Under $1,000 for labor and materials combined. It was $500 until AB 2622 took effect on January 1, 2025.
Can a handyman do a job under $1,000 if it needs a permit? No. According to the CSLB, if the work needs a permit of any kind, a license is required, even if the job is under $1,000.
Can a handyman bring a helper on a small job? Not without a license. Once an unlicensed person hires anyone to help, the exemption no longer applies.
Can I split a bigger job into smaller invoices to stay under $1,000? No. California law says the exemption doesn’t apply when a job is split up to avoid licensing, or when the work is part of a bigger project.
Is De Sisto Construction a licensed contractor? Yes. De Sisto Construction is a California licensed general contractor, CSLB License #803545 (B General Building), in business since 2001.
What should I ask a handyman before hiring them? Ask for two or three references from similar recent jobs and call them. Ask whether the work was finished on time and on budget, look at photos of past work, and get the price and scope in writing.
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