CALIFORNIA · SOURCE MAP · 2026

2026 California home improvement contract source map

See where major California home improvement contract requirements come from. This reference map separates statutory text, CSLB guidance, ContractBuilderAI explanation and scope notes so readers can verify the source instead of relying on a summary alone.

Last reviewed: October 3, 2026

How to read this source map

Each row pairs a contract checkpoint with where it comes from. The primary source controls if a summary and the source differ. The review date records when the cited source relationship was checked; it is not a promise that law cannot change later.

Primary authority

Links to the current statutory source on California Legislative Information. This is the controlling text.

CSLB guidance

Links to official Contractors State License Board material that explains the topic. Agency guidance, not the statute itself.

Scope / exception

Flags where a rule has limits or where a separate statutory path may apply to the transaction.

Related guide

ContractBuilderAI editorial explanation. Useful context, not legal authority.

2026 verification notes

Current §7159 text includes 2026-era changes involving cancellation-contact information and subcontractor-use disclosure. Not every row on this page changed in 2026, but older templates may not reflect the current text.

This page points readers to current sources rather than reproducing a form. It is not exhaustive and does not replace contract review.

The source map does not decide which rule applies to a specific transaction. The contractor must determine what rules apply to the actual job, with professional advice when appropriate.

California home improvement contract source map

Twenty-one major checkpoints, each paraphrased and linked to its source. Filter by category, or view all rows.

Showing 21 of 21 rows

Requirement	Primary authority	What the source covers	CSLB guidance	Scope / exception note	Related guide
Written home improvement contract thresholdContract formation	BPC §7159	The section defines the home improvement contract framework and the aggregate-price threshold used by §7159.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	A qualifying Service and Repair contract uses a separate statutory path.	When a contract must be in writing
Contractor name, business address and license numberContract formation	BPC §7159	Identifies contractor information required in the agreement.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	Match the contract identity to the actual licensed contractor.	Contractor license information guide
Home Improvement Salesperson information, when applicableContract formation	BPC §7159	Requires salesperson name and registration information when applicable.	Home Improvement Salesperson	HIS registration rules have their own definitions and limited exceptions.	Salesperson (HIS) guide
"Home Improvement" contract headingContract formation	BPC §7159	The statute specifies a heading identifying the type of contract.	Contracting for Success	Presentation requirements matter in addition to substantive content.	Contract requirements guide
Signed, completed buyer copy before covered work beginsContract formation	BPC §7159	Addresses signing, dating and delivery of the completed agreement before work begins.	Contracts and Binding Agreements	Cancellation rights can be tied to delivery of the signed contract and applicable notice.	Contract checklist
Contract priceContract formation	BPC §7159	Requires the contract price to be stated in the agreement.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	Later signed change orders can affect the contract amount.	Contract requirements guide
Project description, significant materials and equipmentProject details	BPC §7159	Requires a project description and identification of significant materials and equipment.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	Project-specific detail is more useful than generic scope language.	Plans and specifications guide
Down paymentPayments	BPC §7159	Sets the ordinary down-payment structure and required disclosure.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	Apply the statutory rule and any exception that actually governs the transaction; special-order materials do not create the ordinary exception described by CSLB.	Down payment guide
Progress-payment schedulePayments	BPC §7159	Addresses dollar amounts and the work, services, materials or equipment tied to progress-payment stages.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	Payment timing must be evaluated against the work/materials actually supplied.	Progress payments guide
Approximate start date and substantial commencementProject details	BPC §7159	Addresses approximate start date and what constitutes substantial commencement.	Contracts and Binding Agreements	Use project-specific dates and terms rather than a generic placeholder.	Start and completion dates guide
Approximate completion dateProject details	BPC §7159	Requires an approximate completion date.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	Later signed changes may affect the completion date.	Start and completion dates guide
Incorporated documents, plans and specificationsProject details	BPC §7159	Addresses documents incorporated into the agreement and project-description requirements.	Contracts and Binding Agreements	Make incorporated documents identifiable and keep later revisions controlled.	Plans and specifications guide
Written, signed change orders before changed work beginsChange orders	BPC §7159	Addresses writing/signature timing plus scope, price and payment/completion effects of changes.	What Is a Home Improvement Contract?	A text message or informal note is not the workflow this source map is describing.	Change orders guide
Commercial general liability insurance noticeNotices	BPC §7159	Addresses the contract's CGL-insurance disclosure.	Contracting for Success	The disclosure must reflect the contractor's actual insurance status.	Insurance disclosures guide
Workers' compensation insurance noticeNotices	BPC §7159	Addresses the workers' compensation disclosure.	Contracting for Success	The disclosure must reflect the contractor's actual status.	Insurance disclosures guide
Mechanics lien warningNotices	BPC §7159	Requires the mechanics-lien warning within the home improvement contract framework.	Warnings and Exceptions	Lien rights and preliminary-notice rules are separate legal subjects; this row maps the contract warning requirement.	Mechanics lien warning guide
Cancellation notices and cancellation contact informationCancellation	BPC §7159	Addresses cancellation notices and contractor contact information used for applicable cancellation.	Warnings and Exceptions	Three-day, five-day, seven-day and Service and Repair circumstances are not interchangeable; determine the rule that actually applies.	Cancellation rights guide
Subcontractor-use disclosureNotices	BPC §7159	Current text addresses whether subcontractors will be used and related disclosure/list information.	Contracting for Success	Use the current statutory text rather than a pre-2026 form.	B&P §7159 statute guide
Lien-release statement following satisfactory paymentPayments	BPC §7159	Addresses furnishing a full and unconditional release for the paid portion before further payment.	Contracting for Success	This contract statement does not replace the separate rules governing lien releases and lien rights.	B&P §7159 statute guide
Performance and payment bond noticeNotices	BPC §7159	Addresses notice near the signatures concerning the owner's or tenant's right to require a performance and payment bond.	Contracting for Success	This is a contract notice; whether a bond is actually required or obtained is a separate project question.	B&P §7159 statute guide
Service and Repair contract classificationExceptions	BPC §7159.10	Defines the separate Service and Repair path, including the 750-dollar-or-less amount, buyer-initiated contact, limited scope and no payment before completion.	Warnings and Exceptions	If the qualifying conditions are not all met, §7159.10 directs the ordinary home-improvement requirements back into the analysis.	Service and Repair guide

Why this map separates authority from explanation

Statutory text is the controlling text. CSLB guidance is agency guidance that explains how the board describes a topic to contractors and consumers. A ContractBuilderAI guide is editorial explanation written to help readers understand the material; it is not primary authority.

When a summary and a source appear to conflict, check the current primary authority and, when appropriate, seek professional advice. Keeping the three layers in separate columns makes that check faster and keeps explanation from being mistaken for law.

This separation follows our Research & editorial standards.

Use the focused California contractor guides

B&P §7159 statute guide

A walkthrough organized around the §7159 statutory text.

Contract requirements guide

A practical overview of common contract requirements.

Contract checklist

A pre-signing checklist for contractor review.

When a contract must be in writing

How the written-contract threshold is framed.

Down payment guide

The ordinary down-payment structure and disclosure.

Progress payments guide

Tying payment stages to work actually performed.

Change orders guide

Written, signed changes before changed work begins.

Cancellation rights guide

Which cancellation circumstances may apply.

Service and Repair guide

The separate §7159.10 Service and Repair path.

Official sources used in this map

Open the cited source when the exact current wording matters.

California Legislative Information

Contractors State License Board

ContractBuilderAI is not affiliated with or endorsed by the State of California or CSLB. Links are provided as references.

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