How to Hire a Cabinet Maker in California

Step by step

1. Decide the scope: painting, refacing, new cabinets in the same layout, or a remodel that moves plumbing, wiring or walls (which needs permits).
2. Look up each bidder on the CSLB license check and confirm an active C-6 or B license in the same name that will be on the contract.
3. Ask two or three cabinet makers to bid the same scope: box material, door style, finish, drawers, hardware and installation.
4. Have your chosen cabinet maker field-measure the room after any demolition; custom boxes are built to their measurements.
5. Approve drawings that show every cabinet's size, door style, finish, fillers, panels and moldings before anything is built.
6. Sign a written home improvement contract that lists the price, materials, payment schedule and approximate start and completion dates.
7. Pay a down payment of no more than $1,000 or 10%, then pay only as cabinets are delivered and installed, asking for lien releases.
8. Walk through the finished job, list any fixes, and make the final payment once they're done.

Which license does a cabinet maker need in California?

The CSLB's C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry classification covers making cabinets, doors, trim and other finish carpentry and installing and finishing them in a building. A B General Building contractor may take a carpentry project too, and may take a larger remodel that involves at least two unrelated trades besides framing or carpentry. Painting contractors hold the C-33 classification. Moving plumbing or wiring is work for licensed plumbing (C-36) or electrical (C-10) contractors, or a B contractor coordinating them.

The CSLB says that since January 1, 2025, unlicensed people may do jobs only under $1,000 in labor and materials combined, only if no permit is needed, and only if they employ no one; they must also say in ads that they are unlicensed. In homes built before 1978, anyone paid to disturb painted cabinets also needs EPA Lead-Safe Certification.

How much can a cabinet maker charge up front?

California Business and Professions Code section 7159.5 caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the contract amount, whichever is less. The CSLB states plainly that there are no exceptions for special-order materials, so a custom shop asking for half down is asking for more than the law allows. After the down payment, the contractor may not request or accept payment that exceeds the value of the work performed or material delivered.

The exception is narrow: a contractor who furnishes a performance and payment bond, lien and completion bond, bond equivalent or joint control approved by the Registrar of Contractors may accept payment before completion. Violating the down payment or progress payment rules is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $100 to $5,000, up to a year in county jail, or both.

What must a California cabinet contract include?

Business and Professions Code section 7159 applies when the contract price for a home improvement exceeds $500, and the CSLB says the contract must be in writing. It must include, among other items:

• The contractor's name, business address and license number, and any salesperson's registration number.
• The heading "Home Improvement," the contract price and any finance charge listed separately.
• A description of the project and the significant materials and equipment, such as box material, door style and finish.
• The down payment, with the statement that it may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less.
• A schedule of progress payments tied to specific work or materials.
• Approximate start and completion dates, and what counts as substantial commencement of work.
• Notices about commercial general liability insurance, workers' compensation, change orders, the Mechanics Lien Warning and the CSLB.
• Whether subcontractors will be used, and your right to require a performance and payment bond.

When can you cancel a cabinet contract?

If the contract is signed at your home, section 7159 requires a Three-Day Right to Cancel notice, or a Five-Day Right to Cancel for a senior citizen, which Civil Code section 1689.5 defines as 65 or older. You cancel in writing by midnight of the third (or fifth) business day after receiving a signed copy, and the contractor must return what you paid within 10 days. The notice is not required when the contract is negotiated at the contractor's place of business, such as a showroom.

What should a good cabinet bid list?

Detail protects you. The CSLB recommends that the contract describe the products and how the work will be done, including sizes, colors and who does what, and that it cover cleanup, debris removal and warranties in writing. For cabinets, that means:

• Box material and thickness, back panels and shelf material.
• Door and drawer-front construction, style and overlay (inset, partial or full overlay).
• Finish type and number of coats, and whether interiors are finished.
• Drawer construction, slides and hinges, and all hardware.
• Fillers, end panels, toe-kicks, crown and light rail.
• Demolition, disposal, countertops and who handles plumbing, electrical and permits.
• Lead-safe practices for pre-1978 homes, delivery and install dates, and the payment schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Available across the Sacramento area

• Sacramento
• Elk Grove
• Roseville
• Folsom
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• Rancho Cordova
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• Davis
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• Granite Bay
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• Cameron Park
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• Loomis