Beware of Unlicensed Contractors

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) has issued key points to help avoid unlicensed contractors from preying on vulnerable disaster victims.

• Any construction job that costs $500 or more in combined labor and material costs must be performed by a licensed contractor;
• Don't hire the first contractor who comes along;       
• Don't rush into repairs, no matter how badly they're needed;
• Before hiring a licensed contractor, ask to see their license and a photo ID;
• Always check the license number on CSLB's website and contact the business directly if you have any questions;
• Don't pay more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment. There is an exception for about two dozen licensees who carry special bonds to protect consumers; these exceptions are noted on CSLB's website;
• Don't pay in cash, and don't let payments get ahead of the work; and
• Get at least three bids, check references, and get a written contract.

Be sure to check with our Building Department at 647-4581 to make sure all permits are pulled as required. The City is waiving all residential permit fees for earthquake related repairs. The CSLB's Disaster Help Center has many helpful items on their website- check it out before hiring contractors to make repairs.  

Federal Emergency Request and Initial Damage Estimate

The Napa County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution on August 28th  to begin the process to request Federal and State aid following the Sunday morning earthquake. Declaration of a Federal emergency is necessary for areas sustaining damage caused by the earthquake to be potentially eligible for federal assistance programs. As part of this action, the Board of Supervisors requested a Presidential Declaration of a "major disaster," for Napa County and its local governments and that the President make all relevant assistance programs available to the County, cities, residents and businesses.

Each City affected by the earthquake adopted similar local resolutions earlier in the week. Officials from the California Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected in Napa early next week to begin the preliminary damage assessment required to verify the need for Federal resources. Staff at each City and the County continue to work on assessing damage to public facilities and infrastructure as well as privately owned homes and facilities. Using the HAZUS earthquake loss estimation model, the initial estimate totals $362.4 million in building, infrastructure and economic losses. Initial survey results show that more than 120 businesses in the wine and agriculture industry sustained damages totaling $48 million dollars. This figure is expected to increase as additional information is submitted and does not included losses a result of business interruption, lost tourism or lost inventory.