CSLB reports low wildfire complaints, pushes enforcement audit and forensic review

CSLB staff told the board on Dec. 10 that the agency received 24 complaints connected to the Los Angeles wildfires in the last 12 months, two of which involved unlicensed contractors, and contrasted that tally with much larger volumes after the Paradise fire. The presentation framed the low complaint count as a success while underscoring ongoing risks from unlicensed practice and online advertising.

Why it matters: CSLB enforcement staff said unlicensed contractors can cause large consumer losses in declared disasters and that better investigative and outreach capacity is needed to protect homeowners after emergencies. The board-approved analytical funding and a proposed forensic audit are intended to strengthen referrals to prosecutors and support criminal charges when warranted.

Staff outlined three near-term priorities from an internal audit: expand enforcement training and an enforcement academy, add forensic accounting capacity to identify financial crimes, and finish the enforcement modernization plan to streamline intake and investigations. Staff reported reviewing 346 enforcement cases and said the audit will deliver recommendations by June (per materials).

Board materials indicate the board approved $200,000 to hire a consultant to help with the analytical study; staff also said they expect to post more consumer-facing content so homeowners can better verify contractor licensing. Members pressed staff on staffing levels — CSLB currently has fewer than one investigator per county, staff said — and on tools to match business-license databases to CSLB records to identify unlicensed practice.

What staff will do next: complete the enforcement modernization plan and a final audit report with recommendations about staffing, outreach and whether additional funding for enforcement or public-information functions is needed. Staff said they will refer suspected criminal matters to district attorneys and are coordinating with law-enforcement partners.