Listen, I can’t advocate for this behavior but if you’re going to do it, let’s be as safe as possible amiright?

So some people live in California. Finding a licensed contractor for a small job, almost impossible. I’ve had contractors literally tell me if the job isn’t 6 figures it’s going to be side work they get to when they get to, and their prices are … extremely high.

Usually there is a guy who works for a guy like that who would be doing the job anyway and if you know someone who knows someone you can just cut out the big guy up top, who is providing the license, the insurance, etc. (All the stuff that protects you). Is it a good idea? No, but if you want the job done and want it done cheap, and you trust the guy to do it right, then well.. roll the dice!

So let’s say hypothetically a guy you know and trust, who has done this same type of work for dozens of people you know for several decades says he can do the small job you need for 1/2 the price of a guy with a license and says he can get it done quickly?

What if said individual. Hypothetically – sent you a quote that was essentially just a text message, explaining what could be done?

What if hypothetically you took that text and asked Claude to create a California legal work agreement complete with draw phases and signed receipts?

So basically the amount of the job I hypothetically would have needed done – hypothetically – was approximately the same amount that would be small claims court stuff. I mean… hypothetically if I had needed a job done.

I also learned that the liability falls to the unlicensed guy doing work above the scope of a handyman, so if they try to screw you, they will instantly lose any case because they aren’t licensed for it.

Obviously there are major risks to asking an unlicensed contractor to work on your home, in this hypothetical scenario, it would be an outbuilding that potentially would have needed some work. For an interior job, or something structural or fire safety related, I’d get a contractor, pay the prices, get the inspections and permits, so it depends greatly on the scope of work. Fencing, stucco, concrete (depends – a lot can go wrong with concrete – especially drainage issues – but for general paving… hey idk bro).

I can’t recommend doing things this way, but I can say that Claude was able to demonstrate to me that it can turn a text message, into an actual work agreement, and it was also able to create receipts.

This would have given me a paper trail to show an agreement between myself and a hypothetical handyman and would have protected us both to some extent if things went south.

The other big risk with letting a guy without workers comp work on your property is if there is an injury you’re on the hook for it with your insurance.

I happen to have great insurance but also don’t want to use it, but if you’re going to hypothetically hire an unlicensed contractor, an umbrella policy is probably a good idea to have regardless.

Claude, in my test contract did add a statement that it was the responsibility of the worker(s) to have workers comp and to have all of the necessary insurance and that if they didn’t it was on them. I hypothetically had the guy initial that, but would I have been in the clear if his assistant had an injury? Someone who had a handshake deal for cash and wasn’t officially working for the guy? Who knows. My guess is – probably not. Best practice probably would have been to hypothetically have that guy also sign a release of liability.

Hypothetically – it all worked out 😏.