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Upload your estimates. Our AI parses every line item, verifies each contractor's license with the California CSLB, and gives you an honest side-by-side comparison with trust scores and red flags.

By the Opsite Construction Intelligence Team · Last updated April 8, 2026 · Data verified against California CSLB

12,000+
Estimates Analyzed
$380M+
In Projects Compared
98%
Red Flags Caught
Free
No Account Needed

Three steps to the right contractor

Upload your estimates, let our AI do the heavy lifting, and make a confident decision.

1

Upload your estimates

Drop 2-4 contractor estimates (PDF or photo). No account, no signup. Our AI reads every document and extracts the details you need to compare.

2

We verify and analyze

Each contractor's license is verified against the California CSLB database in real time. We check bond status, workers comp, disciplinary actions, and years in business. Then we compute a Trust Score (0-100) for each one.

3

See the truth, side by side

Line items normalized, scope gaps highlighted, red flags called out, and payment terms checked against California law. You'll know exactly who's offering the best value and who to avoid.

Every estimate gets a full background check

Not just the price. We verify the contractor behind it.

CSLB License Verification

We check the California Contractors State License Board in real time. Is the license active? What classification? Any suspensions or revocations?

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Bond & Insurance Status

Is the contractor bonded? Do they carry workers compensation insurance? If they don't, you're liable if someone gets hurt on your property.

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Disciplinary History

We pull any complaints, citations, or disciplinary actions from the CSLB. Past problems are the best predictor of future problems.

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Line-by-Line Comparison

Our AI normalizes line items across estimates so you can see exactly what each contractor includes and what they're leaving out.

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Payment Schedule Check

California law limits deposits to $1,000 or 10% (whichever is less). We flag any contractor asking for more, and recommend a safe payment schedule.

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Red Flag Detection

Unspecified materials ("TBD"), missing scope items, unusually low prices, no warranty, excessive deposits. We catch what you might miss.

Every contractor gets a score from 0 to 100

Based on six verified data points from public records and our own database.

License Status

25 pts
Active, inactive, revoked, or suspended. Verified against CSLB in real time.

Disciplinary Record

20 pts
Complaints, citations, or formal actions. Clean record = full points. Each action deducts 5 points.

Workers Compensation

15 pts
Does the contractor carry workers comp? If not, you may be liable for injuries on your property.

Years in Business

15 pts
Calculated from CSLB license issue date. 20+ years = full marks. Under 3 years = minimal.

Insurance Verification

15 pts
General liability and workers comp currency from verified internal records.

Contractor Bond

10 pts
A bond protects you financially if the contractor fails to perform. Required by California law for most license types.

What we found analyzing 847 kitchen remodel estimates in California

$287
Median $/sqf
23%
Had CSLB complaints
41%
Asked illegal deposits
$8,400
Avg savings per project

We analyzed 847 kitchen remodel estimates submitted to Opsite in Q1 2026 across Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego counties. The median cost was $287/sqf, with a wide range from $145/sqf (budget stock cabinets, laminate counters) to $580/sqf (custom European cabinetry, stone surfaces, structural changes).

The most concerning finding: 41% of estimates requested deposits exceeding California's legal limit ($1,000 or 10%, whichever is less). Many homeowners would have unknowingly overpaid before work even started. Additionally, 23% of contractors had at least one CSLB complaint on file that was only discoverable through our real-time verification.

Data source: Opsite platform, January-March 2026. 847 estimates from 312 unique contractors across 3 California metro areas. Methodology: AI parsing of uploaded estimate PDFs with automated CSLB verification.

Red flags our AI catches for you

Excessive deposit

California limits deposits to $1,000 or 10% of the contract, whichever is less. If a contractor asks for 50% upfront, that's a violation of CSLB regulations.

Unspecified materials

"Cabinets TBD" or "equivalent paint" in an estimate means the contractor hasn't committed to a quality level. You could end up with the cheapest product available.

Missing scope items

One estimate includes the garage door, the other doesn't mention it. Our AI cross-references all estimates to find what's missing from each one.

No bond or workers comp

If a contractor isn't bonded or doesn't carry workers comp, you have no financial protection and could be liable for workplace injuries on your property.

Short warranty

Industry standard is 1-2 years minimum for workmanship. A 90-day warranty means the contractor doesn't stand behind their work.

Suspiciously low price

If one estimate is 40%+ below the others, they're either cutting corners on materials, underestimating the scope, or planning to hit you with change orders later.

Common questions from homeowners

Why not just use ChatGPT to review my estimate?
ChatGPT gives generic answers from training data that's months or years old. It can't verify if a license is active right now, check if a complaint was filed last week, or confirm a contractor's bond is currently on file. Opsite connects directly to the California CSLB database in real time. Every trust score, every license check, every red flag is based on live, verified government data — not a language model's best guess. We also read your actual estimate document and compare specific line items against real market pricing from completed projects — something no general AI chatbot can do.
Where does your pricing data come from?
Our cost data comes from real construction projects managed through the Opsite platform — actual signed contracts, invoices, and change orders from licensed California contractors. This is not internet survey data or national averages. Every number is tied to a real project in a real zip code, and our database is updated continuously as new projects are completed. When we say a kitchen remodel costs $350/sqf in your area, it's because we've seen it in the data.
How do I compare contractor estimates?
Upload 2-4 contractor estimates (PDF or photos) to our free comparison tool. Our AI extracts every line item, verifies each contractor's license with the California CSLB, calculates a trust score, and shows you a side-by-side comparison with red flags and recommendations.
Is it really free? What's the catch?
The basic comparison is 100% free, no account required. We make money by helping contractors improve their business operations through our contractor software. Helping homeowners make better decisions is part of our mission to improve the construction industry for everyone.
How accurate is the Trust Score?
Every component of the Trust Score is sourced from verifiable data. License status, bond, workers compensation, and disciplinary actions come directly from the California CSLB database — we scrape it in real time, not from a cached copy. Years in business is calculated from the official license issue date. Insurance status is verified against our internal database of contractor compliance records. When we show a score, we also show exactly how each point was earned so you can verify it yourself.
Will my contractor know I used this tool?
No. Your documents are private and we never contact the contractors. The analysis is for your eyes only.
How do I check if my contractor is licensed in California?
Upload your contractor's estimate or enter their license number directly. We verify it against the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) database in real time — not from cached data or AI training knowledge. We check license status, classification, bond, workers comp, and every disciplinary action on file. You can also check directly at cslb.ca.gov, but we extract more data points and calculate a Trust Score that's easier to understand.
What if my contractor doesn't have a license number on their estimate?
That's a red flag. California law requires licensed contractors to include their CSLB license number on all contracts, bids, and advertising. If it's missing, ask for it directly. If they can't provide one, they may be unlicensed — which is illegal for jobs over $500 in California.
How much deposit should I pay a contractor?
California law (B&P Code 7159.5) limits deposits to the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of the contract price. Any contractor asking for more is violating CSLB regulations. Our Deposit Calculator checks this instantly and generates a response you can send to your contractor. We recommend a staged payment schedule tied to milestones: deposit at signing, progress payments at key inspections, and final payment after walkthrough.
What makes Opsite different from Angi, HomeAdvisor, or Thumbtack?
Those platforms sell leads to contractors — the contractor pays to be listed, not to be good. Their "ratings" are self-reported or based on unverified reviews. Opsite is different: we verify every data point directly with the California CSLB, we analyze actual estimates from real contractors, and our Trust Score is based on public government records — not pay-to-play rankings. We work for the homeowner, not the contractor.

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All plans include real-time CSLB verification from government records. No subscriptions — pay only for what you need.

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