Legal Question in Construction Law in California

If the first "handyman" charged you more than $500 total for labor and materials, then you should sue him in small claims court to recover everything you paid him. An unlicensed "handyman" cannot do work that exceeds $500 for labor and materials. You can also file a complaint with the Contractor's State License Board as this "handyman" is operating as a contractor without a license. Particularly if he is leveling manufactured homes - that is a specialty area of contracting, and there is a specific license for manufactured home contractors. I would also be careful of the second contractor, unless he or she is a "C47" contractor (someone who has met a minimum requirement with the Contractor's State License Board as a manufactured home contractor). $1,200 to "make it right" just sounds like it might be excessive. "Leveling" manufactured homes has been one of the oldest, and biggest scams in that industry. Yes, homes need to be leveled every few years. Should it cost a fortune? No - unless you have piers or pads that have degraded over time (pads are generally pressure treated wood, and can over time rot - piers are steel, and if there is moisture under the home, they can rust), then it is purely a question of labor, and given that it takes two people about 1/2 a day to level a home, again, $1,200 is excessive.

Additionally, if the contractor is replacing piers and/or pads, I believe they have to pull a permit. Check with the California Department of Housing and Community Development on that question. Good luck - I really hate to hear about people getting burned by unscrupulous people. Do some research on the second contractor to make sure he or she is not also scamming you. Do that by checking their license with the State of California, and ask for references.

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