Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Whether they are an unlicensed contractor or not depends on whether the work they perform is work that brings them under the definition of a "contractor" in the business and professions code. Cleaning is not included in that definition unless it is in connection with work that is considered contractor work. The sections that define "contractor" are too long even to summarize here. You can find them at http://law.justia.com/california/codes/bpc/7025-7034.html If the work they do is work included in the definition of "contractor" in the code, and they do not have the proper license, then they are an unlicensed contractor. If the work they do does not fall into any of the definitions in the code, they are not a contractor at all and therefore cannot be an unlicensed contractor.