What can a General Contractor vs Handyman do in Oakland, CA?

Question

I plan to have some remodeling/rehab/renovation work done on a condo I bought in Oakland, California.

I've heard differing opinions on what parts of this work I can legally have a handyman do vs what parts I'd need a licensed General Contractor (or other type of licensed contractor) to do. Does anyone have an official answer on this? Or is it a grey legal area?

I'm sure the official answer is different for every city, but my question is specific to Oakland, California.

Matt A. · Answer

Thanks John! Any tips on the best way to find a licensed general contractor I can hire to work on my investment condo in Oakland, CA (zip 94612)? Or even specific recs toward a general contractor? Feel free to PM me for more details on the work I need done if you need more specifics.I've reached out to a couple general contractors on Yelp  and got the sense they do quality work, but that their pricing is geared more toward owner occupied units rather than investment units. For instance, I got the sense that for each $1 of work they'd do the condo would rise less than $1 in value (even though the work is high quality). This would be fine if I intended to live in the unit indefinitely, but is not preferable since this is a condo I intend to rent out and eventually sell.

John P. · Answer

I have seen some who call themselves a "handyman" who are actually licensed contractors - they just do smaller/medium sized work. Thus I assume they can do anything. However, a true "handyman" has a very low threshold in California. It's like $500 or $1,000.  I would get a licensed contractor.