Make certain that the GC is licensed and that the license is current and in good standing. The CSLB, Contractors State License Board, will have this information, including any claims against the GC, as well as complaints.
For permitting, contact the County of San Diego and they’ll walk you through the necessary permits and navigating plan check. It’s been a while, but if memory serves, their offices are off Ruffin Road. It can be a major pain in the ass, but around your 20th phone call and tenth visit, things start flowing more smoothly. If you choose to have a GC honcho your project, the permitting should be included for all phases of work that require it.
The advice about staying on top of the GC is excellent. I’m in engineering and work with a wide variety of GCs, subs, vendors and suppliers. You learn the hard way to watch them all like hawks.
Do your homework and READ THE FINE PRINT ON EVERYTHING, especially the bids and quotes and statements of work.
