We entered into a contract with Felipe to renovate our master bath. (Total about $35,000, for labor, while we bought nearly all of the material, including tile, toilet, vanity plumbing hardware, etc.) He (illegally) collected all the labor money (about $35,000) before completion of the work, and then stopped work less than halfway through. We had to file a complaint with the California State License Board. They assessed fines against him, in the total amount of $6,500. We also had to file a claim against his bond/insurance company. We received the maximum payment from them ($25,000). He claimed that he did all work "to code," so it really wasn't necessary that we get a building permit (we would save the extra money, and it would take less time to complete -- waiting for inspections) but he didn't know the codes as much as he stated he did. He had to reinstall a toilet after it didn't pass inspection. He told the inspector, "Well, that's the way we do it in Ventura County..." and the inspector said, "First, you're in Los Angeles County, and second, the way you did it is wrong in any part of California, including Ventura County." He made other errors, and was willing to take shortcuts to save himself time and aggravation. He is nice when he is nice, but when things don't go his way, be becomes irate, blames the homeowner and the inspectors, and even told me "Go F*** yourself" when I said there would be trouble if he didn't finish the job (even though he had been paid in full). Eventually, we were forced to find another (more responsible and professional) contractor -- who had to remove all of Felipe's work and start over. read more