Is there a faster option than court through the CSLB?

The Contractors State License Board operates both a mandatory and a voluntary arbitration program specifically for disputes between contractors and their customers, and for claims falling toward the smaller end of the construction defect range, this program can genuinely move faster and cost considerably less than pursuing a full courtroom lawsuit through to trial.

Whether you actually qualify for this program depends on several specific factors: the dollar amount of your claim, the current status of the contractor's license, and importantly, whether you've already filed a lawsuit in court, since filing suit first can affect or foreclose your eligibility for this particular arbitration path. Given these eligibility conditions, it's worth specifically asking about CSLB arbitration program eligibility before you commit to filing a court complaint, rather than discovering afterward that a faster, cheaper option existed.