Section 8514.

No registered company shall commence work on a contract, or sign, issue, or deliver any documents expressing an opinion or statement relating to the control of household pests, or wood destroying pests or organisms until an inspection has been made.

Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, after an inspection has been made, a registered company which holds a branch registration for the control of household pests, or wood destroying pests or organisms, but its branch registration restricts the method of eradication or control permitted, may recommend and enter into a contract for the eradication or control of pests within the scope of its branch registration, provided that it subcontracts in writing the actual performance of the work to a registered company which holds a branch registration authorizing the particular method to be used.

A registered company may in writing subcontract any pest control work for which it is registered in any branch or branches to a registered company holding a valid branch registration to do such work.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a registered company or the consumer from subcontracting with a licensed contractor to do any work authorized under Section 8556.

A registered company shall not subcontract structural fumigation work, as permitted in this section, without the written consent of the consumer. The consumer must be informed in advance, in writing, of any proposed work which the registered company intends to subcontract and of the consumer's right to select another person or entity of the consumer's choosing to perform the work. The consumer may authorize the subcontracting of the work as proposed or may contract directly with another registered company licensed to perform the work. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to eliminate any otherwise applicable licensure requirements, nor permit a licensed contractor to perform any work beyond that authorized by Section 8556.

Nothing herein contained shall permit or authorize a registered company to perform, attempt to perform, advertise or hold out to the public or to any person that it is authorized, qualified, or registered to perform, pest control work in a branch, or by a method, for which it is not registered, except that a Branch 2 or Branch 3 registered company may advertise fumigation or any all encompassing treatment described in paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) of Section 1991 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations if the company complies with the requirements of this section.

Subcontracting of work, as permitted herein, shall not relieve the prime contractor or the subcontractor from responsibility for, or from disciplinary action because of, an act or omission on its part, which would otherwise be a ground for disciplinary action. However, the registered company making the initial proposal including proposed work that the registered company intends to subcontract shall not be subject to disciplinary action or otherwise responsible for an act or omission in the performance of the work that the consumer directly contracts with another registered company to perform, as permitted by this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 46, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.)