How long does a homeowner have to cancel a home improvement contract in California?

In California, a buyer may cancel a home solicitation contract of $25 or more made away from the seller’s business premises (including home repair, restoration, alteration or improvement) until midnight of the third business day after signing, the fifth business day if the buyer is 65 or older, or the seventh business day for repair of a home damaged by a disaster, by written notice to the seller’s address or email address. The agreement must be in the language of the sales presentation, carry a boldface cancellation statement next to the buyer’s signature, and come with a completed "Notice of Cancellation" form in duplicate that is easily detachable; a contract written under Business and Professions Code section 7151.2 carries a "Three-Day Right to Cancel" statement instead (five days for a senior), and its days run from when the buyer receives a signed and dated copy. The seller must also tell the buyer orally of the right to cancel, and until the seller complies the buyer may cancel. Within 10 days after cancellation the seller must return any payments made and any note or other evidence of indebtedness. The cancellation sections do not apply where the buyer starts the contract for emergency or immediately necessary repairs needed for the immediate protection of persons or property and gives the seller a separate dated and signed statement describing the situation and waiving the right to cancel. For a service and repair contract under Business and Professions Code section 7159.10, the right to cancel ends once the buyer has a signed and dated compliant contract and the work starts. The federal cooling-off rule separately gives three business days to cancel many sales made at the buyer’s home. This is Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1689.5, 1689.6, 1689.7, 1689.10, 1689.13, 1689.15.

WhatCalifornia
Right to cancel3 business days; 5 for seniors; 7 after a disaster

What the statute says

“… the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation contract or offer until midnight of the third business day, or until midnight of the fifth business day if the buyer is a senior citizen …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1689.5, 1689.6, 1689.7, 1689.10, 1689.13, 1689.15

Read the statute in the California Codes (California Legislative Information): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

An estimate on Seayora carries its own terms and contract text, and the customer’s approval is recorded with its date, so the day a cancellation period starts is on file for both the contractor and the homeowner.

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