CCS Data Report – CSLB data as of November 5, 2026
We analyzed all 244,571 contractor licenses in the Contractors State License Board’s (CSLB) public License Master file. Here is what the state’s own data says:
- 11,683 licenses (4.8%, about 1 in 21) are suspended. 56% of those suspensions are for a missing contractor’s bond and 26% for missing workers’ comp.
- 48.9% of licenses claim an exemption from workers’ comp because they report having no employees. Among B general building contractors, the license most ADUs and remodels need, it is 57.2%.
- Los Angeles County has 49,992 licenses, 20.4% of the state, more than any other county.
- 17,578 licenses were issued in the last 12 months and are still current (4,065 of them in LA County).
Most homeowners check one contractor license at a time. We looked at all of them at once. Every week our free CSLB License Lookup loads the full statewide license file that CSLB publishes on its Public Data Portal, so we can see patterns that a single lookup never shows: how often licenses get suspended, why, and how many contractors are working without workers’ compensation coverage on file.
This report uses the file CSLB published on November 5, 2026. We will refresh the numbers as new files come out.
How We Got These Numbers
- Source: CSLB’s Public Data Portal, “Master List of California Licensed Contractors” (License Master file, data as of November 5, 2026).
- What is in it: CSLB says the file covers licenses that are currently renewed. Cancelled, revoked and expired non-renewable licenses are not included. Every one of the 244,571 licenses in this file was unexpired.
- What we counted: licenses, not people. One person can be tied to more than one license, and one license can hold several classifications.
- County is the county of the address on file with CSLB, which is where the business is based, not where it works.
- What is not in it: complaints, disciplinary history and past bond or insurance records. For those, check the license on CSLB’s own website.
California Contractor Licenses at a Glance
| Measure | California | Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|
| Current licenses | 244,571 | 49,992 |
| Status clear (active) | 232,888 (95.2%) | 47,575 (95.2%) |
| Suspended | 11,683 (4.8%) | 2,417 (4.8%) |
| Exempt from workers’ comp (no employees) | 119,687 (48.9%) | 24,959 (49.9%) |
| No current workers’ comp on file | 4,301 (1.8%) | 907 (1.8%) |
| Issued in the last 12 months | 17,578 | 4,065 |
Business structure is split almost evenly: 113,833 licenses (46.5%) belong to sole owners and 112,304 (45.9%) to corporations. Limited liability companies hold 14,434 (5.9%). Almost every license, 244,161 of 244,571, has a $25,000 contractor’s bond on file.
Why California Contractor Licenses Get Suspended
11,683 licenses were suspended on November 5, 2026. A suspended contractor cannot legally do contracting work until the problem is fixed. The reasons are mostly paperwork that protects you, the customer:
| Suspension reason | Licenses | Share of suspensions |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor’s bond not on file | 6,542 | 56.0% |
| Workers’ comp coverage not on file | 3,020 | 25.8% |
| Required liability insurance not on file | 712 | 6.1% |
| Unpaid family support order | 225 | 1.9% |
| No qualifying individual on the license | 221 | 1.9% |
| Business entity suspended by the Secretary of State | 174 | 1.5% |
| Unpaid construction-related judgment | 156 | 1.3% |
A missing bond is the number one reason, at 6,542 licenses. The contractor’s bond is one of the few sources of money a homeowner can claim against when a licensed contractor causes harm or walks off a job, so a bond suspension is a red flag, not a technicality. In Los Angeles County the pattern is the same: 1,339 bond suspensions and 603 workers’ comp suspensions out of 2,417.
Suspensions can also be waiting in the wings. 3,649 licenses carry a “WC Susp Pending” note, meaning a workers’ comp suspension is pending against the license. Our lookup tool flags these pending items in its results so you can ask the contractor about them before you sign.
Half of California Contractors Report No Employees
119,687 licenses (48.9%) are exempt from carrying workers’ compensation insurance because the contractor certified to CSLB that they have no employees. Another 116,690 (47.7%) carry a workers’ comp policy, and 3,268 use a leasing firm or temp agency for their workers.
The share is higher for the license most homeowners hire for an ADU, addition or major remodel. 57.2% of B (General Building) licenses statewide claim the exemption (61,824 of 107,990). In Los Angeles County it is 56.0%.
That is allowed for now. Under SB 216, every licensed contractor was supposed to carry workers’ comp starting January 1, 2026, whether or not they had employees. SB 1455 (2024) pushed that date to January 1, 2028. Until then, contractors in every trade except five can keep claiming the exemption if they have no employees, according to CSLB’s bulletin #24-07.
The five trades that must already carry workers’ comp are C-39 Roofing, C-8 Concrete, C-20 HVAC, C-22 Asbestos Abatement and D-49 Tree Service. The data shows the rule working: none of the 5,816 C-39 roofing licenses claims an exemption, and only 45 of the 26,821 licenses in those five trades do.
Why the exemption matters to you
An exemption is a promise that the contractor works alone. If an “exempt” contractor shows up with a crew and someone gets hurt, there may be no policy to pay for the injury. CSLB’s own stop-order guide warns that without a workers’ comp policy, “the financial liability associated with work site injuries could become the responsibility of the injured worker or the property owner.” On an ADU, which takes a crew of several trades for months, that property owner is you.
So if a B contractor’s license shows an exemption, ask how the work will be staffed. Every subcontractor should hold their own license, and anyone on the contractor’s payroll should be covered by a workers’ comp policy.
The Most Common Contractor Licenses in California
One license can hold several classifications (82% of licenses hold just one). These are the classifications held by the most current licenses:
| Classification | California | Share of licenses | LA County |
|---|---|---|---|
| B – General Building Contractor | 107,990 | 44.2% | 24,448 |
| C-10 – Electrical | 29,198 | 11.9% | 6,992 |
| C-36 – Plumbing | 18,329 | 7.5% | 4,854 |
| C-33 – Painting and Decorating | 16,220 | 6.6% | 2,985 |
| A – General Engineering Contractor | 15,254 | 6.2% | 2,037 |
| C-27 – Landscaping | 12,684 | 5.2% | 1,715 |
| C-20 – Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning | 12,252 | 5.0% | 3,020 |
| C-15 – Flooring and Floor Covering | 7,121 | 2.9% | 1,245 |
| C-54 – Ceramic and Mosaic Tile | 6,404 | 2.6% | 990 |
| C-39 – Roofing | 5,816 | 2.4% | 1,241 |
| C-8 – Concrete | 5,617 | 2.3% | 876 |
| C-7 – Low Voltage Systems | 4,922 | 2.0% | 1,113 |
B General Building is by far the most common license: 107,990 licenses statewide, 44.2% of all licenses, and 24,448 in Los Angeles County. It is also the classification you want for a full ADU build or addition, because those jobs involve at least two unrelated building trades. A specialty license such as C-10 Electrical or C-36 Plumbing only covers that trade.
Los Angeles County: The Biggest Contractor Market in the State
49,992 licenses list a Los Angeles County address, 20.4% of the statewide total. That is more than San Diego (21,663) and Orange (20,213) counties combined. More contractors means more choice, and also more names to check.
- 2,417 LA County licenses are suspended (4.8%), the same rate as the state.
- 49.9% claim the workers’ comp exemption, and 907 show no current workers’ comp at all.
- 4,065 new licenses were issued to LA County businesses in the last 12 months, while the wildfire rebuild is under way.
After the January 2025 fires, CSLB and local prosecutors charged unlicensed contractors working in the burn zones (our coverage). A license check takes under a minute and is the cheapest protection you have.
What This Means When You Hire a Contractor
- Check the status, not just the number. A real license number can still be suspended. Look for a clear status on the day you sign.
- Match the classification to the job. For an ADU or addition, look for a B. For single-trade work, the matching C license.
- Read the workers’ comp line. “Exempt” means no employees. If a crew will be on your property, that should not be the answer.
- Confirm the bond is on file. It is the leading cause of suspensions.
- Make sure the name matches your contract. The business name on the license should be the company on the paperwork.
- Never pay ahead of the work. For home improvement work, including ADUs, the down payment is capped at $1,000 or 10% of the contract, whichever is less (see the payment rules).
You can check all of this in one search with our CSLB License Lookup. Enter a license number or business name to see the status, classifications, bond, workers’ comp and officers from the same CSLB data used in this report.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many licensed contractors are there in California?
CSLB’s License Master file dated November 5, 2026 lists 244,571 current contractor licenses. 232,888 of them have a clear status and 11,683 are suspended. Cancelled, revoked and expired non-renewable licenses are not counted.
How many licensed contractors are in Los Angeles County?
49,992 current licenses list a Los Angeles County address, 20.4% of the state total and the most of any county. 24,448 of them hold a B (General Building) classification.
What percentage of California contractor licenses are suspended?
4.8% (11,683) of current licenses were suspended as of November 5, 2026. The most common reasons are a missing contractor’s bond (6,542 licenses) and missing workers’ compensation coverage (3,020).
Do California contractors have to carry workers’ comp?
Contractors with employees must. Contractors with no employees can file an exemption until January 1, 2028, when SB 216 as amended by SB 1455 requires all licensees to carry it. C-39 Roofing, C-8 Concrete, C-20 HVAC, C-22 Asbestos Abatement and D-49 Tree Service contractors must already carry it. 48.9% of current licenses claim the exemption.
What is the most common contractor license in California?
B General Building. 107,990 current licenses (44.2%) hold it, followed by C-10 Electrical (29,198) and C-36 Plumbing (18,329).
How can I check a specific contractor’s license?
Search the license number or business name in our free CSLB License Lookup. It shows the status, classifications, bond, workers’ comp and officers from CSLB’s statewide data. For complaints and disciplinary history, also check the license on CSLB’s website.
Planning an ADU or remodel?
CCS Inc. is a licensed California B contractor (CSLB #1047699). Talk to our team about your project, your budget and what to look for in a builder.
Book a Free 15-Minute ADU Consultation →
Or start with our free tools: License Lookup • ADU Eligibility Check • Permit Lookup
Sources
- Contractors State License Board – Public Data Portal, Master List of California Licensed Contractors (License Master file, data as of November 5, 2026). All counts in this report are CCS calculations from that file.
- Contractors State License Board – Industry Bulletin #24-07, “New Law Changes in 2025 Affecting Licensees, Applicants and Stakeholders” (December 19, 2024)
- Contractors State License Board – Stop Order publication (workers’ compensation and property owner liability)
Related Reading
- CSLB License Lookup – Free California Contractor License Check
- Anchored Tiny Homes: 35 Felony Charges and the ADU Payment Rules That Protect You
- Warning for LA Fire Victims: 17 Unlicensed Contractors Charged in the Palisades and Eaton Fire Zones
- How To Find Your ADU Contractor – The Complete Guide
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