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How many licensed contractors are there in California
231,417 California contractor licences are active and in good standing (status Clear) on the Contractors State License Board's classification lists.
102,595 of the clear licences (44.3%) carry the B general building class. The most common specialty is C10 electrical, on 27,850.
A licence is a business, not a person, and one licence can hold several classes: 43,382 clear licences hold more than one, so the class table sums to more than the total.
Source: ProfessionLens, September 2026. California Contractors State License Board licence lists by classification, September 2026.
Source: ProfessionLens, September 2026. California Contractors State License Board licence lists by classification, September 2026.
Active licences by classification
| Class | Classification | Licences | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | General building | 102,595 | 44.3% |
| C10 | Electrical | 27,850 | 12.0% |
| C36 | Plumbing | 17,433 | 7.5% |
| C33 | Painting and decorating | 15,391 | 6.7% |
| A | General engineering | 14,700 | 6.4% |
| C27 | Landscaping | 11,958 | 5.2% |
| C20 | Warm-air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning | 11,559 | 5.0% |
| C15 | Flooring and floor covering | 6,665 | 2.9% |
| C54 | Ceramic and mosaic tile | 6,018 | 2.6% |
| C39 | Roofing | 5,534 | 2.4% |
| C-8 | Concrete | 5,267 | 2.3% |
| C-7 | Low voltage systems | 4,658 | 2.0% |
| C-6 | Cabinet, millwork and finish carpentry | 4,201 | 1.8% |
| C-9 | Drywall | 3,169 | 1.4% |
| C17 | Glazing | 3,023 | 1.3% |
| C53 | Swimming pool | 2,841 | 1.2% |
| C12 | Earthwork and paving | 2,398 | 1.0% |
| C16 | Fire protection | 2,204 | 1.0% |
| C29 | Masonry | 2,026 | 0.9% |
| C35 | Lathing and plastering | 1,805 | 0.8% |
| C13 | Fencing | 1,802 | 0.8% |
| C21 | Building moving, demolition | 1,801 | 0.8% |
| C38 | Refrigeration | 1,582 | 0.7% |
| C51 | Structural steel | 1,502 | 0.6% |
| C43 | Sheet metal | 1,262 | 0.5% |
| C-2 | Insulation and acoustical | 1,165 | 0.5% |
| C46 | Solar | 1,138 | 0.5% |
| C60 | Welding | 1,070 | 0.5% |
| C23 | Ornamental metal | 1,057 | 0.5% |
| C-5 | Framing and rough carpentry | 1,028 | 0.4% |
| C42 | Sanitation system | 962 | 0.4% |
| C45 | Sign | 847 | 0.4% |
| C57 | Well drilling | 703 | 0.3% |
| C-4 | Boiler, hot water heating and steam fitting | 680 | 0.3% |
| C49 | Tree and palm | 610 | 0.3% |
| C34 | Pipeline | 537 | 0.2% |
| C32 | Parking and highway improvement | 496 | 0.2% |
| C31 | Construction zone traffic control | 464 | 0.2% |
| C47 | General manufactured housing | 443 | 0.2% |
| C28 | Lock and security equipment | 360 | 0.2% |
| C22 | Asbestos abatement | 319 | 0.1% |
| C55 | Water conditioning | 297 | 0.1% |
| C50 | Reinforcing steel | 254 | 0.1% |
| C11 | Elevator | 212 | 0.1% |
A licence with several classes is counted once in each. C61 limited specialty sub-classes (D codes) are left out of this table.
Source: ProfessionLens, September 2026. California Contractors State License Board licence lists by classification, September 2026.
Active licences by business type
| Business type | Licences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Corporation | 107,399 | 46.4% |
| Sole Owner | 107,214 | 46.3% |
| Limited Liability | 12,994 | 5.6% |
| Partnership | 3,364 | 1.5% |
| JointVenture | 446 | 0.2% |
Source: ProfessionLens, September 2026. California Contractors State License Board licence lists by classification, September 2026.
Active licences by county
| County | Licences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 47,111 | 20.4% |
| San Diego | 20,548 | 8.9% |
| Orange | 19,200 | 8.3% |
| Riverside | 15,654 | 6.8% |
| San Bernardino | 10,608 | 4.6% |
| Sacramento | 9,402 | 4.1% |
| Santa Clara | 9,318 | 4.0% |
| Contra Costa | 7,214 | 3.1% |
| Alameda | 7,175 | 3.1% |
| Ventura | 6,263 | 2.7% |
| Sonoma | 5,341 | 2.3% |
| San Mateo | 4,563 | 2.0% |
| Placer | 4,520 | 2.0% |
| Fresno | 4,099 | 1.8% |
| San Francisco | 3,759 | 1.6% |
| Kern | 3,542 | 1.5% |
| San Joaquin | 3,467 | 1.5% |
| San Luis Obispo | 3,277 | 1.4% |
| Santa Barbara | 3,244 | 1.4% |
| Stanislaus | 2,856 | 1.2% |
| Monterey | 2,690 | 1.2% |
| Marin | 2,590 | 1.1% |
| El Dorado | 2,451 | 1.1% |
| Santa Cruz | 2,448 | 1.1% |
| Solano | 2,315 | 1.0% |
| Shasta | 1,777 | 0.8% |
| Butte | 1,727 | 0.7% |
| Nevada | 1,719 | 0.7% |
| Tulare | 1,655 | 0.7% |
| Yolo | 1,100 | 0.5% |
| Napa | 1,091 | 0.5% |
| Humboldt | 1,072 | 0.5% |
| Merced | 1,055 | 0.5% |
| Mendocino | 906 | 0.4% |
| Madera | 849 | 0.4% |
| Calaveras | 650 | 0.3% |
| Tuolumne | 619 | 0.3% |
| Sutter | 599 | 0.3% |
| San Benito | 591 | 0.3% |
| Lake | 533 | 0.2% |
| Yuba | 493 | 0.2% |
| Amador | 411 | 0.2% |
| Siskiyou | 404 | 0.2% |
| Imperial | 383 | 0.2% |
| Tehama | 371 | 0.2% |
| Kings | 296 | 0.1% |
| Plumas | 269 | 0.1% |
| Mono | 214 | 0.1% |
| Glenn | 180 | 0.1% |
| Mariposa | 175 | 0.1% |
| Lassen | 168 | 0.1% |
| Inyo | 167 | 0.1% |
| Del Norte | 140 | 0.1% |
| Trinity | 114 | 0.0% |
| Colusa | 89 | 0.0% |
| Modoc | 61 | 0.0% |
| Sierra | 35 | 0.0% |
| Alpine | 19 | 0.0% |
County of the business address. 7,830 clear licences carry no California county, most of them out-of-state businesses.
Source: ProfessionLens, September 2026. California Contractors State License Board licence lists by classification, September 2026.
Cite this
ProfessionLens, How many licensed contractors are there in California, September 2026, https://professionlens.com/contractors/california.