How many fire protection contractors are licensed in California?

California has 2,281 contractors with a C16 (Fire Protection) license from the Contractors State License Board. 2,215 (97%) hold active licenses. SiteVetter checks each against SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA databases.

What does a C16 license cover in California?

A California C16 license covers fire protection contractors for sprinklers and fire suppression systems. Any contractor performing fire protection work valued at $500 or more must hold this license. The CSLB issues and regulates all contractor licenses in the state.

What percentage of fire protection contractors have federal violations?

7.5% of California fire protection contractors (171 out of 2,281) have at least one record in federal databases. These include SAM.gov debarments, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental violations.

Verify Fire Protection Contractors (C16) - Page 38 | CSLB + Federal Check

How to Verify a Fire Protection Contractor (C16) in California

California requires all contractors performing fire protection work valued at $500+ to hold a valid CSLB C16 license. Of the 2,281 licensed fire protection contractors in the state, 97% currently hold active licenses and 7.5% have at least one federal compliance record.

Manual vetting takes 45+ minutes per contractor and routinely misses violations in databases most people don't know to check. SiteVetter runs CSLB status, SAM.gov debarment, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental records in seconds—creating a timestamped compliance artifact.

Verification Checklist for Fire Protection Contractors

Verify the contractor license is active and in good standing
Request proof of insurance and bonding
Get at least 3 written quotes before selecting a contractor
Check federal databases: SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA records
Confirm bond: California requires $25,000+ contractor bond (SB 607)

Why Verification Matters for Fire Protection Work

Under California's "Controlling Employer" doctrine, general contractors face liability for subcontractor safety violations. For fire protection work specifically, 7.5% of licensed contractors have federal records that a standard CSLB license check wouldn't reveal. SiteVetter's 5-database check catches what a single-source verification misses.

Fire Protection Contractor Verification - Page 38

About C16 License

Fire Protection Contractors

How to Verify a Fire Protection Contractor (C16) in California

Verification Checklist for Fire Protection Contractors

Why Verification Matters for Fire Protection Work