How many landscaping contractors are licensed in California?

California has 12,873 contractors with a C27 (Landscaping) license from the Contractors State License Board. 12,217 (95%) hold active licenses. SiteVetter checks each against SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA databases.

What does a C27 license cover in California?

A California C27 license covers landscaping contractors for outdoor spaces, irrigation, and hardscaping. Any contractor performing landscaping work valued at $500 or more must hold this license. The CSLB issues and regulates all contractor licenses in the state.

What percentage of landscaping contractors have federal violations?

0.9% of California landscaping contractors (121 out of 12,873) have at least one record in federal databases. These include SAM.gov debarments, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental violations.

Verify Landscaping Contractors (C27) - Page 21 | CSLB + Federal Check

How to Verify a Landscaping Contractor (C27) in California

California requires all contractors performing landscaping work valued at $500+ to hold a valid CSLB C27 license. Of the 12,873 licensed landscaping contractors in the state, 95% currently hold active licenses and 0.9% 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 Landscaping Contractors

Check for C-27 specialty certification (irrigation, hardscape, arborist work)
Request a detailed plan with plant species and irrigation design
Verify they carry coverage for tree work and heavy equipment
Check federal databases: SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA records
Confirm bond: California requires $25,000+ contractor bond (SB 607)

Why Verification Matters for Landscaping Work

Under California's "Controlling Employer" doctrine, general contractors face liability for subcontractor safety violations. For landscaping work specifically, 0.9% 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.

Landscaping Contractor Verification - Page 21

About C27 License

Landscaping Contractors

How to Verify a Landscaping Contractor (C27) in California

Verification Checklist for Landscaping Contractors

Why Verification Matters for Landscaping Work