How many painting & decorating contractors are licensed in California?

California has 16,400 contractors with a C33 (Painting & Decorating) license from the Contractors State License Board. 15,598 (95%) hold active licenses. SiteVetter checks each against SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA databases.

What does a C33 license cover in California?

A California C33 license covers painting and decorating contractors for interior and exterior finishes. Any contractor performing painting & decorating work valued at $500 or more must hold this license. The CSLB issues and regulates all contractor licenses in the state.

What percentage of painting & decorating contractors have federal violations?

3.0% of California painting & decorating contractors (484 out of 16,400) have at least one record in federal databases. These include SAM.gov debarments, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental violations.

Verify Painting & Decorating Contractors (C33) - Page 173 | CSLB + Federal Check

How to Verify a Painting & Decorating Contractor (C33) in California

California requires all contractors performing painting & decorating work valued at $500+ to hold a valid CSLB C33 license. Of the 16,400 licensed painting & decorating contractors in the state, 95% currently hold active licenses and 3.0% 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 Painting & Decorating 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 Painting & Decorating Work

Under California's "Controlling Employer" doctrine, general contractors face liability for subcontractor safety violations. For painting & decorating work specifically, 3.0% 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.

Painting & Decorating Contractor Verification - Page 173

About C33 License

Painting & Decorating Contractors

How to Verify a Painting & Decorating Contractor (C33) in California

Verification Checklist for Painting & Decorating Contractors

Why Verification Matters for Painting & Decorating Work