How many plumbing contractors are licensed in California?

California has 18,080 contractors with a C36 (Plumbing) license from the Contractors State License Board. 17,364 (96%) hold active licenses. SiteVetter checks each against SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA databases.

What does a C36 license cover in California?

A California C36 license covers plumbing contractors for pipes, fixtures, and water systems. Any contractor performing plumbing work valued at $500 or more must hold this license. The CSLB issues and regulates all contractor licenses in the state.

What percentage of plumbing contractors have federal violations?

2.6% of California plumbing contractors (478 out of 18,080) have at least one record in federal databases. These include SAM.gov debarments, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental violations.

Verify Plumbing Contractors (C36) - Page 56 | CSLB + Federal Check

How to Verify a Plumbing Contractor (C36) in California

California requires all contractors performing plumbing work valued at $500+ to hold a valid CSLB C36 license. Of the 18,080 licensed plumbing contractors in the state, 96% currently hold active licenses and 2.6% 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 Plumbing Contractors

Confirm licensing for your specific plumbing needs (water heaters, gas lines, sewer)
Ask about experience with local building codes and inspection requirements
Check if they offer emergency service availability
Check federal databases: SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA records
Confirm bond: California requires $25,000+ contractor bond (SB 607)

Why Verification Matters for Plumbing Work

Under California's "Controlling Employer" doctrine, general contractors face liability for subcontractor safety violations. For plumbing work specifically, 2.6% 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.

Plumbing Contractor Verification - Page 56

About C36 License

Plumbing Contractors

How to Verify a Plumbing Contractor (C36) in California

Verification Checklist for Plumbing Contractors

Why Verification Matters for Plumbing Work