How many structural steel contractors are licensed in California?

California has 1,596 contractors with a C51 (Structural Steel) license from the Contractors State License Board. 1,517 (95%) hold active licenses. SiteVetter checks each against SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA databases.

What does a C51 license cover in California?

A California C51 license covers structural steel contractors for steel frame construction. Any contractor performing structural steel work valued at $500 or more must hold this license. The CSLB issues and regulates all contractor licenses in the state.

What percentage of structural steel contractors have federal violations?

11.3% of California structural steel contractors (181 out of 1,596) have at least one record in federal databases. These include SAM.gov debarments, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental violations.

Verify Structural Steel Contractors (C51) - Page 18 | CSLB + Federal Check

How to Verify a Structural Steel Contractor (C51) in California

California requires all contractors performing structural steel work valued at $500+ to hold a valid CSLB C51 license. Of the 1,596 licensed structural steel contractors in the state, 95% currently hold active licenses and 11.3% 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 Structural Steel 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 Structural Steel Work

Under California's "Controlling Employer" doctrine, general contractors face liability for subcontractor safety violations. For structural steel work specifically, 11.3% 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.

Structural Steel Contractor Verification - Page 18

About C51 License

Structural Steel Contractors

How to Verify a Structural Steel Contractor (C51) in California

Verification Checklist for Structural Steel Contractors

Why Verification Matters for Structural Steel Work