California · Checked October 22, 2026
State license. Roofing in California is C-39 work licensed by the Contractors State License Board. You need a C-39 license when the combined labor and materials reach $1,000, when a building permit is required, or when employee labor is used. The qualifier must show four years of journey-level experience and pass the Law and Business and C-39 trade exams, and every C-39 licensee must carry workers' compensation — even with zero employees.
| Item | California |
|---|---|
| Regime | State license (C-39 Roofing, CSLB) |
| Exam | Law and Business Exam plus C-39 Roofing Trade Exam (PSI) — pass mark Pass/fail set by CSLB/PSI; CSLB does not publish a fixed percentage pass mark in the materials reviewed. Both exams must be passed by the qualifier. An open-book asbestos awareness exam is also required before issuance. PSI charges about $51.43 per exam when scheduling. |
| Experience | At least four years of journey-level (or foreman / contractor-level) experience in the roofing classification within the ten years before applying, verifiable and certified by someone who supervised or witnessed the work. |
| Application fee | $450 original application fee for one classification (CSLB fee schedule) |
| License / registration fee | $200 initial license fee for a sole owner; $350 for a non-sole owner (partnership, corporation, LLC, joint venture) |
| Total state cost | $650 (sole owner) or $800 (non-sole owner) in CSLB fees, plus fingerprinting ($32 DOJ + $17 FBI + variable Live Scan rolling fee), the $25,000 bond premium, and mandatory workers' compensation premiums. — All CSLB figures are from the official CSLB List of All Fees. |
| Bond | $25,000 contractor's bond (or a $25,000 cashier's check / cash deposit alternative) must be on file before the license is issued. LLC licensees must also file a separate $100,000 employee/worker bond. A qualifier who owns less than 10% of the business may also need a Bond of Qualifying Individual. |
| Insurance minimums | Workers' compensation insurance is required for ALL C-39 licensees — C-39 (with C-8 and C-20) cannot file the no-employees exemption, so coverage must be carried even with zero employees. California sets no general liability minimum for C-39 licensure. |
| Who qualifies | Each license needs a qualifier (owner, Responsible Managing Employee or Responsible Managing Officer) who is at least 18, documents the four years of experience, and passes both exams. The qualifier is responsible for the license's contracting activities. |
| Timeline | Plan on several months: CSLB application review, exam scheduling with PSI, fingerprinting, then bond, workers' compensation proof and the initial license fee before issuance. |
| Renewal | Active licenses renew every two years: $450 timely for a sole owner, $700 for a non-sole owner (higher if delinquent), with the $25,000 bond and workers' compensation kept continuous. Inactive licenses renew every four years and cannot be used to contract. |
| Credential | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C-39 Roofing Contractor | both | Install, repair, replace and waterproof all kinds of roofing systems. A B (General Building) licensee may only do roofing as part of a multi-trade project, not as a standalone roofing contract. |
License trigger: $1,000 — Combined value of labor, materials and all other costs on one or more contracts (Bus. & Prof. Code §7048 minor-work exemption, as raised to $1,000 — CSLB Industry Bulletin 24-07).. The under-$1,000 exemption applies only if ALL of these are true: no building permit is required, no employee labor is used, and the combined cost stays under $1,000. Permit-required work is licensed at any price, and a larger project may not be split into sub-$1,000 pieces.
Subcontractors need their own CSLB license for C-39 work meeting the threshold — working under a licensed prime does not license the sub. Wage-paid employees of a licensed contractor are exempt as employees.
State license governs; local business license/building permits still apply.
No specific deductible-waiver statute found. no state statute specifically banning deductible waivers found in this pass; general insurance-fraud and unfair-practices law still applies Inflating an invoice to absorb a deductible is still insurance fraud under general California fraud law; no California statute specifically addressed to contractor deductible waivers was found.
Run the compliance checker for California →
Thresholds and classes turn on your contract value and your role. Run the checker with California preselected:
Confirm with the board before you file: fees and rules change, and the board — not this page — decides your application. Information only, not legal advice.
The checker gives you the verdict. The kit gives you the paperwork, in filing order: the application walkthrough for your state's class, qualifying-party documentation templates, the bond and insurance spec sheet with your state's exact minimums, the city-registration checklist pack for no-license states, and the contract-compliance pack (deductible language and required contract notices, including Florida's deadlines calendar).
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Included in the $49 RoofingLicenseCheck Kit — every item below, for every state, one payment.
