What license does your contractor need?
You think in jobs. The state thinks in classifications — a B, a B-2, a C-36. A contractor may only contract for work their classification covers, and the mismatches are common: a “Residential Remodeling” license cannot build an ADU, and a plumber cannot take the contract for your whole kitchen. Pick the job to see who can.
- Build a detached ADUA new, separate dwelling on your lot — foundation, framing, roof, plumbing, electrical, heating, finishes. New construction, many trades.
- Convert a garage to living spaceTurning an existing garage into a bedroom, studio or full ADU: insulation, new plumbing for a bath or kitchen, new circuits, heating, windows, finishes.
- Add a room or extend the houseNew square footage attached to the house: foundation, framing tied into existing walls, roof, and extending electrical, plumbing or heating into the new space.
- Remodel a kitchenCabinets, counters, flooring, tile, paint, fixtures — and depending on the plan, moving the sink, adding circuits, relocating gas, or opening a wall.
- Remodel a bathroomTile, fixtures, vanity, flooring, paint, ventilation — and possibly moving plumbing, adding circuits, or changing the footprint.
- Remodel most of the houseSeveral rooms at once — kitchen, baths, flooring, paint, doors, finishes — without adding square footage.
- Repair or replace the foundationCracked or settling foundations, underpinning, jacking and levelling, or full replacement under an existing house.
- Replace or repair a roofTear-off and re-roof, or repair — shingles, tile, metal, flat roofing, flashing, gutters.
- Repipe or major plumbing workReplacing supply or drain lines, sewer laterals, water heaters, gas lines, or re-plumbing a whole house.
- Upgrade the panel or rewirePanel upgrades, new circuits, EV charger circuits, rewiring, service upgrades.
- Install or replace heating and A/CFurnace, heat pump, central air, mini-splits, ductwork.
- Install rooftop solarPhotovoltaic panels, inverters, roof mounting, and the electrical connection to your panel and the grid.
- Build a swimming pool or spaIn-ground pools and spas: excavation, steel, plumbing, shell, equipment, decking.
- Landscaping, patios, irrigationPlanting, irrigation, drainage, patios and walkways, retaining walls, outdoor lighting, fences.
- Paint the interior or exteriorInterior or exterior painting, staining, and the prep that goes with it.
- Replace windows and doorsSwapping windows, sliding or French doors, and entry doors in existing openings.
Every verdict on this site reads the classifications on a license against the Business and Professions Code. It is not legal advice and says nothing about quality of work. Confirm with CSLB before signing.