California contractor license basics: HVAC, plumbing and electrical
What it takes to get licensed for HVAC, plumbing and electrical work in California, summarized from the state’s own licensing boards with a link to every source.
Check before you file. We summarized these rules from each state’s official licensing board in October 2026 and link every source. Requirements, fees and forms change, and cities and counties often add their own license or registration. This is general information, not legal advice.
Statewide contractor licensing
Contractors State License Board (CSLB). The CSLB licenses every contractor in every trade (A engineering, B general building, C specialty classes). The qualifying person needs 4 years of journey-level experience or higher in the last 10 years, plus the exams and bond.
Threshold: No license is needed only if the whole job is under $1,000 (labor and materials), needs no permit and you hire no workers. Splitting a job to stay under the limit isn't allowed.
Source: Contractors State License Board (CSLB), checked October 2026.
California HVAC license
Who licenses it: Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
| Licenses |
|
|---|---|
| Experience | 4 years at journey level or as a foreman, supervisor or contractor in the class, within the last 10 years. |
| Exams | Two exams: Law and Business, plus the C-20 trade exam. |
| Insurance, bond and finances | A $25,000 contractor bond. C-20 licensees must carry workers' comp even with no employees. An LLC also needs liability insurance of $1 million or more and a $100,000 worker bond. |
| When a license isn’t needed | The same under-$1,000 rule (no permit, no hired workers). |
Source: Contractors State License Board (CSLB), checked October 2026.
California plumbing license
Who licenses it: Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
| Licenses |
|
|---|---|
| Experience | 4 years at journey level or higher in the last 10 years. |
| Exams | Law and Business exam plus the C-36 trade exam. |
| Insurance, bond and finances | A $25,000 contractor bond, workers' comp if you have employees, and the LLC insurance and worker bond if you're an LLC. |
| When a license isn’t needed | The same under-$1,000 rule. |
| Also note | California licenses the plumbing contractor; it doesn't certify individual journeyman plumbers. |
Source: Contractors State License Board (CSLB), checked October 2026.
California electrical license
Who licenses it: Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
| Licenses |
|
|---|---|
| Experience | 4 years at journey level or higher in the last 10 years. |
| Exams | Law and Business exam plus the C-10 trade exam. |
| Insurance, bond and finances | A $25,000 contractor bond, workers' comp if you have employees, and the LLC insurance and worker bond if you're an LLC. |
| When a license isn’t needed | The same under-$1,000 rule. |
| Also note | Employees of a C-10 contractor who do electrical work must be state-certified electricians through the Department of Industrial Relations. |
Source: Contractors State License Board (CSLB), checked October 2026.
Source: related official page, checked October 2026.
Register the business
You file Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) online through bizfile Online. The SOS lists the fee as $70 (checked October 2026).
Source: California Secretary of State (bizfile Online), checked October 2026.
You’ll also want a free EIN from the IRS (apply online) and a business bank account.
Once you’re licensed
Run the business on free software: scheduling, estimates, invoicing, built-in accounting and an AI call assistant, $0 a month with unlimited users. Pick your trade and state at signup and you’ll start with a state-priced starter price book.
“I’ve got a person for you.” Get paid for it.
Your techs see what else a house needs. On the MyHomeService360 network, when your AC tech refers a plumber on the network and the plumbing job sells and gets paid, your company earns a share of the network fee. The business that receives the referral pays nothing for the lead itself, only a network fee after the job is booked and paid. How the referral network works.
Questions people ask
Do I need a state license for HVAC work in California?
Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses HVAC contractors in California. The same under-$1,000 rule (no permit, no hired workers). Check the official page linked on this page for current rules.
Who licenses electricians in California?
Contractors State License Board (CSLB). See the linked official page for license classes and requirements.
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