Plumbing Contractors in Orange County: CSLB C-36 License Statistics
Orange County has 1,546 current C-36 plumbing contractor licenses, 8.4% of California's total and the 3rd-largest county count in the state. 721 (46.6%) have a workers' compensation policy on file and 776 (50.2%) are exempt. 65 licenses (4.2%) are suspended. Anaheim accounts for 191 licenses, the most of any city in the county.
How Orange County compares
- The share of licenses with a workers' comp policy on file is in line with the state average (46.6% here, 46.1% statewide).
- The suspension rate is in line with the state average (4.2% here, 4.1% statewide).
- The share of sole-owner licenses is well below the state average: 41.0% here against 45.8% statewide, a gap of 4.8 points.
- The share organized as LLCs is slightly above the state average: 6.5% here against 5.5% statewide (1.0 points higher).
- The share that also hold a B general building license is slightly above the state average: 26.5% here against 23.3% statewide (3.2 points higher).
- The share of licenses under three years old is in line with the state average (17.2% here, 18.1% statewide).
Workers' compensation coverage
| Coverage type | Orange County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy on file | 721 | 46.6% | 46.1% |
| Exempt (certifies no employees) | 776 | 50.2% | 51.2% |
| No current WC record | 26 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Leasing firm / temp agency | 20 | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Self-insured | 3 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Out-of-state coverage | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
776 licenses in Orange County certify having no employees. SB 1455 moved the date on which every licensed contractor must carry workers' comp, employees or not, to January 1, 2028; until then the exemption stands, but it becomes invalid on the first hire and CSLB must receive proof of coverage within 90 days. 16 county licenses currently show a workers' comp suspension pending. Workers' comp for plumbing companies →
Suspensions
| Cause | Orange County | Share of suspended | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond lapsed (contractor's, LLC, qualifying individual, disciplinary) | 32 | 49.2% | 63.7% |
| Workers' compensation | 20 | 30.8% | 21.0% |
| Liability insurance (LLC) | 2 | 3.1% | 5.7% |
| Other | 11 | 16.9% | 9.6% |
19 Orange County licenses have a bond cancellation already dated on file; unless a replacement bond reaches CSLB before the cancellation takes effect, each becomes a suspension. Contractor bonds → · Check a license →
Business structure
| Entity type | Orange County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole owner | 634 | 41.0% | 45.8% |
| Corporation | 798 | 51.6% | 47.5% |
| Limited liability company | 100 | 6.5% | 5.5% |
| Partnership | 10 | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Joint venture or other | 4 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
100 county licenses are LLCs, 100 of which have the $100,000 LLC employee/worker bond on file. 410 licenses (26.5%) also hold a B general building classification and 171 hold C-20 HVAC.
Licenses by city
| City | C-36 licenses | Share of county |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | 191 | 12.4% |
| Huntington Beach | 123 | 8.0% |
| Santa Ana | 108 | 7.0% |
| Orange | 102 | 6.6% |
| Garden Grove | 91 | 5.9% |
| Irvine | 87 | 5.6% |
| Costa Mesa | 72 | 4.7% |
| San Clemente | 69 | 4.5% |
New licenses and renewals
108 licenses were issued in the county in the last twelve months; 17.2% of all county licenses are under three years old. 731 licenses come up for renewal in the next twelve months, peaking in Aug 2027.
What this means if you hold a C-36 in Orange County
The same rules apply in every county, but the figures above show where Orange County contractors most often run into them: bond lapses are the leading cause of suspension here, as they are statewide. Coverage pages: workers' compensation, general liability, commercial auto, contractor bonds.
Quote your Orange County plumbing business
One application for workers' comp, general liability, commercial auto and bonds, reviewed by a licensed producer.
Statistics are computed from public CSLB records (see the methodology) and are general information, not advice about any licensee or policy. Insurance is offered through Pembroke Insurance Solutions, a licensed insurance agency.