Plumbing Contractors in Santa Barbara County: CSLB C-36 License Statistics
Santa Barbara County has 283 current C-36 plumbing contractor licenses, 1.5% of California's total and the 14th-largest county count in the state. 150 (53.0%) have a workers' compensation policy on file and 122 (43.1%) are exempt. 5 licenses (1.8%) are suspended. Santa Barbara accounts for 108 licenses, the most of any city in the county.
How Santa Barbara County compares
- The share of licenses with a workers' comp policy on file is well above the state average: 53.0% here against 46.1% statewide, a gap of 6.9 points.
- The suspension rate is slightly below the state average: 1.8% here against 4.1% statewide (2.4 points lower).
- The share of sole-owner licenses is well above the state average: 54.1% here against 45.8% statewide, a gap of 8.2 points.
- The share organized as LLCs is in line with the state average (4.9% here, 5.5% statewide).
- The share that also hold a B general building license is well below the state average: 18.0% here against 23.3% statewide, a gap of 5.3 points.
- The share of licenses under three years old is well below the state average: 12.4% here against 18.1% statewide, a gap of 5.8 points.
Workers' compensation coverage
| Coverage type | Santa Barbara County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy on file | 150 | 53.0% | 46.1% |
| Exempt (certifies no employees) | 122 | 43.1% | 51.2% |
| No current WC record | 3 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Leasing firm / temp agency | 8 | 2.8% | 1.3% |
| Self-insured | 0 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Out-of-state coverage | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
122 licenses in Santa Barbara 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. 5 county licenses currently show a workers' comp suspension pending. Workers' comp for plumbing companies →
Suspensions
| Cause | Santa Barbara County | Share of suspended | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond lapsed (contractor's, LLC, qualifying individual, disciplinary) | 1 | 20.0% | 63.7% |
| Workers' compensation | 2 | 40.0% | 21.0% |
| Liability insurance (LLC) | 2 | 40.0% | 5.7% |
| Other | 0 | 0.0% | 9.6% |
2 Santa Barbara 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 | Santa Barbara County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole owner | 153 | 54.1% | 45.8% |
| Corporation | 109 | 38.5% | 47.5% |
| Limited liability company | 14 | 4.9% | 5.5% |
| Partnership | 7 | 2.5% | 1.1% |
| Joint venture or other | 0 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
14 county licenses are LLCs, 14 of which have the $100,000 LLC employee/worker bond on file. 51 licenses (18.0%) also hold a B general building classification and 24 hold C-20 HVAC.
Licenses by city
| City | C-36 licenses | Share of county |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | 108 | 38.2% |
| Santa Maria | 61 | 21.6% |
| Lompoc | 31 | 11.0% |
| Goleta | 25 | 8.8% |
| Carpinteria | 16 | 5.7% |
| Santa Ynez | 11 | 3.9% |
| Buellton | 10 | 3.5% |
| Orcutt | 8 | 2.8% |
New licenses and renewals
5 licenses were issued in the county in the last twelve months; 12.4% of all county licenses are under three years old. 149 licenses come up for renewal in the next twelve months, peaking in May 2027.
What this means if you hold a C-36 in Santa Barbara County
The same rules apply in every county, but the figures above show where Santa Barbara County contractors most often run into them: workers' comp lapses cause a larger share of suspensions here than bond lapses, the reverse of the statewide pattern, and a lower-than-average share of exempt licenses means most local plumbing companies already carry workers' comp. Coverage pages: workers' compensation, general liability, commercial auto, contractor bonds.
Quote your Santa Barbara 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.