Plumbing Contractors in Santa Clara County: CSLB C-36 License Statistics
Santa Clara County has 672 current C-36 plumbing contractor licenses, 3.7% of California's total and the 6th-largest county count in the state. 358 (53.3%) have a workers' compensation policy on file and 295 (43.9%) are exempt. 26 licenses (3.9%) are suspended. San Jose accounts for 393 licenses, the most of any city in the county.
How Santa Clara County compares
- The share of licenses with a workers' comp policy on file is well above the state average: 53.3% here against 46.1% statewide, a gap of 7.2 points.
- The suspension rate is in line with the state average (3.9% here, 4.1% statewide).
- The share of sole-owner licenses is slightly below the state average: 43.6% here against 45.8% statewide (2.2 points lower).
- The share organized as LLCs is in line with the state average (5.5% here, 5.5% statewide).
- The share that also hold a B general building license is slightly above the state average: 24.7% here against 23.3% statewide (1.4 points higher).
- The share of licenses under three years old is slightly above the state average: 19.5% here against 18.1% statewide (1.3 points higher).
Workers' compensation coverage
| Coverage type | Santa Clara County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy on file | 358 | 53.3% | 46.1% |
| Exempt (certifies no employees) | 295 | 43.9% | 51.2% |
| No current WC record | 12 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Leasing firm / temp agency | 6 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Self-insured | 1 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Out-of-state coverage | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
295 licenses in Santa Clara 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. 17 county licenses currently show a workers' comp suspension pending. Workers' comp for plumbing companies →
Suspensions
| Cause | Santa Clara County | Share of suspended | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond lapsed (contractor's, LLC, qualifying individual, disciplinary) | 12 | 46.2% | 63.7% |
| Workers' compensation | 9 | 34.6% | 21.0% |
| Liability insurance (LLC) | 2 | 7.7% | 5.7% |
| Other | 3 | 11.5% | 9.6% |
16 Santa Clara 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 Clara County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole owner | 293 | 43.6% | 45.8% |
| Corporation | 339 | 50.4% | 47.5% |
| Limited liability company | 37 | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Partnership | 3 | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| Joint venture or other | 0 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
37 county licenses are LLCs, 37 of which have the $100,000 LLC employee/worker bond on file. 166 licenses (24.7%) also hold a B general building classification and 93 hold C-20 HVAC.
Licenses by city
| City | C-36 licenses | Share of county |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose | 393 | 58.5% |
| Santa Clara | 51 | 7.6% |
| Gilroy | 50 | 7.4% |
| Sunnyvale | 31 | 4.6% |
| Campbell | 28 | 4.2% |
| Morgan Hill | 25 | 3.7% |
| Milpitas | 19 | 2.8% |
| Mountain View | 14 | 2.1% |
New licenses and renewals
53 licenses were issued in the county in the last twelve months; 19.5% of all county licenses are under three years old. 308 licenses come up for renewal in the next twelve months, peaking in Mar 2027.
What this means if you hold a C-36 in Santa Clara County
The same rules apply in every county, but the figures above show where Santa Clara County contractors most often run into them: bond lapses are the leading cause of suspension here, as they are statewide, 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 Clara 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.