Plumbing Contractors in Sonoma County: CSLB C-36 License Statistics
Sonoma County has 362 current C-36 plumbing contractor licenses, 2.0% of California's total and the 13th-largest county count in the state. 196 (54.1%) have a workers' compensation policy on file and 161 (44.5%) are exempt. 14 licenses (3.9%) are suspended. Santa Rosa accounts for 145 licenses, the most of any city in the county.
How Sonoma County compares
- The share of licenses with a workers' comp policy on file is well above the state average: 54.1% here against 46.1% statewide, a gap of 8.1 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 above the state average: 49.4% here against 45.8% statewide (3.6 points higher).
- The share organized as LLCs is slightly above the state average: 7.5% here against 5.5% statewide (2.0 points higher).
- The share that also hold a B general building license is well below the state average: 15.7% here against 23.3% statewide, a gap of 7.5 points.
- The share of licenses under three years old is in line with the state average (19.1% here, 18.1% statewide).
Workers' compensation coverage
| Coverage type | Sonoma County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy on file | 196 | 54.1% | 46.1% |
| Exempt (certifies no employees) | 161 | 44.5% | 51.2% |
| No current WC record | 4 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Leasing firm / temp agency | 0 | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Self-insured | 1 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Out-of-state coverage | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
161 licenses in Sonoma 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 | Sonoma County | Share of suspended | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond lapsed (contractor's, LLC, qualifying individual, disciplinary) | 4 | 28.6% | 63.7% |
| Workers' compensation | 5 | 35.7% | 21.0% |
| Liability insurance (LLC) | 1 | 7.1% | 5.7% |
| Other | 4 | 28.6% | 9.6% |
5 Sonoma 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 | Sonoma County | Share | California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole owner | 179 | 49.4% | 45.8% |
| Corporation | 149 | 41.2% | 47.5% |
| Limited liability company | 27 | 7.5% | 5.5% |
| Partnership | 7 | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Joint venture or other | 0 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
27 county licenses are LLCs, 27 of which have the $100,000 LLC employee/worker bond on file. 57 licenses (15.7%) also hold a B general building classification and 44 hold C-20 HVAC.
Licenses by city
| City | C-36 licenses | Share of county |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa | 145 | 40.1% |
| Petaluma | 52 | 14.4% |
| Rohnert Park | 34 | 9.4% |
| Sebastopol | 27 | 7.5% |
| Windsor | 26 | 7.2% |
| Sonoma | 25 | 6.9% |
| Healdsburg | 10 | 2.8% |
| Cotati | 10 | 2.8% |
New licenses and renewals
22 licenses were issued in the county in the last twelve months; 19.1% of all county licenses are under three years old. 171 licenses come up for renewal in the next twelve months, peaking in Aug 2027.
What this means if you hold a C-36 in Sonoma County
The same rules apply in every county, but the figures above show where Sonoma 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 Sonoma 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.