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Anaheim contractor license lookup: CSLB classifications, the City's permit report and what it shows

An Anaheim contractor check is one state search: the Contractors State License Board's Check a License, free, by license number, business name or person. The City of Anaheim issues the permits and publishes a searchable report of them. In our Anaheim file, 2,999 firms pulled 9,903 permits on homes from October 2023 to September 2026, and 82.4% of the 568 roofing firms matched an active CSLB license.

By Contractor Records · data through October 1, 2026

Which license each job needs in Anaheim

Work CSLB classification Anaheim permits (firms) Firms matched to an active license
Roofing C-39 Roofing 1,970 (568) 82.4%
Electrical, panels C-10 Electrical 1,729 (640) 84.8%
Furnace, heat pump, AC C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning 1,415 (210) 87.1%
Solar and battery C-46 Solar (C-10 may also do solar electrical) 1,112 (258) 79.1%
Plumbing, repipes, water heaters C-36 Plumbing plumbing 720 (129); water heaters 642 (70) 86.8%
Remodel, addition, ADU B General Building; B-2 Residential Remodeling remodel 668 (423); ADUs 330 (202) 90.5%
Windows and doors C-17 Glazing 334 (42) 85.7%
Pools and spas C-53 Swimming Pool 163 (98) 86.7%

Classifications are from CSLB's Licensing Classifications list. A C-39 roofer is not licensed to build your ADU.

AB 2622 raised the threshold for work requiring a contractor's license "from $500 to $1,000" from 1 January 2025, and the small-job exemption applies only "if they do not hire workers and no building permits are needed" (CSLB press release, read 22 October 2026). The usual Anaheim re-roof permit carries $13,900 and the usual ADU $100,000, far over the line.

How to run the lookup in five minutes

  1. Ask for the license number. CSLB's lookup is built around it.
  2. Search Check a License by number or business name. The page exists "to verify information, including complaint disclosure".
  3. Read the status. CSLB: Active is "licensed and able to perform work"; Inactive is "still licensed but is not permitted to perform work" (Terms and Definitions).
  4. Check the classification, bond and workers' compensation against the job.
  5. Track record: open the firm on our Anaheim roofer list, electrician list or HVAC list.

How to search Anaheim permit records

The City's Building Permit Report "lets you search, view, and export issued and finaled building permits for the City of Anaheim" (user guide, read 22 October 2026). Pick Issued or Finaled and a date range of up to 10 years; each row shows the permit number, status, address, description, issue and final dates, job valuation, an Owner / Builder flag, and the contractor's name and phone. Export to CSV and filter by your street or your contractor's name. Applications themselves go through Anaheim Next, the City's Accela portal; Building Division questions go to buildingdivision@anaheim.net.

The report is organised by permit. Ours is organised by firm: each firm's Anaheim permits, its CSLB match, the share finaled and the days to final, on the Anaheim permit statistics page and the compare lists.

What 9,903 Anaheim permits show

Trade Permits Firms Finaled Usual days to final Firms matched to a non-active license
Roofing 1,970 568 96.4% 16 15
Electrical 1,729 640 89.0% 35 13
HVAC 1,415 210 85.8% 64 5
Solar & battery 1,112 258 80.1% 103 7
Plumbing & repipe 720 129 88.0% 20 3
Remodel & repair 668 423 68.3% 180 5
ADU 330 202 94.0% 307 4

"Finaled" is the share of permits a year or more old the City finaled. Re-roofs close fast here, 96.4% finaled in a usual 16 days; remodels are the slow trade at 68.3%. Roofing also carries the most license problems: 15 roofing firms matched a CSLB license that is no longer active. Among the 35 roofers with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm finaled 89.1% and the 90th 99.2%.

See every Anaheim roofer by license and permits finaled →

Red flags in Anaheim

  • A CSLB status other than Active, or a classification that does not match the job.
  • No license number on the bid for any job of $1,000 or more.
  • Your job filed as owner-builder when a contractor is doing the work; the Building Permit Report shows the flag.
  • A license that is no longer active: 15 roofing and 13 electrical firms in our file matched one.
  • A firm that has gone quiet: 19 roofers and 10 solar firms with 5+ permits filed none in the last 12 months of our data.

What this lookup does not tell you

Anaheim permits carry no license number, so our license status is a business-name match against CSLB's license file, which leaves out cancelled and long-expired licenses; a name shared by several licenses shows none. 15.0% of roofing firms did not match, which is our gap, not proof they are unlicensed. Electrical, HVAC, plumbing, water heater and EV charger permits carry no job value. Orange County publishes no bulk assessment roll, so we cannot show what kind of homes a firm works on. Our data stops at September 2026. Statewide rules and penalties are in How to check a contractor's license in California.

How we know this

Permits are City of Anaheim Accela building permits on single-family homes and ADUs, 2023-10 to 2026-09, grouped into the trades above; owner-builder permits name no contractor and are not ranked. "Finaled" uses permits a year or more old; days are issue to the City's final date. License status is our business-name match against the CSLB license master file. CSLB and City text is quoted from their own pages, read 22 October 2026.

Numbers come from City of Anaheim Accela building permits on single-family homes and ADUs, data through October 1, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.

Questions

  • Who licenses contractors in Anaheim?

    The State, through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). The City of Anaheim issues building permits, not contractor licenses. Check any contractor on CSLB's free Check a License page by license number, business name or person.

  • Which CSLB license should an Anaheim roofer have?

    C-39 Roofing, from CSLB's list of classifications. Check that it is listed on the firm's CSLB record and that the status is Active; the classification is the scope of what the firm may contract for.

  • Does a small job in Anaheim need a licensed contractor?

    Any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials does, and so does any job that needs a building permit, whatever it costs. AB 2622 raised the limit from $500 to $1,000 on 1 January 2025.

  • How do I look up permits on an Anaheim address?

    Use the City's Building Permit Report (gis.anaheim.net/planning/issuedpermits), which searches issued and finaled permits over a date range of up to 10 years and lists address, status, job value, contractor name and an owner-builder flag, with a CSV export.

  • How do I tell if a permit was owner-builder?

    The Building Permit Report has an Owner / Builder column that shows whether the owner is acting as the contractor. If your contractor's job shows up as owner-builder, the permit is in your name, not theirs.

Build your own list

Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.

Anaheim roofingAnaheim electricalAnaheim HVACAnaheim solar & batteryAnaheim remodel & repairAnaheim ADU

Related guides

All guides →

Sources
  1. Check a License — CSLB (2026-10-22)
  2. CSLB Terms and Definitions (2026-10-22)
  3. CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)
  4. Handyperson Exemption to Increase to $1,000 in 2025 — CSLB press release (AB 2622) (2026-10-22)
  5. Building Permit Report — City of Anaheim (2026-10-22)
  6. Building Permit Report — User Guide, City of Anaheim (2026-10-22)
  7. Anaheim Next (Accela Citizen Access) — City of Anaheim (2026-10-22)