Which license each job needs in Bend
| Work | CCB endorsement (bond since 2024) | Also needed | Bend permits (firms) | Firms matched to an active CCB license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New home, addition, remodel | Residential General Contractor ($25,000) | — | new homes 1,849 (149); remodels 605 (180) | 71.8% |
| HVAC and mechanical | Residential Specialty Contractor ($20,000) or General | — | 4,427 (169) | 69.2% |
| Electrical, solar, EV chargers | Residential Specialty or General | BCD electrician license | electrical 3,938 (190); solar 1,076 (33) | 76.8% |
| Plumbing | Residential Specialty or General | BCD plumber license | 3,257 (191) | 72.3% |
| Decks, porch covers | Residential Specialty or General | — | 110 (56) | 83.9% |
The CCB's Do You Need a License page lists examples that need one, including "Roofing Siding Painting Carpentry Floor covering Concrete Heating Air conditioning Electrical Plumbing". The small-job exemption in ORS 701.010 is narrow: work where "the aggregate price of all of that persons contracts for labor, materials and all other items is less than $1,000 and such work is of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature". Bond amounts are from the CCB's Licensing page, which raised them on 1 January 2024; a Residential Limited Contractor's bond is $15,000.
The CCB record shows the endorsement, not the trade license. BCD's license search covers "Plumbing, Electrical, and MDI", so ask the electrician or plumber for both numbers.
The usual Bend new-home permit carries $384,616 and the usual addition $97,000; the general contractor's $25,000 bond is a small share of either.
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask for the CCB number. The CCB's hiring guide: "Contractors must put this number on their advertising, including brochures, websites, and business cards."
- Search it on the CCB License Search. The record tells you, per the CCB's Consumer Tools, "If the contractor is actively licensed and has a surety bond", whether it "submitted proof of liability insurance", and "any complaints or disciplinary actions filed with the CCB in the past 10 years".
- Check the endorsement fits the job: a Residential Limited contractor on a whole-house remodel is outside their license.
- Electrician or plumber: search the person on BCD's license search.
- Track record: open the firm on our Bend HVAC list, electrician list or new-home builder list.
How to search Bend permit records
The City's Online Permit Center holds Bend's building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. Its help page says you do not need to register to "Search for property information" or "Search for current development activity", but you do to "Track application and/or project status"; older records sit in the City's read-only legacy ePlans system. The Permit Center is on 541-388-5580, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (read 22 October 2026).
The portal is organised by property. Ours is organised by firm: each firm's Bend permits, its CCB match, the share finaled and the days to final, on the Bend permit statistics page and the compare lists.
What 15,631 Bend permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Finaled | Usual days to final | Firms with 5+ permits, none in the last 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC & mechanical | 4,427 | 169 | 93.4% | 28 | 4 |
| Electrical | 3,938 | 190 | 88.1% | 31 | 14 |
| Plumbing | 3,257 | 191 | 82.4% | 67 | 6 |
| New home | 1,849 | 149 | 97.9% | 220 | 6 |
| Solar & battery | 1,076 | 33 | 98.3% | 56 | 1 |
| Remodel & alteration | 605 | 180 | 95.9% | 88 | 6 |
"Finaled" is the share of a firm's own permits a year or more old that the City finaled; trade work inside a builder's new-home or remodel application is left out, because it finishes when the house does. Plumbing is the slow trade here: 82.4% finaled and the usual permit took 67 days. Among the 39 electrical firms with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm finaled 76.4% and the 90th 95.8%.
See every Bend HVAC contractor by license and permits finaled →
Red flags in Bend
- No CCB number on the card, website or bid. It is required on advertising.
- A license that is not active. The hiring guide lists what an unlicensed contractor costs you: "No source (bond) to reimburse you for poor workmanship", "CCB mediation services unavailable in a dispute" and "Cannot pull required building permits."
- An endorsement smaller than the job, such as Residential Limited on a new home.
- An electrician or plumber with no BCD license number.
- A firm that has gone quiet: 14 electrical firms and 6 plumbing firms with 5+ permits filed none in the last 12 months of our data.
What this lookup does not tell you
Bend permits carry no CCB number, so our license status is a name match against the CCB's active-license file: 30.8% of HVAC firms did not match, which can mean an assumed business name rather than no license. BCD trade licenses are not linked. Bend records one project value per application, so we show a usual value only for new homes, additions, remodels and decks. Our data stops at September 2026. Statewide rules and the CCB's penalties are in How to check a contractor's license in Oregon.
How we know this
Permits are City of Bend building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on homes, 2023-10 to 2026-09, grouped into the trades above. "Finaled" uses a firm's own permits a year or more old; days are issue to final from the City's dates. License status is our name match against the Oregon CCB active-license file. Rules are quoted from the CCB, ORS 701, BCD and City of Bend pages, read 22 October 2026.
Numbers come from City of Bend building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on homes, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who licenses contractors in Bend, Oregon?
The State. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licenses anyone paid for construction work on real property, from roofing and remodeling to HVAC, electrical and plumbing businesses. Electricians and plumbers also hold a personal trade license from the Building Codes Division. The City of Bend issues the permits.
- Where do I check a Bend contractor's license?
On the CCB's License Search (search.ccb.state.or.us/search). The CCB says the most accurate way is by license number, which contractors must put on their advertising, websites and business cards.
- What does the CCB record show?
Whether the contractor is actively licensed and bonded, submitted proof of liability insurance, carries workers' compensation, is licensed for pre-1978 homes, and any complaints or disciplinary actions filed with the CCB in the past 10 years.
- How big is a residential contractor's bond in Oregon?
Since 1 January 2024, $25,000 for a Residential General Contractor, $20,000 for a Residential Specialty Contractor and $15,000 for a Residential Limited Contractor.
- How do I look up permits in Bend?
On the City's Online Permit Center (cityview.ci.bend.or.us/Portal). The City says no account is needed to search property information or current development activity; tracking an application needs an account. The Permit Center is on 541-388-5580.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Busiest months for home projects, by city and trade (2026 data)
- How many contractors are licensed? License match rates by city and trade
- How concentrated is the contractor market? Top-5 share by city and trade
- How long building permits take in US cities (2026 data)
- How to check a contractor's license in North Dakota
- How to check a contractor's license in Oregon
- Oregon CCB License Search (2026-10-22)
- Consumer Tools — Oregon Construction Contractors Board (2026-10-22)
- CCB License (Do You Need a License?) — Oregon CCB (2026-10-22)
- Licensing (bond amounts) — Oregon CCB (2026-10-22)
- Selecting and Working with a Contractor (Guide to Hiring a Contractor) — Oregon CCB (2026-10-22)
- ORS Chapter 701 Construction Contractors and Contracts (2026-10-22)
- License search (Plumbing, Electrical, MDI) — Oregon Building Codes Division (2026-10-22)
- Online Permit Center Portal Help — City of Bend (2026-10-22)