Which license each job needs in Marin County
| Work | CSLB classification | County permits (firms) | Firms matched to an active license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | C-39 Roofing | 1,943 (300) | 86.0% |
| Solar and battery | C-46 Solar (C-10 may also do solar electrical) | 1,339 (199) | 84.4% |
| Furnace, heat pump, AC | C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning | 1,640 (131) | 88.5% |
| Electrical, EV chargers | C-10 Electrical | electrical 1,464 (315) | 88.6% |
| Kitchen, bath, remodel, addition, ADU | B General Building; B-2 Residential Remodeling | remodel 640 (379); ADUs 111 (99) | 90.8% |
| Plumbing, gas, water heaters | C-36 Plumbing | water heaters 470 (73) | 86.3% |
| Windows and doors | C-17 Glazing | 488 (110) | 88.2% |
| Pools and spas | C-53 Swimming Pool | 155 (82) | 96.3% |
Classifications are from CSLB's Licensing Classifications list. The classification on the record is the scope: a C-39 roofer is not licensed to build an 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). Marin jobs are large: the usual County remodel permit carries $45,000, the usual addition $250,000 and the usual ADU $205,000.
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask for the license number. CSLB's lookup is built around it.
- Search Check a License by number or business name. The page exists "to verify information, including complaint disclosure".
- 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).
- Check the classification, bond and workers' compensation against the job and the crew.
- Track record: open the firm on our Marin County roofer list, HVAC list or remodeler list.
How to search Marin County permit records
The County's Look up an existing building permit page says "Anyone can look up information about a building permit we issued within unincorporated Marin County", free. It links two tools: a permit database that shows "all permits issued during the past 48 months. Updated daily.", and a dashboard to "Look up building permits by address, area, permit number, and our interactive map", updated monthly. Building and Safety is at 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308, San Rafael, 415-473-6550 (read 22 October 2026).
Check which jurisdiction your house is in first. San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley and the other incorporated cities and towns issue their own permits, which are not in the County's tools or our file.
The County's tools are organised by permit. Ours is organised by firm: each firm's County permits, its CSLB match, the share with an approved final inspection and the days to it, on the Marin County permit statistics page and the compare lists.
What 9,660 County permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Final approved | Usual days to final | Firms matched to a non-active license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 1,943 | 300 | 85.9% | 58 | 10 |
| HVAC | 1,640 | 131 | 74.8% | 96 | 2 |
| Electrical | 1,464 | 315 | 65.7% | 124 | 7 |
| Kitchen, bath & remodel | 640 | 379 | 86.6% | 272 | 7 |
| Windows & doors | 488 | 110 | 88.5% | 94 | 4 |
| Water heater | 470 | 73 | 71.7% | 56 | 0 |
| Foundation & retaining wall | 248 | 107 | 68.0% | 431 | 3 |
"Final approved" is the share of permits a year or more old with an approved final inspection in the County's inspection file. Electrical is the trade to watch at 65.7%, with a usual 124 days to final. Among the 33 roofers with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm reached final on 54.3% and the 90th on 95.0%.
See every Marin County roofer by license and permits finaled →
Red flags in Marin County
- 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.
- A request that you file as an owner-builder for work the contractor is doing.
- A license that is no longer active: 10 roofing, 7 electrical and 7 remodel firms in our file matched one.
- A firm that has gone quiet: 13 solar firms and 7 roofers with 5+ permits filed none in the last 12 months of our data.
What this lookup does not tell you
Our license status uses the license number typed on the permit when it fits the firm and a business-name match otherwise, against CSLB's license file as of our build: 10.7% of roofing firms did not match, which is our gap, not proof they are unlicensed. Over-the-counter Minor Improvement permits, used for nearly all solar and many kitchen and bath jobs, never appear in the County's inspection file, so solar shows no finish rate. Home values are Proposition 13 assessed values, well below market. 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 Marin County Community Development Agency building permits on homes in unincorporated Marin, from the County's open-data permit and inspection files, 2023-10 to 2026-09, grouped into the trades above. "Final approved" uses permits a year or more old; days are issue to the approved final inspection. License status is matched against the CSLB license master file. CSLB and County text is quoted from their own pages, read 22 October 2026.
Numbers come from Marin County Community Development Agency building permits on homes in unincorporated Marin (the County's open-data permit and inspection files), data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who licenses contractors in Marin County?
The State, through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Marin County's Community Development Agency issues building permits for unincorporated Marin; the county's cities and towns issue their own. Check any contractor on CSLB's free Check a License page.
- Which CSLB license should a Marin roofer or solar installer have?
C-39 Roofing for roofs; C-46 Solar for solar and batteries (a C-10 Electrical contractor may also do solar electrical work). A remodel, addition or ADU calls for B General Building or B-2 Residential Remodeling.
- Does a small job in Marin 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 in unincorporated Marin?
The County's 'Look up an existing building permit' page links a permit database of everything issued in the past 48 months, updated daily, and a dashboard to search by address, area or permit number, updated monthly. Building and Safety is on 415-473-6550.
- Does the County cover permits in San Rafael, Novato or Mill Valley?
No. Marin County's Building and Safety division issues permits for the unincorporated area only; the 11 cities and towns run their own building departments, and their permits are not in the County's lookup or in our Marin County pages.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Anaheim contractor license lookup: CSLB classifications, the City's permit report and what it shows
- Boulder contractor license lookup: City license classes, state trade licenses and the permits
- Sacramento County contractor license lookup: CSLB, the County permit portal, and what the permits show
- Wheaton, IL contractor license lookup: city registration, state licenses and the permit record
For one city
- Check a License — CSLB (2026-10-22)
- CSLB Terms and Definitions (2026-10-22)
- CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)
- Handyperson Exemption to Increase to $1,000 in 2025 — CSLB press release (AB 2622) (2026-10-22)
- Look up an existing building permit — Marin County Community Development Agency (2026-10-22)