Which license each job needs in Medford
| Work | CCB endorsement (bond since 2024) | Also needed | Medford permits (firms) | Firms matched to an active CCB license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New home, remodel, addition | Residential General Contractor ($25,000) | — | new homes 680 (81); remodels 135 (88) | 81.5%; 79.5% |
| Heat pumps, furnaces, AC | Residential Specialty ($20,000) or General | — | 1,507 (83) | 79.5% |
| Electrical, solar | Residential Specialty or General | BCD electrician license | electrical 701 (96); solar 643 (26) | 79.2%; 61.5% |
| Plumbing | Residential Specialty or General | BCD plumber license | 382 (73) | 83.6% |
| Irrigation backflow devices | Often a landscape firm, licensed by a different board | Ask which license covers it | 449 (62) | 37.1% |
The CCB's Do You Need a License page lists roofing, siding, painting, carpentry, floor covering, concrete, heating, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing among the work that needs one. ORS 701.010 exempts only work where the total price "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: $25,000 for a Residential General Contractor, $20,000 for a Residential Specialty Contractor and $15,000 for a Residential Limited Contractor, "beginning 1/1/2024" (read 23 October 2026).
The bond is small next to Medford prices: the usual new home here carries $322,548 and the usual remodel $31,666. The CCB record shows the business endorsement, not the trade license, so ask an electrician or plumber for both numbers; BCD's license search covers "Plumbing, Electrical, and MDI".
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask for the CCB license number. The CCB lists a business card without one (or with a fake one) as a warning sign (Consumer Tools).
- Search the CCB License Search by number. The CCB says a check shows whether the contractor "is actively licensed and has a surety bond", submitted proof of liability insurance, "carries workers' compensation insurance", is licensed for pre-1978 homes, and "had any complaints or disciplinary actions filed with the CCB in the past 10 years".
- Electrician or plumber: search BCD's license search.
- Permits: look the address up on the City's portal (below).
- Track record: open the firm on our Medford HVAC list, electrician list or home builder list.
How to search Medford permit records
The City of Medford Development Services Portal lets you check inspection results, review plan status and pay fees, and search by permit number (format like BRNW24-00001), by address ("omit suffixes" such as Dr, St or Ave) or by tax lot number (read 23 October 2026). Open each permit on your address to see the contractor and whether it was finaled.
The portal is organised by permit. Ours is organised by firm: each firm's Medford permits, share finaled and days to final, on the Medford permit statistics page and the compare lists.
What 4,497 Medford permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Finaled | Usual days to final | Firms with no CCB match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 1,507 | 83 | 79.4% | 31 | 20.5% |
| Electrical | 701 | 96 | 95.0% | 15 | 20.8% |
| New home | 680 | 81 | 95.8% | 176 | 18.5% |
| Solar | 643 | 26 | 96.7% | 34 | 38.5% |
| Plumbing | 382 | 73 | 91.1% | 12 | 16.4% |
| Remodel & addition | 135 | 88 | 82.7% | 180 | 20.5% |
"Finaled" uses permits a year or more old, adjusted for permit age; permits that expire without a final count against the firm. HVAC has the widest spread: among the 19 HVAC firms with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile one finaled 46.6% and the 90th 93.2%. Electrical work closes quickly, the usual permit in 15 days. Solar is concentrated, with the five busiest firms filing 77.1% of solar permits, and 38.5% of solar firms did not match the CCB file by name.
See every Medford HVAC contractor by permits finaled →
Red flags in Medford
- No CCB number on the card, quote or website, or a number that returns a different business.
- A record with no active bond, or complaints in the past 10 years you were not told about.
- An electrician or plumber with no BCD license number.
- A specialty endorsement on a whole-house job that needs a Residential General Contractor.
- A firm that has gone quiet: 8 home builders and 6 backflow installers with 5+ permits filed none in the last 12 months of our data.
What this lookup does not tell you
Medford's permits carry no CCB number, so we match firms by name against the CCB's active-license file; about a quarter of firms, including some large HVAC and solar firms, have no match, and that is our gap, not proof the firm is unlicensed. Electricians' and plumbers' BCD licenses are not linked. The City's current permit export is missing about a fifth of trade permits compared with its older export, so every firm's count is probably about 20% low. Our data stops at September 2026. Statewide rules are in How to check a contractor's license in Oregon.
How we know this
Permits are City of Medford building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on single-family, duplex and cottage homes from the City's permit exports, 2023-10 to 2026-09, grouped into the trades above. "Finaled" uses permits a year or more old, adjusted for permit age; days run from issue to final. License status is from the Oregon CCB active-license file, matched by business name. Rules are quoted from the Oregon CCB, ORS 701, BCD and City of Medford pages, read 23 October 2026.
Numbers come from City of Medford building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on single-family, duplex and cottage homes (the city's TRAKiT permit exports), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who licenses contractors in Medford, Oregon?
The State. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licenses businesses paid for construction work, from remodelers and roofers to HVAC, electrical and plumbing firms. Electricians and plumbers also hold a personal license from the Building Codes Division (BCD). The City of Medford issues the permits.
- What does a CCB license record show?
Whether the contractor is actively licensed with a surety bond, submitted proof of liability insurance, carries workers' compensation, is licensed for pre-1978 homes with possible lead paint, 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 on a Medford address?
On the City of Medford Development Services Portal (permits.medfordoregon.gov), by permit number, by address (leave off suffixes such as Dr or St) or by tax lot number.
- How many Medford HVAC firms in your data have an active CCB license?
79.5% of the 83 HVAC firms on City permits from October 2023 to September 2026 matched an active CCB license by name. The rest did not match, which can mean a different legal name rather than no license.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Bend, OR contractor license lookup: the CCB, state trade licenses and the permits
- Home improvement costs in Medford, OR (2026): what 7 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Busiest months for home projects, by city and trade (2026 data)
- How many contractors are licensed? License match rates by city and trade
- How to check a contractor's license in Oregon
For one city
- License Search — Oregon Construction Contractors Board (2026-10-23)
- Consumer Tools — Oregon CCB (2026-10-23)
- CCB License (Do you need a license) — Oregon CCB (2026-10-23)
- Licensing (bond amounts) — Oregon CCB (2026-10-23)
- ORS Chapter 701 Construction Contractors (2026-10-23)
- License search — Oregon Building Codes Division (2026-10-23)
- City of Medford Development Services Portal (2026-10-23)