Which license each job needs in Sacramento County
| Work | CSLB classification | County permits (firms) | Firms matched to an active license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace, heat pump, AC | C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning | 7,937 (581) | 81.8% |
| Roofing | C-39 Roofing | 5,397 (748) | 78.9% |
| Electrical, panels, EV chargers | C-10 Electrical | electrical 4,054 (936) | 85.1% |
| Plumbing, water heaters | C-36 Plumbing | water heaters 3,553 (365) | 86.6% |
| Solar and battery | C-46 Solar (C-10 may also do solar electrical) | 2,001 (236) | 79.2% |
| Remodel, addition, ADU, new home | B General Building; B-2 Residential Remodeling | remodel 2,933 (864) | 83.8% |
| Pools | C-53 Swimming Pool | 350 (95) | 88.4% |
Classifications are from CSLB's Licensing Classifications list. The classification on the record is the scope: a C-39 roofer is not licensed to rebuild your kitchen.
The dollar rule: since 1 January 2025, AB 2622 raised the threshold for work requiring a contractor's license "from $500 to $1,000", and the small-job exemption holds only if the worker does "not hire workers and no building permits are needed" (CSLB press release, read 22 October 2026). Every job in this guide needs a permit, so every one needs a license. The usual County water heater permit carries $3,695 and the usual HVAC permit $15,268.
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 (digits only) 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"; Expired is "A license that has not been renewed" (Terms and Definitions).
- Check the classification, bond and workers' compensation against the job and the crew that shows up.
- Salesperson? The same page searches Home Improvement Salesperson registrations.
- Track record: open the firm on our Sacramento County HVAC list, roofer list or solar list.
How to search Sacramento County permit records
The County's permits live in Accela Citizen Access, linked as "Online Permits" from the County's Building Permits and Inspection page. The County "only accepts electronic plans submittal and review of all types of building projects", and its building line is 916-875-5296 (read 22 October 2026). The same page links the AP-16 owner-builder notice; a contractor who asks you to sign one for their job is shifting the permit onto you.
Our file covers only the unincorporated County. Elk Grove and Citrus Heights run their own building departments; see our Elk Grove and Citrus Heights pages.
The portal is organised by record. Ours is organised by firm: each firm's County permits in three years, its license match, the share finished and the days to final, on the Sacramento County permit statistics page and the compare lists.
What 33,488 County permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Finished | Usual days to final | Firms matched to a non-active license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 7,937 | 581 | 84.1% | 56 | 10 |
| Roofing | 5,397 | 748 | 88.1% | 19 | 22 |
| Electrical | 4,054 | 936 | 79.8% | 56 | 22 |
| Water heaters | 3,553 | 365 | 71.7% | 38 | 7 |
| Remodel & addition | 2,933 | 864 | 90.2% | 85 | 24 |
| Solar & battery | 2,001 | 236 | 86.5% | 50 | 9 |
"Finished" is the share of permits a year or more old with a final or completed status. Water heaters stand out: only 71.7% finished, so on a swap, ask who books the final inspection. Among the 97 HVAC firms with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm finished 66.2% and the 90th 94.0%.
See every Sacramento County HVAC contractor by license and permits finished →
Red flags in Sacramento 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 sign the owner-builder notice for work the contractor is doing.
- A license that was suspended: 24 remodel firms and 22 roofing firms in our file matched a CSLB license that is no longer active.
- A firm that has gone quiet: 27 roofers with 5+ permits filed none in the last 12 months.
What this lookup does not tell you
County permits carry a contractor name but no license number, so our license status is a name match against CSLB's license file as of our build: 16.5% of HVAC firms did not match at all, which is our gap, not proof they are unlicensed. A status can change after our snapshot; check CSLB the week you sign. A license says the firm may work, not how its last job went. The statewide rules and penalties are in How to check a contractor's license in California.
How we know this
Permits are Sacramento County building permits for the unincorporated area on single-family, duplex, townhouse and ADU parcels, 2023-10 to 2026-09, grouped into the trades above. "Finished" uses permits a year or more old; days to final are the middle permit's issue-to-final time. License status is our name match against the CSLB license master file. CSLB and County text is quoted from their own pages, read 22 October 2026.
Numbers come from Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who licenses contractors in Sacramento County?
The State, through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Sacramento County issues building permits for the unincorporated area but does not license contractors. Any job of $1,000 or more, or any job that needs a permit, needs a CSLB-licensed contractor.
- Which CSLB license does an HVAC installer need?
The C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning classification. A roofer needs C-39, an electrician C-10, a plumber C-36, a solar installer C-46 (or C-10), and a whole-house remodeler B or B-2.
- How do I check a permit on my Sacramento County house?
Through the County's Accela Citizen Access portal (aca-prod.accela.com/SACCO). The County accepts building applications electronically only; call 916-875-5296 with questions.
- What does 'Inactive' mean on a CSLB record?
CSLB says an inactive contractor is 'still licensed but is not permitted to perform work'. Only Active means the firm may contract.
- How many Sacramento County HVAC firms in your data have an active license?
81.8% of the 581 HVAC firms on County permits from October 2023 to September 2026 matched an active CSLB license by name; 10 matched a license that was suspended or otherwise not active.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Check a License — CSLB (2026-10-22)
- CSLB Terms and Definitions (2026-10-22)
- Handyperson Exemption to Increase to $1,000 in 2025 — CSLB press release (AB 2622) (2026-10-22)
- CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)
- Building Permits and Inspection — Sacramento County (2026-10-22)
- Accela Citizen Access — Sacramento County (2026-10-22)