ARTICLE 4. Classifications [7055. - 7059.1.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 4.

in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7055. Section 7055.

For the purpose of classification, the contracting business includes any or all of the following branches: (a) General engineering contracting. (b) (1) General building contracting. (2) Residential remodeling contracting. (c) Specialty contracting.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7056. Section 7056.

A general engineering contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with fixed works requiring specialized engineering knowledge and skill, including the following divisions or subjects: irrigation, drainage, water power, water supply, flood control, inland waterways, harbors, docks and wharves, shipyards and ports, dams and hydroelectric projects, levees, river control and reclamation works, railroads, highways, streets and roads, tunnels, airports and airways, sewers and sewage disposal plants and systems, waste reduction plants, bridges, overpasses, underpasses and other similar works, pipelines and other systems for the transmission of petroleum and other liquid or gaseous substances, parks, playgrounds and other recreational works, refineries, chemical plants and similar industrial plants requiring specialized engineering knowledge and skill, powerhouses, powerplants and other utility plants and installations, mines and metallurgical plants, land leveling and earthmoving projects, excavating, grading, trenching, paving and surfacing work and cement and concrete works in connection with the above-mentioned fixed works.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7057. Section 7057.

(a) Except as provided in this section, a general building contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with any structure built, being built, or to be built, for the support, shelter, and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, requiring in its construction the use of at least two unrelated building trades or crafts, or to do or superintend the whole or any part thereof. This does not include anyone who merely furnishes materials or supplies under Section 7045 without fabricating them into, or consuming them in the performance of, the work of the general building contractor. (b) A general building contractor may take a prime contract or a subcontract for a framing or carpentry project. However, a general building contractor shall not take a prime contract for any project involving trades other than framing or carpentry unless the prime contract requires at least two unrelated building trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry, or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed contractor to perform the work. A general building contractor shall not take a subcontract involving trades other than framing or carpentry, unless the subcontract requires at least two unrelated trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry, or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification. The general building contractor shall not count framing or carpentry in calculating the two unrelated trades necessary in order for the general building contractor to be able to take a prime contract or subcontract for a project involving other trades. (c) A general building contractor shall not contract for any project that includes a fire protection system as provided for in Section 7026.12 or 7026.13, or the “C-57” Well Drilling classification as provided for in Section 13750.5 of the Water Code, unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification, or subcontracts with the appropriately licensed contractor.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7057.5. Section 7057.5.

(a) A residential remodeling contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with any project to make improvements to, on, or in an existing residential wood frame structure, and the project requires the use of at least three unrelated building trades or crafts for a single contract. (b) (1) A residential remodeling contractor may take a prime contract for trades or crafts which may include, but is not limited to, the following: (A) Drywall. (B) Finish carpentry. (C) Flooring. (D) Insulation. (E) Painting. (F) Plastering. (G) Roof repair. (H) Siding. (I) Tiling. (J) Installing, repairing, or replacing electrical fixtures, such as dimmers, fans, lights, outlets, and switches. (K) Installing, repairing, or replacing plumbing fixtures, such as faucets, sinks, toilets, and tubs. (L) Installing, repairing, or replacing mechanical fixtures, such as air filters, air delivery and return grills, and preassembled exhaust fans. (2) A residential remodeling contractor shall not take a contract unless the contract includes three or more unrelated trades or crafts. (3) Subject to the limit described in paragraph (2), a residential remodeling contractor may self-perform its contract or may subcontract any of the trades or crafts to appropriately licensed subcontractor or subcontractors. (c) A residential remodeling contractor shall conduct its contracting activity in accordance with the following restrictions: (1) A residential remodeling contractor shall not contract for a project that includes the following trades or crafts unless the contractor holds the appropriate license classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed contractor: (A) C-16 Fire Protection. (B) C-22 Asbestos Abatement. (C) C-57 Well Drilling. (2) A residential remodeling contractor shall not contract to make structural changes to load bearing portions of an existing structure, including, but not limited to, footings, foundations, load bearing walls, partitions, and roof structures. (3) (A) The residential remodeling contractor shall not contract to install, replace, substantially alter, or extend electrical, mechanical, or plumbing systems or their component parts, or the mechanisms or devices that are part of those systems, unless the residential remodeling contractor holds the appropriate license classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed contractor. (B) The residential remodeling contractor may contract to make minor alterations to existing electrical, mechanical, or plumbing systems to effectuate the purpose of installing, repairing, or replacing electrical, mechanical and plumbing fixtures, provided that the contract requires the use of at least three unrelated building trades or crafts. (C) The board may adopt regulations to further define what activity constitutes the minor alterations described in subparagraph (B), and to further define the electrical, mechanical, or plumbing systems, or their component parts, or the mechanisms or devices that are part of those systems, that are subject to the restriction described in subparagraph (A). (d) This contractor classification may be cited as the B-2 Residential Remodeling Contractor.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7058. Section 7058.

(a) A specialty contractor is a contractor whose operations involve the performance of construction work requiring special skill and whose principal contracting business involves the use of specialized building trades or crafts. (b) A specialty contractor includes a contractor whose operations include the business of servicing or testing fire extinguishing systems. (c) A specialty contractor includes a contractor whose operations are concerned with the installation and laying of carpets, linoleum, and resilient floor covering. (d) A specialty contractor includes a contractor whose operations are concerned with preparing or removing roadway construction zones, lane closures, flagging, or traffic diversions on roadways, including, but not limited to, public streets, highways, or any public conveyance.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7058.5. Section 7058.5.

(a) A contractor shall not engage in asbestos-related work, as defined in Section 6501.8 of the Labor Code, that involves 100 square feet or more of surface area of asbestos containing materials, unless the contractor holds a C-22 Asbestos Abatement classification or the qualifier for the license passes an asbestos certification examination. Additional updated asbestos certification examinations may be required based on new health and safety information. The decision on whether to require an updated certification examination shall be made by the Contractors State License Board, in consultation with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health in the Department of Industrial Relations and the Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control in the State Department of Public Health. No asbestos certification examination shall be required for contractors involved with the installation, maintenance, and repair of asbestos cement pipe or sheets, vinyl asbestos floor materials, or asbestos bituminous or resinous materials. “Asbestos,” as used in this section, has the same meaning as defined in Section 6501.7 of the Labor Code. (b) The Contractors State License Board shall make available to all applicants, either on the board’s internet website or, if requested, in hard copy, a booklet containing information relative to handling and disposal of asbestos, together with an open book examination concerning asbestos-related work. All applicants for an initial contractor license shall complete the open book examination and, prior to the issuance of a contractor’s license, submit it to the board electronically or by mail if the applicant elects to use the hard-copy format.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7058.6. Section 7058.6.

(a) The board shall not issue an asbestos certification, as required by Section 7058.5, unless the contractor is registered with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Section 6501.5 of the Labor Code. The board may issue an asbestos certification to a contractor who is not registered, provided the contractor in a written statement acknowledges that they do not perform asbestos-related work. The board shall notify both the division and the contractor, in writing, of the contractor’s passage of the certification examination, for the purpose of allowing the contractor to satisfy the requirement of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 6501.5 of the Labor Code. The contractor shall register with the division within 90 days from the date the contractor is notified of the passage of the certification examination. The board may require a reexamination if the contractor fails to register within 90 days following issuance of the notification. Applicable test fees shall be paid for any reexamination required under this section. (b) Any contractor who is certified to engage in asbestos-related work shall present proof of current registration with the division pursuant to Section 6501.5 of the Labor Code upon application for renewal of the contractor’s license, if the contractor engages in asbestos-related work, as defined in Section 6501.8 of the Labor Code. (c) A contractor who is not certified pursuant to this section may bid on and contract to perform a project involving asbestos-related work as long as the asbestos-related work is performed by a contractor who holds the C-22 Asbestos Abatement classification or is certified and registered pursuant to this section and Section 6501.5 of the Labor Code. (d) The board shall obtain and periodically update the list of contractors certified to engage in asbestos-related work who are registered pursuant to Section 6501.5 of the Labor Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7058.7. Section 7058.7.

(a) No contractor may engage in a removal or remedial action, as defined in subdivision (d), unless the qualifier for the license has passed an approved hazardous substance certification examination. (b) (1) The Contractors State License Board, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the Department of Industrial Relations, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control shall jointly select an advisory committee, which shall be composed of two representatives of hazardous substance removal workers in California, two general engineering contractors in California, and two representatives of insurance companies in California who shall be selected by the Insurance Commissioner. (2) The Contractors State License Board shall develop a written test for the certification of contractors engaged in hazardous substance removal or remedial action, in consultation with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the advisory committee. (c) The Contractors State License Board may require additional updated approved hazardous substance certification examinations of licensees currently certified based on new public or occupational health and safety information. The Contractors State License Board, in consultation with the Department of Toxic Substances Control and the State Water Resources Control Board, shall approve other initial and updated hazardous substance certification examinations and determine whether to require an updated certification examination of all current certificate holders. (d) For purposes of this section “removal or remedial action” has the same meaning as found in Part 2 (commencing with Section 78000) of Division 45 of the Health and Safety Code, if the action requires the contractor to dig into the surface of the earth and remove the dug material and the action is at a site listed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 78760) of Chapter 4 of Part 2 of Division 45 of the Health and Safety Code or any other site listed as a hazardous substance release site by the Department of Toxic Substances Control or a site listed on the National Priorities List compiled pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.). “Removal or remedial action” does not include asbestos-related work, as defined in Section 6501.8 of the Labor Code, or work related to a hazardous substance spill on a highway. (e) (1) A contractor may not install or remove an underground storage tank, unless the contractor has passed the hazardous substance certification examination developed pursuant to this section. (2) A contractor who is not certified may bid on or contract for the installation or removal of an underground tank, if the work is performed by a contractor who is certified pursuant to this section. (3) For purposes of this subdivision, “underground storage tank” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (y) of Section 25281 of the Health and Safety Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7058.8. Section 7058.8.

The board shall make available to the public upon request information about contracting for the removal or encapsulation of asbestos-containing materials in a building including all of the following: (a) Steps to take when contracting with a company to remove asbestos. (b) Existing laws and regulations pertaining to asbestos-related work in California. (c) Basic health information as contained in the United States Environmental Protection Agency publication, “Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings.” (d) A current list of contractors who are certified pursuant to Section 7058.5 to engage in asbestos-related work and who are registered pursuant to Section 6501.5 of the Labor Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7059. Section 7059.

(a) The board may adopt reasonably necessary rules and regulations to effect the classification of contractors in a manner consistent with established usage and procedure as found in the construction business, and may limit the field and scope of the operations of a licensed contractor to those in which they are classified and qualified to engage, as defined by Sections 7055, 7056, 7057, and 7058. A licensee may make application for classification and be classified in more than one classification if the licensee meets the qualifications prescribed by the board for such additional classification or classifications. The application shall be in a form as prescribed by the registrar and shall be accompanied by the application fee fixed by this chapter. No license fee shall be charged for an additional classification or classifications. Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit a specialty contractor from taking and executing a contract involving the use of two or more crafts or trades, if the performance of the work in the crafts or trades, other than in which they are licensed, is incidental and supplemental to the performance of the work in the craft for which the specialty contractor is licensed. (b) (1) In public works contracts, as defined in Section 1101 of the Public Contract Code, the awarding authority shall determine the license classification necessary to bid and perform the project, in accordance with the classifications prescribed by this article and as set forth in Division 8 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations. In no case shall the awarding authority award a prime contract to a specialty contractor whose classification constitutes less than a majority of the project. When a specialty contractor is authorized to bid a project, all work to be performed outside of their license specialty, except work authorized by subdivision (a), shall be performed by a licensed subcontractor in compliance with the Subletting and Subcontracting Fair Practices Act (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4100) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code). (2) Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be construed as authorizing an awarding authority to enact regulations relating to the qualifications necessary to engage in the business of contracting. (3) Nothing contained in this subdivision shall deprive the registrar of the authority to investigate complaints and commence disciplinary proceedings for violations of this chapter.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7059.1. Section 7059.1.

(a) A licensee shall not use any business name that indicates the licensee is qualified to perform work in classifications other than those issued for that license, or any business name that is incompatible with the type of business entity licensed. (b) A licensee shall not conduct business under more than one name for each license. Nothing in this section shall prevent a licensee from obtaining a business name change as otherwise provided by this chapter.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026