California Contractor Insurance
Asena Capital Insurance Services — California-licensed insurance brokerage serving contractors statewide. Phone: (858) 925-9555. Email: info@asenainsurance.com.
Electrical contractor insurance reviews can consider employee duties, payroll, voltage and worksite exposures, subcontractors, tools, vehicles, contracts, claims history, and underwriting.
Review Workers' Compensation, General Liability, and Commercial Auto, then request a coverage review.
CSLB's definition: “An electrical contractor places, installs, erects or connects any electrical wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits, solar photovoltaic cells or any part thereof, which generate, transmit, transform or utilize electrical energy in any form or for any purpose.” (California Code of Regulations / Business and Professions Code, via cslb.ca.gov).
CSLB's public license file (September 2026) shows 26,741 current C-10 licenses statewide. 46% have a workers' comp policy on file and 52% are filed exempt. 48% are sole owners, 45% corporations and 6% LLCs; 1,666 were issued in the last 12 months.
Right now 206 C-10 licenses are suspended for workers' comp and 919 for bond problems — a suspended license cannot legally contract.
| Licenses | With WC policy | Exempt | New (12 mo) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 931 | 42% | 55% | 69 |
| San Diego | 581 | 46% | 50% | 34 |
| San Jose | 580 | 49% | 48% | 32 |
| San Francisco | 558 | 48% | 50% | 34 |
| Sacramento | 483 | 45% | 53% | 62 |
| Bakersfield | 352 | 53% | 44% | 25 |
| Riverside | 336 | 51% | 46% | 21 |
| Glendale | 283 | 36% | 62% | 16 |
| Fresno | 277 | 55% | 41% | 12 |
| Anaheim | 251 | 53% | 43% | 12 |
Any California contractor with employees must carry workers' comp (Labor Code 3700). A license with no employees can currently file an exemption with CSLB; beginning January 1, 2028 (SB 1455), CSLB will require workers' comp for all active licenses, with joint-venture licenses the only exception.
Electrical wiring payroll is generally reported under WCIRB class 5190 or 5140, depending on hourly wage.
Every active California contractor license needs a $25,000 contractor license bond on file with CSLB (raised from $15,000 on January 1, 2023). For owners with good credit, the bond commonly costs about $140–$250 a year; price depends mainly on credit.
LLC licenses also need a $100,000 employee/worker bond and liability insurance of at least $1 million (plus $100,000 per member over five, up to $5 million).
undefined
undefined
undefined
Workers' comp is usually the largest premium for an electrical business with employees, and it is the one cost you can estimate from public data. The WCIRB advisory pure premium rates below took effect September 1, 2026.
Electrical wiring is one of the lower-rated construction trades. Low-voltage, solar or line work may be classified differently, so describe your actual scope when you ask for quotes.
| Class code | Description | Rate per $100 payroll | Benchmark on $50,000 payroll | Benchmark on $100,000 payroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5190 | Electrical wiring — less than $40/hr | 3.729 | $1,865 | $3,729 |
| 5140 | Electrical wiring — $40/hr or more | 2.109 | $1,055 | $2,109 |
General liability is priced on revenue or payroll, your type of work and your claims history, not on a public rate table. That is why quotes for the same business can differ widely between carriers, and why comparing several markets matters.
Benchmarks are WCIRB advisory pure premium rates, not quotes. Your premium also depends on the carrier's filed rate, experience mod, minimum premium and fees.
Send us your details and a licensed broker will compare workers' comp, general liability, commercial auto and bond options for your electrical business. Call (858) 925-9555 or use the short form (name, phone, email).
It depends on payroll and class code. Effective September 1, 2026, the WCIRB advisory pure premium rate for 5190 is $3.729 per $100 of payroll, a benchmark of about $3,729 on $100,000 of payroll before the carrier's own rate, your experience mod and fees.
5190 (Electrical wiring — less than $40/hr) and 5140 (Electrical wiring — $40/hr or more). Your carrier assigns the final codes from the work your employees actually do.
If you have employees you need workers' comp now. If you have none, your license can stay exempt until January 1, 2028, when SB 1455 requires workers' comp for every active license except joint ventures.
Your CSLB license number, estimated annual payroll by employee and hourly wage, annual revenue, vehicles and drivers, and claims from the last five years. Carriers will also ask about your residential vs. commercial split, any solar, low-voltage or service-upgrade work, and your largest job last year.
Electrician contractors in California should describe the work actually performed, the CSLB classification that applies, employees and payroll, subcontractors, vehicles, locations, contracts, and claims history before an insurance review. Coverage, limits, eligibility, pricing, and effective dates depend on the complete operation and underwriting; this page is not a binding quote or legal determination.
Prepare the legal entity, CSLB license and classification, description of electrical installation, repair, service, and related job-site work, employee duties and payroll, subcontractor practices, vehicles and equipment, locations, contract requirements, prior coverage, and claims.
No. The classification is one input. Actual operations, project mix, employees, subcontractors, vehicles, locations, contracts, losses, policy terms, and underwriting also affect the review.
The review may include General Liability, Workers' Compensation where applicable, Commercial Auto, tools or equipment, contractor license bonds, and contract-specific certificates or endorsements. The appropriate combination depends on the actual business.
Official references: California CSLB · CSLB workers' compensation requirements · California DIR employer information · CSLB licensing classifications