California Contractor Insurance
Asena Capital Insurance Services — California-licensed insurance brokerage serving contractors statewide. Phone: (858) 925-9555. Email: info@asenainsurance.com.
California roofing insurance reviews can consider employee duties, payroll, heights and job-site exposures, subcontractors, vehicles, tools, contracts, claims history, and underwriting.
Review Workers' Compensation, General Liability, and Commercial Auto, then request a coverage review.
CSLB's definition: “A roofing contractor installs products and repairs surfaces that seal, waterproof and weatherproof structures. This work is performed to prevent water or its derivatives, compounds or solids from penetrating such protection and gaining access to material or space beyond. In the course of this work, the contractor examines and/or prepares surfaces and uses the following material: asphaltum, pitch, tar, felt, glass fabric, urethane foam, metal roofing systems, flax, shakes, shingles, roof tile, slate or any other roofing, waterproofing, weatherproofing or membrane material(s) or a combination thereof.” (California Code of Regulations / Business and Professions Code, via cslb.ca.gov).
CSLB's public license file (September 2026) shows 5,432 current C-39 licenses statewide. 89% have a workers' comp policy on file and 0% are filed exempt. 32% are sole owners, 62% corporations and 6% LLCs; 563 were issued in the last 12 months.
Right now 172 C-39 licenses are suspended for workers' comp and 42 for bond problems — a suspended license cannot legally contract.
| Licenses | With WC policy | Exempt | New (12 mo) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 177 | 86% | 0% | 25 |
| San Jose | 136 | 92% | 0% | 15 |
| Sacramento | 117 | 92% | 0% | 21 |
| San Diego | 96 | 82% | 0% | 8 |
| Fresno | 90 | 82% | 0% | 1 |
| San Francisco | 76 | 93% | 0% | 5 |
| Bakersfield | 69 | 83% | 0% | 3 |
| Riverside | 67 | 88% | 0% | 2 |
| Anaheim | 61 | 87% | 0% | 5 |
| Escondido | 57 | 88% | 0% | 6 |
C-39 is one of the classifications (along with C-8, C-20, C-22, C-61/D-49) that CSLB does not allow to file a workers' comp exemption: every active license must have workers' comp or a valid Certification of Self-Insurance on file, with or without employees.
Roofing payroll is reported under WCIRB class 5552 or 5553 (roofing, all kinds), depending on each employee's hourly wage, and roofing is one of the higher-rated construction classes in California.
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).
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Workers' comp is usually the largest premium for a roofing 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.
Roofing has the highest lower-wage rate of any common construction code in California, so paying crews at or above $33 an hour and documenting it moves payroll into 5553, which is rated 42% lower.
| Class code | Description | Rate per $100 payroll | Benchmark on $50,000 payroll | Benchmark on $100,000 payroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5552 | Roofing — employees paid less than $33/hr | 20.827 | $10,414 | $20,827 |
| 5553 | Roofing — employees paid $33/hr or more | 12.112 | $6,056 | $12,112 |
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 roofing 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 5552 is $20.827 per $100 of payroll, a benchmark of about $20,827 on $100,000 of payroll before the carrier's own rate, your experience mod and fees.
5552 (Roofing — employees paid less than $33/hr) and 5553 (Roofing — employees paid $33/hr or more). Your carrier assigns the final codes from the work your employees actually do.
C-39 roofers must carry workers' comp now, even with no employees.
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, maximum building height, and whether you do torch-down or hot-asphalt work.
Roofer 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 roof installation, repair, maintenance, and work at elevated or occupied sites, 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