California Contractor Insurance
Asena Capital Insurance Services — California-licensed insurance brokerage serving contractors statewide. Phone: (858) 925-9555. Email: info@asenainsurance.com.
Required for every California contractor with employees, and for C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39 and C-61/D-49 licenses even without employees. From January 1, 2028 (SB 1455), CSLB will require it for all active licenses except joint ventures.
Oakland has 1,591 active CSLB contractor licenses (September 2026), #12 among California cities. 46% carry a workers' comp policy, 51% are on file as exempt, and 115 licenses were issued here in the last 12 months. The largest group is B (825 licenses).
118 Oakland licenses are C-8 concrete, C-20 HVAC or C-39 roofing — classifications that must carry workers' comp now. 22 licenses based in Oakland are currently suspended for workers' comp, and 811 exempt licenses will need a policy by January 1, 2028.
| Licenses | With WC policy | Exempt | New (12 mo) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B General Building Contractor | 825 | 41% | 57% | 58 |
| C-10 Electrical Contractor | 186 | 39% | 60% | 12 |
| C-33 Painting and Decorating Contractor | 132 | 52% | 45% | 10 |
| C-36 Plumbing Contractor | 125 | 41% | 55% | 3 |
| A General Engineering Contractor | 106 | 66% | 29% | 1 |
| C-27 Landscaping Contractor | 76 | 61% | 38% | 4 |
| C-61 Limited Specialty | 73 | 68% | 23% | 3 |
| C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering Contractors | 52 | 52% | 44% | 0 |
| C-39 Roofing Contractor | 50 | 96% | 0% | 3 |
| C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor | 46 | 93% | 0% | 3 |
Hayward (1,119 licenses), Livermore (728 licenses), Fremont (720 licenses), San Leandro (619 licenses), Berkeley (434 licenses).
Asena Capital Insurance Services compares multiple markets for Oakland contractors and requests additional insured endorsements for you when a contract calls for them. Call (858) 925-9555 or request a quote — only your name, phone and email are required. CA License #6008596.
Required for every California contractor with employees, and for C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39 and C-61/D-49 licenses even without employees. From January 1, 2028 (SB 1455), CSLB will require it for all active licenses except joint ventures.
Once a policy is bound, a certificate of insurance can usually be issued quickly, including additional insured wording a GC asks for. Timing depends on the carrier and the endorsements requested.