Guide · Checked October 22, 2026
Roofing in California is C-39 work licensed by the Contractors State License Board. You need a C-39 license when the combined labor and materials reach $1,000, when a building permit is required, or when employee labor is used. The qualifier must show four years of journey-level experience and pass the Law and Business and C-39 trade exams, and every C-39 licensee must carry workers' compensation — even with zero employees.
Regime: State license (C-39 Roofing, CSLB). Total state cost: $650 (sole owner) or $800 (non-sole owner) in CSLB fees, plus fingerprinting ($32 DOJ + $17 FBI + variable Live Scan rolling fee), the $25,000 bond premium, and mandatory workers' compensation premiums.. Exam: yes — Law and Business Exam plus C-39 Roofing Trade Exam (PSI). The full breakdown — classes, thresholds, bond, insurance, sub rules — is on the California state page, and the checker computes it against your job size and role.
The under-$1,000 exemption applies only if ALL of these are true: no building permit is required, no employee labor is used, and the combined cost stays under $1,000. Permit-required work is licensed at any price, and a larger project may not be split into sub-$1,000 pieces.
The checker gives you the verdict. The kit gives you the paperwork, in filing order: the application walkthrough for your state's class, qualifying-party documentation templates, the bond and insurance spec sheet with your state's exact minimums, the city-registration checklist pack for no-license states, and the contract-compliance pack (deductible language and required contract notices, including Florida's deadlines calendar).
$49 one-time payment
Included in the $49 RoofingLicenseCheck Kit — every item below, for every state, one payment.
