California Contractor Insurance

A General Engineering Contractor License: What It Covers and the Insurance It Needs

Asena Capital Insurance Services — California-licensed insurance brokerage serving contractors statewide. Phone: (858) 925-9555. Email: info@asenainsurance.com.

What a A license allows

CSLB defines the A General Engineering Contractor classification as follows: “. 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, power plants and other utility plants and installations, mines and metallurgical plants, land leveling and earthmoving projects, excavating, grading, trenching, paving and surfacing work and…” Source: cslb.ca.gov licensing classifications.

A licenses in California by the numbers

As of September 2026, CSLB lists 13,326 current licenses that include A. 60% have workers' comp on file, 36% are filed exempt, and 583 were issued in the last 12 months.

Ownership: 28% sole owners, 64% corporations, 5% LLCs. Suspensions today: 130 for workers' comp, 333 for bonds.

California cities with the most active A licenses — CSLB public license file, September 2026.
LicensesWith WC policyExemptNew (12 mo)
San Francisco29964%32%11
Bakersfield29360%33%17
San Diego27161%36%9
Sacramento22665%32%8
Los Angeles22462%32%10
Fresno18068%26%9
Riverside17762%32%11
San Jose17562%33%5
Irvine13370%30%11
Santa Rosa13066%32%6

Insurance and bonds a A contractor needs

  • $25,000 contractor license bond — required for every active license.
  • Workers' comp — A license with employees must carry workers' comp. With no employees you can currently file an exemption; from January 1, 2028 (SB 1455), CSLB will require workers' comp for all active licenses except joint ventures.
  • LLC licenses — liability insurance of at least $1 million (up to $5 million by member count) plus a $100,000 employee/worker bond.
  • General liability and commercial auto — not required by CSLB for most licenses, but required by nearly every GC, owner and public agency contract.

Public-works contracts often require higher limits, additional insured endorsements for the agency, and sometimes pollution coverage. Carriers look at project types, subcontracting and safety programs.

Get a quote

Asena Capital Insurance Services compares multiple markets for general engineering 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.

Frequently asked questions

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