California Contractor Insurance

C-33 Painting and Decorating 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 C-33 license allows

CSLB defines the C-33 Painting and Decorating Contractor classification as follows: “A painting and decorating contractor prepares by scraping, sandblasting or other means and applies any of the following: paints, papers, textures, fabrics, pigments, oils, turpentines, japans, driers, thinners, varnishes, shellacs, stains, fillers, waxes, adhesives, water and any other vehicles, mediums and materials which adhere by evaporation and may be mixed, used and applied to the surfaces of structures and the appurtenances thereto for purposes of decorating, protecting, fireproofing and waterproofing.” Source: cslb.ca.gov licensing classifications.

C-33 licenses in California by the numbers

As of September 2026, CSLB lists 15,279 current licenses that include C-33. 44% have workers' comp on file, 53% are filed exempt, and 913 were issued in the last 12 months.

Ownership: 59% sole owners, 36% corporations, 3% LLCs. Suspensions today: 158 for workers' comp, 645 for bonds.

California cities with the most active C-33 licenses — CSLB public license file, September 2026.
LicensesWith WC policyExemptNew (12 mo)
Los Angeles52145%51%45
San Diego47143%53%31
San Jose38051%46%29
Sacramento31037%60%30
San Francisco30952%46%12
Santa Rosa19447%51%18
Fresno19448%47%14
Anaheim19253%46%18
Bakersfield15339%54%11
Riverside14049%49%9

Insurance and bonds a C-33 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.

Painting GL pricing depends on interior vs. exterior work, residential vs. commercial, maximum working height, and specialty work such as industrial coatings, waterproofing or lead abatement. Exterior spray work draws more questions than interior brush-and-roll.

Get a quote

Asena Capital Insurance Services compares multiple markets for painting and decorating 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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