How this directory works
Where the listings come from
Every listing comes from the Contractors State License Board's public License Master file, which CSLB publishes for free. The copy used on the site right now is dated Oct 20, 2026 and has 245,368 licenses. Of those, 225,351 show as active (CLEAR) with a California address. Nobody applies to be listed and nobody pays to be listed. I don't invent, edit or "enhance" listings. If something's wrong, it needs fixing at CSLB.
What "License Verified" means
A listing gets the stamp when the license is in CSLB's file with primary status CLEAR, isn't marked inactive, and hasn't expired as of the file date. The stamp shows that date. It's a checked fact, not a rating. It says nothing about the quality of anyone's work, their insurance beyond what CSLB records, or their complaint history. When a newer CSLB file shows a license suspended, expired or gone, the stamp comes off. I plan to refresh the file weekly. Every listing links to CSLB's own lookup so you can check the current status yourself.
Which pages a contractor appears on
Trade pages follow CSLB license classes. Plumbing pages list C-36 licensees, roofing pages list C-39, and so on. B General Building licensees appear on the General Building & ADU pages, not on single-trade pages, because a B license doesn't cover a stand-alone single-trade job unless the contractor also holds that specialty class. City is the city on the contractor's CSLB mailing address, which isn't necessarily everywhere they work. A city gets a page for a trade once at least 5 active licensees are listed there.
How lists are ordered
A–Z by business name, and the page always says so. There's no "best match," no score, and no way to pay for a higher spot.
Featured spots are ads
Some pages have up to 2 Featured spots. They're paid ads for License Verified contractors, labeled "Ad" every time, shown apart from the directory, and they never change the list order. Right now they're empty. No sample or fake ads are shown.
Reviews
There aren't any yet. When reviews arrive, they'll come only from verified customers, nobody will be able to pay to add or remove one, and they won't change the order.
Quote requests
When matching opens, a request goes to no more than 3 License Verified contractors who hold the right class, and you see who they are before it's shared. For now, requests are collected and I follow up personally.