Sac Valley Research · Statewide trend
California is minting new contractors faster than any time in a decade.
The state issued 16,225 new contractor licenses in 2025 up 82% from 8,903 in 2021, and the highest annual total in our dataset. That influx is not spread evenly. Measuring each trade by the share of its active licenses issued in 2021 or later shows which workforces are refreshing fastest and which are aging in place.
Roofing leads the state: nearly a third of every active C-39 license is less than five years old. HVAC and plumbing follow close behind the trades pulled forward by electrification, heat-pump conversions, and California's energy-code cycle. For homeowners, a young licensee isn't a red flag (many are experienced crews leaving a former employer), but it is one more reason to check references and bond history before signing.
New licenses issued per year
Youngest workforces by trade
Share of active licenses issued 2021 or later · trades with ≥1,500 active licenses
Methodology & data
Universe: all active, CLEAR-status licenses in the CSLB public master file (snapshot 2026-06-10). "Issued since 2021" uses the original license issue date; reissues are not counted as new. Per-trade figures count each classification held on a license, so multi-classification licenses appear under each trade they hold. Trades with fewer than 1,500 active licenses are excluded for stability.
Download the dataset (CSV) free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Cite as: Sac Valley Contractors analysis of CSLB public licensing data, 2026-06-10.