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Commercial general contractors in Oakland, CA

717 active B licenses are based in Oakland, per CSLB records dated Oct 16, 2026. We have no permit data for Oakland yet.

Checked Oct 18, 2026 Verify live on CSLB

25 Oakland GCs

1

MC Guire and Hester

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 79 yrs

Active · B · #95879 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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2

J H Fitzmaurice Inc

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 77 yrs

Active · B · #111689 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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3

Branagh Inc

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 67 yrs

Active · B · #180497 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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4

Canyon Design Build

Legal name: FBC Corporation · Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 53 yrs

Active · B · #285785 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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Show 15 more
12

Ghirardelli Construction

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 43 yrs

Active · B · #446283 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

Workers' comp policy ends Nov 21, 2026. Ask for the renewal certificate.

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14

Focon Inc

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 42 yrs

Active · B · #462497 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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20

John M Forster

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 38 yrs

Active · B · #543685 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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22

R W Company

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 37 yrs

Active · B · #566477 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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23

Service West Inc

Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 37 yrs

Active · B · #570176 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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24

AMG

Legal name: Asbestos Management Group of California Inc · Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 36 yrs

Active · B · #586844 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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25

MN Builders

Legal name: Mueller Nicholls Inc · Based in Oakland

workers’ comp insured · licensed 36 yrs

Active · B · #588872 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB

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Other classes on these cards: A = General Engineering, ASB = Asbestos Certification, C-2 = Insulation and Acoustical, C-8 = Concrete, C-9 = Drywall, C-12 = Earthwork and Paving, C-21 = Building Moving, Demolition, C-22 = Asbestos Abatement, C-27 = Landscaping, C-31 = Construction Zone Traffic Control, D-34 = Prefabricated Equipment, HAZ = Hazardous Substance Removal.

Sorted by workers' comp policy on file, then years licensed (we don't have permit data for Oakland). Payment doesn't change the order. How we rank.

824 active B licenses are based in Oakland in the CSLB file dated Oct 16, 2026, and 355 of them carry a workers' comp policy. Oakland lists 15 days to process a commercial tenant improvement permit with plans once the application is complete, and a restaurant or bar build-out also needs Alameda County Environmental Health approval and separate Oakland Fire permits (City of Oakland, checked Oct 18, 2026).

Commercial permit notes for Oakland

Permit office: City of Oakland Planning & Building Department, One-Stop Permit Center

Oakland lists 15 days as the processing time for a commercial tenant improvement permit with plans, counted once the application is complete.

Source: City of Oakland, Planning & Building Department, checked Oct 18, 2026

Every TI needs a building permit plus permits for the related mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, and Planning Design Review comes first only if it changes the exterior or the use. A restaurant or bar build-out also needs Alameda County Department of Environmental Health approval and separate Oakland Fire Department permits.

Source: City of Oakland, Planning & Building Department, checked Oct 18, 2026

Oakland Fire Prevention Bureau plan review is prepaid (the invoice is due within 14 days) and takes an estimated 4 to 6 weeks after payment. Submittals go by email with the Plan Review Intake Form.

Source: City of Oakland, Fire Prevention Bureau, checked Oct 18, 2026

Oakland's Accessibility Checklist compares your project cost with a 2026 accessibility threshold of $209,208. At or below it, path-of-travel upgrades follow the 20% rule, and the city advises owners and tenants to get a CASp inspection.

Source: City of Oakland, Planning & Building Department, checked Oct 18, 2026

A business needs a Zoning Clearance Permit for each location before it can apply for an Oakland business tax certificate. Some uses also need a Conditional Use Permit.

Source: City of Oakland, Planning & Building Department, checked Oct 18, 2026

Questions about hiring a commercial GC in Oakland

How many commercial general contractors are in Oakland?

717 active B licenses list Oakland as the business location in CSLB records dated Oct 16, 2026. We don't have permit data for Oakland yet.

Which contractor license does a commercial build-out need?

A B (General Building) license. The B definition covers any structure for people or property and does not split homes from businesses. A B-2 license is limited to existing residential wood-frame buildings, so a B-2 contractor cannot take a store or office build-out. Fire sprinkler work needs a C-16 license or a licensed C-16 subcontractor (CSLB, B&P Code 7057).

Does a commercial contractor need workers' comp?

Any contractor with employees must carry workers' comp. A contractor with no employees can file an exemption, and a card marked exempt means the contractor told CSLB it has no employees. Ask who will work on your site. From January 1, 2028 California requires a workers' comp certificate for every license, with a narrow joint-venture exception (CSLB, checked Oct 18, 2026).

Commercial general contractors in other places

Counts are active B licenses with commercial permits where we have permit data (San Francisco, San Jose), otherwise active B licenses based there. CSLB Oct 16, 2026.

Who pays for a build-out, and what a TI allowance covers, is explained on tenant improvement contractors. Residential work is listed separately: general contractors in Oakland.

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