8 contractors have new-home permit records. CSLB license data dated Oct 16, 2026.
B license required. Building a new house takes a B (General Building) license, which covers structures "built, being built, or to be built" with two or more unrelated trades. A B-2 is limited to existing homes and can't build new.
It depends on your city. Pick yours below for what it requires for a new-home job, with the source.
Cost. Half of new-home permits declared $316k to $585k, not total project cost. Details
Source: San José open data (name match), DataSF permits, 24 months to Oct 18, 2026.
Sorted by Bay Area new home permits in the last 24 months, then years licensed. How we rank.
Based in San Jose
29 new home permits in San Jose, latest Jun 2026, median permit value $316k · new construction
licensed 3 yrs
Active · B · #1098660 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
License renewal due Nov 30, 2026.
Based in San Jose
12 new home permits in San Jose, latest Oct 2026, median permit value $585k · new construction
licensed 34 yrs
Active · B · #648735 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
Based in Los Gatos
5 new home permits in San Jose, latest Aug 2026, median permit value $529k · new construction
licensed 6 yrs
Active · B · #1065514 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp exempt · Verify on CSLB
Based in San Jose
4 new home permits in San Jose, latest Jul 2026, median permit value $521k · new construction, garage
licensed 6 yrs
Active · B · #1064965 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
Based in San Jose
3 new home permits in San Jose, latest Jun 2025, median permit value $645k · new construction
licensed 21 yrs
Active · B · #860997 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
Based in San Francisco
2 new home permits in SF, latest Dec 2024, median permit value $912k · new construction
licensed 33 yrs
Active · B · #674707 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
C-33 Painting and Decorating
Based in San Francisco
2 new home permits in SF, latest Mar 2026, median permit value $1.6M · new construction
licensed 20 yrs
Active · B · #885447 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
License renewal due Oct 31, 2026. Workers' comp policy ends Nov 18, 2026. Ask for the renewal certificate.
Based in San Francisco
2 new home permits in SF, latest Mar 2026, median permit value $1M · new construction, garage
licensed 5 yrs
Active · B · #1078954 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
Payment doesn't change the order. Business build-out? See commercial GCs. Each card shows CSLB data from the file dated Oct 16, 2026. Verify live on CSLB.
Half of the 59 new-home permits declared between $316k and $585k (median $521k).
Declared permit valuation, not total project cost
Bay Area permits from the last 24 months to Oct 18, 2026. The value is what the applicant wrote on the permit, so it is not what a homeowner paid in total. Not every permit lists a value, so we take each contractor's median value and weight it by its permit count; it covers 59 permits from 8 contractors. Source: San José open data, DataSF. For an estimate by size and finish, use the home construction cost calculator.
Both classes can act as your prime contractor. A B-2 is limited to remodels of an existing wood-frame house. If your plan changes the structure, look for a B.
| Job | B General Building | B-2 Residential Remodeling |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen or bath remodel in an existing house | Yes | Yes, when the contract covers 3 or more unrelated trades |
| Addition or new rooms | Yes | No |
| Moving or removing a load-bearing wall | Yes | No |
| New home | Yes | No |
| Commercial or tenant work | Yes | No |
Sources: CSLB, class B and class B-2, checked Oct 18, 2026. More in B vs B-2.
A down payment on a home improvement contract can't be more than $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less. No progress payment can be more than the work done or materials delivered.
Source: California B&P Code 7159.5, checked Oct 18, 2026
Work under $1,000 in total (labor and materials) that needs no building permit doesn't require a license. The exemption doesn't apply if the person advertises as a contractor, has employees, or splits a job to stay under the limit.
Source: California B&P Code 7048, checked Oct 18, 2026
Every licensed contractor must keep a $25,000 contractor's bond on file with CSLB. That has been the amount since January 1, 2023.
Source: CSLB, bond requirements, checked Oct 18, 2026
A contractor with employees must carry workers' comp. Until 2028, a B contractor with no employees can legally file an exemption, so check which one yours did. From January 1, 2028, a workers' comp certificate is required for every license.
Source: CSLB, workers' compensation, checked Oct 18, 2026
Complaint history isn't in CSLB's free data files, so we don't show it. Check complaints on CSLB before you sign.
San Francisco permits come from DataSF, matched by license number. San Jose permits come from the city's open data, matched by business name. A contractor is listed only with evidence for new-home work: a permit record whose description matches, or a source the contractor gave us.
License class, status, dates, bond and workers' comp come from CSLB's public data files: Master file Oct 16, 2026, workers' comp file Oct 17, 2026, processed Oct 18, 2026. Each card links to that license's live CSLB record. Full method.