A General Engineering Contractor license in California

Updated November 1, 2026 · Official name from CSLB's classification list

15,229licenses hold A
96.7%Clear (CA addresses)
35.4%workers' comp exempt (all: 49.6%)
99.9%contractor's bond on file
18.5 yrsmedian time licensed
72.7%businesses, not sole owners

The A license is for fixed works that call for engineering skill: highways, bridges, dams, levees, airports, sewer plants, pipelines, refineries and big earthmoving jobs. Grading, trenching, paving and concrete work tied to those projects falls under it as well.

Most A firms bid for cities, water districts, utilities and developers. A homeowner usually meets one for a long private road, hillside drainage or site grading before a new house goes up. The house itself is B General Building work. Our A, B and C license guide compares the three groups.

Typical work under A

Streets, roads and highways
Site grading, excavation and land leveling
Storm drains, flood-control channels and levees
Water supply lines, sewers and sewage treatment systems
Bridges, overpasses and underpasses
Paving and concrete work that is part of these projects

Work that needs a different license

Building a house, garage or ADU: B General Building
Remodeling the inside of a home: B General Building or B-2 Residential Remodeling
Wiring a new home: C-10 Electrical

Tips before hiring

The A field is huge, and few firms do all of it. Ask for two or three past jobs that look like yours, such as a driveway on a slope or a drainage fix.
If the business is an LLC, its record should show a $100,000 employee/worker bond and liability insurance of at least $1 million.
For grading or drainage work, ask whose plans the crew will follow and who will check the finished grades.
An A license can carry the HAZ certification. You need it only if your site is a listed hazardous-waste site or has an underground tank coming out.

Where A contractors are

The cities with the most A license holders in CSLB's current file:

All general engineering contractors lists

Cities with at least 20 A license holders, largest first:

How to verify a A license

Search the business or license number here and confirm A is listed on the profile.
Check the same number on CSLB's Instant License Check.
Read our full guide to checking a contractor license.

Related license types

Source: CSLB public data · Updated November 1, 2026 Status can change at any time. Verify on CSLB's Instant License Check.

More license types: ← HAZ Hazardous Substance Removal Certification · B General Building Contractor →