Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation for plumbers in San Diego County.
If a plumbing contractor has an employee, California requires workers' compensation. A solo C-36 plumber with no employees can still file an exemption with the Contractors State License Board. That exemption ends January 1, 2028. Pages that say a solo plumber has needed this coverage since 2023 are wrong for C-36. Mainline places workers' compensation from 779 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista. Call 619-420-8600. This page does not show a premium.
A helper counts.
Anyone the contractor employs needs to be covered, including a person brought in for a day. A 1099 form does not decide the question. An unlicensed subcontractor can be treated as the contractor's employee. If a subcontractor is licensed and carries workers' compensation, keep that certificate in the file. Without it, the subcontractor's labor is often picked up on the plumber's policy at audit.
A solo C-36 can still file an exemption.
CSLB lets a licensee with no employees file an exemption, with stated exceptions. The exemption is not available if the license is qualified by a responsible managing employee. It is also not available for C-8 Concrete, C-20 HVAC, C-22 Asbestos Abatement, C-39 Roofing, or C-61/D-49 Tree Service.
Plumbing, C-36, is not on that list. A C-36 licensee who truly has no employees can still claim the exemption today. The longer account is on the blog. The January 1, 2026 penalty is there too.
Sources: CSLB workers' compensation requirements and CSLB industry bulletin on SB 1455, December 19, 2024. Checked October 7, 2026.
January 1, 2028.
Senate Bill 1455 moved the date. Starting January 1, 2028, CSLB requires a workers' compensation certificate for licensees in every classification, including plumbers who have no employees. The classifications that already had to carry it, such as roofing, were not given this extra time.
Class 5183 is the usual plumbing class.
WCIRB classification 5183(1) is plumbing, including the shop, when the employee's regular hourly wage does not equal or exceed $35. WCIRB pairs that class with 5187(1) for the higher wage. Drain clearing on pipe that does not exceed 6 inches is in the plumbing classification. Water mains, and water lines inside the property that exceed 6 inches, can fall in a different class.
The class follows the work, not the job title. The WCIRB pure premium is not the price on a policy. The price follows payroll, the wage split, the experience modification, and the insurance company.
Source: WCIRB classification 5183(1). Phraseology checked October 7, 2026. The $35 threshold is the wording on that page. The high-wage pair 5187(1) is the companion WCIRB publishes with 5183(1).
The contractor bond is not this policy.
The CSLB contractor bond is $25,000. An LLC license also files a $100,000 bond for employees and workers, on top of the contractor bond. Neither bond is workers' compensation, and neither bond is general liability.
Source: CSLB, Licenses for Limited Liability Companies, which states both bond amounts. Checked October 7, 2026.
Common questions
Does a solo C-36 plumber need workers' compensation in 2026?
If the plumber truly has no employees, the qualifier is not a responsible managing employee, and the license is not C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39, or D-49, CSLB still accepts an exemption. C-36 is not on that list. The exemption ends January 1, 2028.
What does class 5183 cost?
This page does not quote a premium. Payroll, the $35 an hour split, and the experience modification change the price. The WCIRB pure premium is not the price on a policy.