By 2024 the old “sole proprietor, no employees, no workers’ comp” story was already dead for several CSLB classifications. C-39 roofing had been there for years. SB 216 put C-8 concrete, C-20 HVAC, C-22 asbestos, and D-49 tree service on the same rule in 2023: a current workers’ compensation policy on file with the board, even if the license is just you.
Everyone else still had to carry coverage the moment someone was on the payroll. Calling that person a 1099 does not decide it. If you set the hours, furnish the tools, and direct the work, California treats them as an employee for workers’ compensation. The audit and the Contractors State License Board both get there.
A missing policy is how a jobsite cut becomes a stop-work and a license problem. Mainline’s contractor book in Chula Vista is built around getting the class codes and the certificate right before the GC asks.
If this is on your renewal, call the office at (619) 420-8600 or start a quote. We will tell you what the market will actually write.
Sources: CSLB / SB 216 and SB 1455 contractor workers’ comp rules.