In California, you need a license to do landscaping work whenever a project’s combined labor and materials come to $1,000 or more, whenever the work requires a building permit, or whenever you hire anyone to help. The license is the C-27 Landscaping Contractor classification issued by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Routine gardening — mowing, weeding, pruning, leaf blowing — does not require a license at any price.
The $1,000 Threshold and Its Three Conditions
As of January 1, 2025, Assembly Bill 2622 raised the minor work exemption from $500 to $1,000. An unlicensed person can legally take a landscaping job only if all three of the following are true:
- The total cost of labor and materials for the entire project is under $1,000.
- No building permit of any kind is required for the work.
- No employees or helpers are hired; the person does the work alone.
Fail any one of those, and a license is required, even on a $200 job.1Contractors State License Board. License Requirement for Minor Work Increases from $500 to $1,000 You also cannot split a larger job into smaller contracts to slip under the line. The CSLB treats the total value of all work on a single project as one amount.2Contractors State License Board. Before Applying for a License When No Exam is Required
An unlicensed person operating under the exemption also cannot advertise as a licensed contractor. Misleading advertising is a misdemeanor in itself.3Contractors State License Board. Advertising Guidelines for Contractors
Landscaping That Needs a C-27 vs. Gardening That Doesn’t
The C-27 Landscaping Contractor license authorizes you to build, maintain, and repair landscape systems on residential and commercial property, including grading and preparing land for decorative and functional features.4Contractors State License Board. C-27 – Landscaping Contractor Work that falls inside the C-27 scope includes:
- Hardscape installation such as patios, walkways, and masonry
- Drainage systems
- Irrigation valves, lines, and controllers
- Outdoor lighting
- Retaining walls and fences
- Water features
- Plant and tree installation, pruning, and tree removal
Maintenance and repair of those same systems also sit inside the classification.5Contractors State License Board. Landscaping (C-27) Examination Study Guide
Pure yard maintenance is a different world. Mowing lawns, weeding, trimming hedges, and blowing leaves are gardening, not contracting, and you can run a gardening or lawn-care business with no C-27 as long as you stay under the $1,000 threshold and keep clear of permits and employees.6Contractors State License Board. Handyperson Exemption to Increase to $1,000 in 2025 The moment the job turns into installing an irrigation system, building a retaining wall, or pouring a patio, you are in contractor territory. Gardeners who gradually add services often cross that line without noticing.
What Happens If You Work Without a License
Doing landscaping at or above the licensing threshold without a C-27 is a misdemeanor, and penalties climb with each conviction:
- First offense: a fine of up to $5,000, up to six months in county jail, or both.
- Second offense: a fine of 20% of the contract price or $5,000, whichever is greater, and a minimum 90 days in county jail. A judge may impose a lighter sentence only by stating the reasons on the record.
- Third or later offense: a fine between $5,000 and $10,000 (or 20% of the contract price if higher), and 90 days to one year in county jail.
These penalties stack with any other applicable laws.7California Legislative Information. California Code Business and Professions Code BPC 7028
The civil side is often worse. Under Business and Professions Code section 7031, an unlicensed contractor cannot sue to collect payment for work that required a license, no matter how well the work was done.8California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 7031 – Actions to Recover Compensation The homeowner can also sue to recover every dollar already paid, with no credit for materials or labor supplied. Courts have enforced this strictly, requiring full disgorgement. An unlicensed landscaper who finishes a $15,000 backyard build can be ordered to return the entire $15,000.
How to Qualify for a C-27 License
Experience
You need at least four years of journey-level landscaping experience within the last ten years. Journey-level means you can do the work without supervision. Time as a foreman, supervising employee, contractor, or owner-builder also counts.9Contractors State License Board. Summary of Acceptable Documentation to Verify Work Experience
Education can substitute for part of the four years, but at least one year must be hands-on. A four-year degree in horticulture, landscape horticulture, or landscape architecture substitutes for up to three years. A four-year degree in a related field such as business, engineering, or mathematics substitutes for up to two years. A completed apprenticeship qualifies for up to three years.10Contractors State License Board. Step 3 – Qualifying Experience for the Examination
Two Exams
Every applicant takes two tests: the Law and Business exam, covering contracting law, project management, and business practices; and the C-27 trade exam, covering irrigation design, hardscape installation, grading, and safety. Both are available in Spanish.11Contractors State License Board. CSLB Examinations Frequently Asked Questions
$25,000 Contractor’s Bond
Before the license is issued you must secure a $25,000 contractor’s bond.12Contractors State License Board. Bond Requirements You don’t pay the full $25,000. You pay an annual premium to a surety, typically 1% to 10% of the bond amount depending on your credit, so roughly $250 to $750 a year for someone with decent credit. You can skip the bond by depositing a $25,000 cashier’s check directly with the CSLB.
Workers’ Compensation
If you plan to hire employees, you must carry workers’ compensation and provide proof to the CSLB. If you work alone, the C-27 classification lets you file a Certificate of Exemption instead, certifying under penalty of perjury that you have no employees subject to California’s workers’ compensation laws. Hire anyone later, and you have 90 days to get coverage and send proof to the CSLB.13Contractors State License Board. Exemption from Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Application Steps and Fees
You start by filing the Application for Original Contractor License with a nonrefundable $450 application fee.14Contractors State License Board. Application for Original Contractor License The CSLB reviews your experience documentation, and once the application is accepted, sends instructions for scheduling the exams and completing a Live Scan fingerprint-based background check.15Contractors State License Board. Application for Original Contractor License
After you pass both exams, the CSLB asks for the bond, the workers’ compensation proof or exemption form, and the initial license fee: $200 for a sole owner, $350 for any other business structure. Minimum out-of-pocket CSLB fees for a sole owner come to $650, before bond premiums, fingerprinting, and exam prep.
Keeping the License Active
A California contractor license renews every two years. The renewal fee is $450 for sole owners and $700 for other business structures. Miss the deadline and a 50% delinquent penalty applies: $675 for sole owners, $1,050 for everyone else.16Contractors State License Board. Step 1 – General Renewal Information Bond premiums renew annually with your surety, and workers’ compensation runs on its own policy cycle if you have employees.
Contract Rules Once You’re Licensed
California requires a written contract for any home improvement job over $500. The contract must list your name, business address, license number, a full description of the project and materials, the contract price, and any finance charges.17California Legislative Information. California Code Business and Professions Code BPC 7159
The rule that catches new contractors: the down payment on a home improvement contract cannot exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. Charge more and you have violated the law and opened yourself to CSLB discipline. On a $5,000 landscape installation, your maximum up-front payment is $500.17California Legislative Information. California Code Business and Professions Code BPC 7159