To file an Oregon CCB complaint, mail a certified pre-complaint notice to the contractor at least 30 days before you submit your complaint form, then deliver the completed form, supporting documents, and a $50 processing fee to the Construction Contractors Board in Salem within the statutory deadline for your situation. Skip any of those pieces and the board will reject the filing before anyone reviews the merits.
Who Can File
The complaint process is open to more than homeowners. Property owners, licensed contractors filing against subcontractors, employees owed wages, and suppliers owed payment for materials can all file, each on their own timeline.1Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Consumer Tools
One requirement applies to everyone: the contractor must have held an active CCB license during the project.2Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Consumer Protection If they were unlicensed, the standard process is not available to you. See the last section for what is.
Know Your Filing Deadline Before You Do Anything Else
The CCB will not accept a complaint filed outside the statutory window, however strong the underlying claim.3Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 701 – Section 701.143 The clock depends on who you are and what happened.
Property Owners
- Work on an existing structure, completed: one year from substantial completion.
- New construction, completed: the earlier of one year after you first occupied the structure or two years after substantial completion. The occupancy clock usually runs first.
- Contractor never started: one year from the contract date.
- Contractor walked off the job: one year from the date they stopped working.
Contractors Filing Against Subcontractors
- Existing structure: 14 months after substantial completion.
- New structure: the earlier of 14 months after first occupancy or two years after substantial completion.
- Subcontractor walked off: 14 months after they stopped working.
Employees, Subcontractors, and Suppliers
If you are owed wages, labor payment, or payment for materials, the CCB must receive your complaint within one year of the date the contractor incurred the debt.3Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 701 – Section 701.143
These are hard cutoffs. One day late and the board cannot take the complaint. Mark the deadline the day the problem arises, not the day you decide to act.
Send the Pre-Complaint Notice
Before you file anything with the board, you must send the contractor written notice of your intent to file. The CCB will reject complaints that skip this step.4Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 701.133 – Notice of Intent to File Complaint
Send the notice by certified mail to the contractor’s address in CCB licensing records, not whatever address you have on hand. You can look that up on the CCB website or by calling 503-378-4621. The statute does not require a return receipt, but keep your certified mail receipt; the CCB will ask for proof you mailed it.
The notice must include five things:5Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Breach of Contract Complaint Form for Primary Contractors
- The date you send it.
- The contractor’s name as listed with the CCB.
- The contractor’s address on file with the CCB.
- A clear statement that you intend to file a CCB complaint.
- Your name.
Mail the notice at least 30 days before filing the complaint.4Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 701.133 – Notice of Intent to File Complaint The 30 days run from the mailing date, not from when the contractor receives it. Some contractors settle at this point rather than have a formal complaint added to their license record.
Build the Complaint Package
The complaint form asks for the contractor’s CCB license number, the contract date, a plain description of the work agreed to and what went wrong, and the specific dollar amount of damages you’re seeking.5Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Breach of Contract Complaint Form for Primary Contractors
Attach the following:2Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Consumer Protection
- Proof of the pre-complaint notice: a copy of the letter and the certified mail receipt.
- The signed contract, any change orders, invoices, and payment records including front-and-back copies of checks.
Photographs of the defective work strengthen the claim. A written repair estimate from another contractor helps the board quantify what you’re owed rather than accepting your figure on faith. Put everything in chronological order so intake staff can follow the timeline.
Where to Send It and What It Costs
Submit the completed package to the CCB in Salem by mail, in person, or by fax.6Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Contact Us The mailing address is P.O. Box 14140, Salem, OR 97309-5052. The physical office is at 201 High St. SE, Suite 600, Salem, OR 97301.
Include a $50 statutory processing fee by check or money order.2Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Consumer Protection The board will not begin reviewing until it has both the complete documentation and the fee.
What Happens After You File
Residential and small commercial complaints follow ORS 701.145. Once the CCB confirms the filing meets procedural requirements, it notifies the contractor and gives them a chance to respond.7Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 701.139 – Complaint Validity; Applicable Resolution Processes
Mediation comes first. A CCB dispute resolution specialist works with both sides toward a settlement, and most residential complaints resolve here. If mediation fails, a CCB investigator may inspect the site to assess whether the work meets applicable construction standards.
One point catches filers off guard. If the parties do not settle through the CCB’s process, the board does not issue a binding award. To collect from the contractor’s surety bond, you need a final court judgment or an arbitration award reduced to a judgment.8Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 701.145 – Resolution of Complaints Involving Work on Residential Structures or Certain Small Commercial Structures Every licensed Oregon contractor carries a surety bond that functions as a pool of money for valid claims,9Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 701.068 – Bonding Requirements; Action Against Surety; Rules but attorney fees are excluded from bond recoveries even if a court awards them against the contractor.
Commercial Contractor Complaints Work in Reverse
If your dispute involves work on a large commercial structure, you file in court or begin arbitration first, then bring the CCB complaint.7Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 701.139 – Complaint Validity; Applicable Resolution Processes After filing in court or starting arbitration, you have 90 days to deliver a completed CCB complaint form and a copy of the court or arbitration filing to both the CCB and the contractor’s bonding company by certified mail. The complaint must reach the CCB at least 30 days before any judgment or arbitration award is issued.
The CCB does not mediate commercial complaints or perform on-site inspections for them; its role is limited to processing bond claims once you have a final judgment. If the structure is a small commercial one and the contractor holds a residential endorsement, the residential process may be available instead.
If You Disagree With the Outcome
You can appeal to the CCB’s appeal committee. The full board does not reconsider that committee’s decision. If you are still unsatisfied, the next step is the Oregon Court of Appeals, where you will likely need an attorney.10Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 701 – Section 701.260
When the Contractor Was Unlicensed
The complaint process only applies to licensed contractors. If the person you hired was never licensed or their license had lapsed, you cannot use the standard filing procedure. Checking a contractor’s license before signing a contract takes two minutes on the CCB website and avoids this dead end.
You still have options. The CCB investigates unlicensed contracting activity and can penalize the individual. Report an active unlicensed job site directly to the board, and use the tips line for suspected illegal construction activity without a job site address.11Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Contractor Compliance Field investigators follow up on reports of unlicensed work, advertising without a license number, and work performed without the required bond or insurance.
Enforcement may pressure the contractor to address your concerns, but it does not guarantee payment. For financial recovery against an unlicensed contractor, your options are small claims court (up to $10,000 in Oregon) or circuit court for larger amounts.