A C-29 Masonry license is the CSLB specialty classification required to contract for $1,000 or more in masonry work in California — installing concrete masonry units, brick, natural or manufactured stone, clay products, terra cotta, and fire brick for structural and non-structural walls, veneer, fences, fireplaces, and paving, installed with or without mortar. It’s issued under California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3, §832.29, covering work that spans structural load-bearing construction and decorative finish work alike.
Scope of Work: What a C-29 Contractor Is Licensed to Build
The regulation’s exact language: a masonry contractor “installs concrete units and baked clay products; concrete, glass and clay block; natural and manufactured stone; terra cotta; and fire brick or other material for refractory work.” §832.29 extends that to fabrication and installation of masonry units for structural and non-structural walls and fences, ceramic veneer and thin brick facing, paving, and incidental waterproofing, cleaning, and caulking. In real projects, that means:
- CMU structural walls — loadbearing concrete masonry unit walls for commercial buildings, parking structures, or multi-family podium levels, including cell reinforcement and grout.
- Block or stone retaining walls — engineered segmental or gravity retaining walls on graded or hillside residential lots.
- Brick or stone veneer — adhered thin-brick or anchored full-brick and stone veneer applied over a framed exterior, a common custom-home upgrade.
- Masonry fireplaces, chimneys, and outdoor cooking areas — indoor masonry fireplaces plus outdoor kitchens and fire pits, a scope large enough to get its own exam section.
- Masonry property walls and fences — CMU or brick perimeter walls used as fencing, since §832.29 names “fences” directly in the classification’s scope.
- Segmental paver hardscape — interlocking paver patios and driveways; “paving” is named in the regulation, and CSLB’s own C-29 study guide cites segmental paver installation training as reference material.
Full Exam Structure: What’s Actually Tested
Every applicant sits two exams: the Law & Business exam (required of every classification) and the trade-specific Masonry (C-29) exam. CSLB’s official C-29 study guide (form 13E-29) breaks the trade exam into seven weighted content areas, and — unlike some classifications where CSLB withholds a breakdown — these percentages are published directly by the board:
- Planning and Estimating — 15% (scope of work, reading plans/specs, material and labor calculations)
- Job Site Preparation — 20% (pre-construction activities, water management, reinforcement and bracing)
- Masonry Wall and Building Installation and Repair — 16% (building CMU walls/buildings, historical masonry repair, retaining walls, cleaning)
- Decorative Masonry Installation and Repair — 9% (flatwork, staircases, precast masonry, glass block)
- Masonry Veneer and Stone Installation and Repair — 11% (adhered, anchored, and dimensional stone veneers)
- Fireplace, Chimney, and Outdoor Cooking Area Installation and Repair — 9%
- Personnel and Job Site Safety — 20% (Cal/OSHA, elevated work, stone slab handling, contaminated-material disposal)
CSLB labels these figures approximate. The exam itself is closed-book, computer-based, multiple choice with four options and one best answer, with a calculator provided for math questions and no penalty for guessing. What we won’t do is invent numbers CSLB doesn’t publish: the board’s own materials never state an exact scored question count or time limit for the C-29 exam — that detail arrives with your personal Notice to Appear. Treat any third-party site quoting a precise question count or hour figure as an estimate, not an official CSLB figure.
C-29 License Requirements
- Experience: Four years of journey-level masonry experience within the past 10 years. Up to three years can be credited via directly related education or apprenticeship, but CSLB still requires a minimum of one verified year of hands-on trade experience.
- Exams: Pass both the Law & Business exam and the C-29 trade exam.
- Live Scan: Fingerprint background check for every qualifying individual, owner, and responsible managing officer/employee.
- Contractor’s bond: $25,000 — the current amount since SB 607 raised it from $15,000 effective January 1, 2023.
- Bond of Qualifying Individual (BQI): An additional $25,000 bond when the qualifier is a Responsible Managing Employee (RME) rather than an owner-qualifier.
- Application fee: $450, non-refundable.
- Initial license fee: $200 for a sole owner, $350 for any other entity, paid after passing both exams.
- Workers’ compensation: C-29 is not on CSLB’s short list of classifications barred from a no-employee exemption (C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39, D-49). Under SB 1455, the requirement for remaining classifications to carry coverage or verify a no-employee exemption phases in through January 1, 2028.
Separately, AB 2622 raised California’s unlicensed “handyperson” exemption to $1,000 effective January 1, 2025 — but only when total job cost (labor plus materials) stays under $1,000, no permit is required, and no employees are hired. Any masonry job at or above that line, or requiring a permit, needs a licensed C-29 (or B General Building, for multi-trade projects).
How C-29 Differs From the Classifications It Gets Confused With
C-29 Masonry vs. C-8 Concrete
These two get mixed up because both involve hard structural materials. The dividing line is process: C-8 (16 CCR §832.08) “forms, pours, places, finishes and installs specified mass, pavement, flat and other concrete work” — poured, formed, wet concrete like footings, slabs, and flatwork. C-29 covers pre-formed masonry units — block, brick, stone — laid up unit by unit with mortar or grout rather than poured into forms. A contractor pouring a slab patio needs C-8; one building the CMU or brick wall on that same site needs C-29. A block wall on a poured footing often requires coordination between both, or a B General Building license for a single multi-trade contractor.
C-29 Masonry vs. C-13 Fencing
C-13 (16 CCR §832.13) authorizes construction of fences, corrals, railings, and similar barriers — but its scope explicitly excludes masonry walls. §832.29 closes the loop by naming “fences” directly within C-29’s scope. A wood, chain-link, vinyl, or wrought-iron fence is C-13 work; a CMU, brick, or stone property wall used as a fence — even one serving the identical purpose — falls under C-29, not C-13.
C-29 Masonry vs. C-35 Lathing and Plastering
Stucco and masonry veneer often share the same exterior elevation, which is where this boundary gets tested. C-35 (16 CCR §832.35) covers troweled or sprayed cementitious coatings, including stucco, applied over lath or a mechanical bonding surface — a surface coating, not a stacked unit. C-29 covers actual masonry units — brick, stone, CMU, thin brick, or adhered/anchored veneer — installed as discrete pieces. A stucco-clad wall with a brick veneer accent band typically involves both licenses, each responsible for its own material.
Who Needs a C-29 License?
The C-29 classification serves a wider range of businesses than the word “masonry” suggests:
- Custom home builders and remodelers adding stone or brick veneer, exterior accent walls, or masonry fireplaces as premium upgrade packages.
- Hardscape and retaining-wall contractors building segmental block retaining walls, paver patios, and outdoor living hardscape on graded or hillside lots.
- Historic restoration masons repairing or reconstructing older brick and stone buildings where the C-29 study guide’s own content area on historical masonry repair directly applies.
- Commercial and multi-family builders needing structural CMU walls for tilt-up alternatives, parking structures, and podium construction.
- Fireplace and outdoor kitchen specialists building masonry fireplaces, chimneys, fire pits, and outdoor cooking structures as a standalone specialty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a C-29 license cover concrete driveways or slabs?
No. Poured, formed concrete flatwork and mass concrete fall under C-8. C-29 covers masonry units — block, brick, and stone — not wet, poured concrete.
Can a C-13 fencing contractor build a masonry wall instead of a fence?
No. The C-13 classification’s own scope excludes masonry walls, and §832.29 places masonry fences and walls within C-29. A masonry property wall requires a C-29 (or B) license even when it functions as a fence.
How much masonry work can be done without a license in California?
Under AB 2622, effective January 1, 2025, unlicensed work is limited to jobs under $1,000 total (labor and materials combined), with no permit required and no employees hired to help. Anything above that threshold, or requiring a permit, needs a licensed contractor — permit rules themselves are set by local building departments, not CSLB.
Does CSLB publish the exact number of questions on the C-29 exam?
No. CSLB’s official study guide publishes the seven content-area weightings above but does not state an exact scored question count or time limit; that administrative detail arrives with your Notice to Appear.
What’s the current C-29 contractor bond amount?
$25,000, since SB 607 raised CSLB’s standard contractor bond from $15,000 effective January 1, 2023.
Do C-29 contractors have to carry workers’ compensation insurance with no employees?
Not automatically. C-29 isn’t on CSLB’s list of classifications barred from a no-employee exemption (that list is limited to C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39, and D-49). Under SB 1455, the requirement for remaining classifications to carry coverage or verify an exemption phases in through January 1, 2028.
Can a General Building (B) contractor perform masonry work without a C-29?
A B-licensed contractor can include masonry as part of a project spanning framing and at least one other unrelated trade, per CSLB’s B classification rules, but a business performing masonry as its primary specialty needs its own C-29.
Passing the Law & Business exam and the C-29 trade exam on the first try comes down to studying the material CSLB actually tests — the seven weighted content areas above, not generic construction trivia pulled from unrelated trades. Contractor Pathway’s C-29 exam prep is built directly from CSLB’s published classification scope and exam content outline, and it’s one of the most competitive CSLB exam-prep programs available for contractors who want a study plan matched to what’s really on the test. Not sure C-29 is your classification? Use our classification finder to confirm before you apply. Ready to study? See how our exam prep is built, review how it works, compare pricing, or contact us with questions about your path to licensure.