The C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry license is California’s contractor classification for building and installing cabinets, custom casework, and interior/exterior finish carpentry — trim, molding, wood doors and sashes, nonbearing partitions, and similar finish-grade woodwork. It is issued by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and defined in California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Section 832.06. Like every CSLB classification, a C-6 applicant must pass two exams (Law & Business, plus the C-6 trade exam), document four years of qualifying journey-level experience, and post the current license bond.
This guide covers what C-6 does and does not cover, how it differs from the classifications contractors most often confuse it with, current licensing requirements, and what the exam actually tests — without guessing at numbers CSLB has not published.
What the C-6 License Actually Covers
CSLB’s regulatory text (16 CCR §832.06) describes a cabinet, millwork and finish carpentry contractor as one who:
“Makes cabinets, cases, sashes, doors, trims, nonbearing partitions and other items of ‘finish carpentry’ by cutting, surfacing, joining, gluing and fabricating wood or other products to provide a functional surface,” and who additionally “places, erects, and finishes such cabinets and millwork in structures.”
In practice, C-6 contractors take on two kinds of work: fabrication (building the cabinet, casework, or millwork piece, often in a shop) and installation/finishing (setting it in the structure and completing the finish work). Common project types include:
- Custom kitchen and bath cabinetry
- Built-in shelving, entertainment centers, and closet systems
- Interior trim, base, crown molding, and wainscoting
- Wood doors, sashes, and nonbearing partitions
- Finish elements of staircases — treads, risers, handrails, and trim (see the C-5 comparison below for where structural stair framing falls)
- Commercial casework and store fixtures
Because the classification covers both making and installing finish woodwork, a licensed C-6 contractor can run a cabinet or millwork shop, install product on jobsites, or both.
C-6 vs. Adjacent Classifications: Where the Lines Are
C-6 overlaps in the public’s mind with several other trades. The boundaries matter because working outside your classification’s scope is a licensing violation, even on work you are fully capable of doing well.
C-5 Framing and Rough Carpentry: Rough vs. Finish
This is the single most important boundary for anyone considering C-6. C-5 covers structural, load-bearing carpentry done before finish work begins: form work, wall and roof framing, sub-flooring, roof decking, sheathing, truss members, and exterior staircases and railings. C-6 picks up after the structure is framed, covering non-structural, finish-grade woodwork — cabinets, trim, millwork, and nonbearing partitions.
Put simply: if the wood is holding the building up or forming its rough shell, that’s C-5. If it’s a finished, visible surface — a cabinet face, crown molding, a mantel, a wainscoting panel — that’s C-6. Interior staircases sit in a genuine gray zone: CSLB’s C-5 text names exterior staircases and railings specifically, so structural framing of an interior stair is more commonly B (General Building) or C-5 scope, while the finish treads, risers, and trim are C-6. Contractors bidding whole-staircase jobs should confirm scope with CSLB’s classification unit.
C-9 Drywall: Wallboard vs. Trim
C-9 covers installing gypsum wallboard and related metal framing, plus the taping, texturing, and compound work that produces a finished wall or ceiling surface. It doesn’t extend to wood trim, casing, or millwork applied around openings once the drywall is finished — that’s C-6 work. The boundary is material and function: gypsum board assemblies are C-9; wood trim and millwork applied to or around them are C-6.
B General Building
A B (General Building) contractor can perform framing and finish carpentry as part of a project requiring at least two unrelated trades, but B is meant for structures as a whole, not standalone specialty cabinet or millwork contracts. A contractor whose business is exclusively custom cabinetry, millwork fabrication, or finish trim is the textbook case for holding C-6 directly rather than working under a B umbrella.
Licensing Requirements for a C-6 License
C-6 follows the standard CSLB path that applies to every specialty classification, with these current figures:
- Experience: At least four years of journey-level (or foreman/supervisor/owner) experience in cabinet, millwork, or finish carpentry work within the ten years before you apply. Up to three of those four years can come from education, apprenticeship, or technical training, but at least one full year must be hands-on trade experience.
- Contractor license bond: $25,000, per Senate Bill 607, effective January 1, 2023 (up from the prior $15,000). A separate $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual (BQI) applies if the qualifier has no ownership interest in the business.
- Application and license fees: A $450 nonrefundable application fee, plus an initial license fee of $200 (sole owner) or $350 (all other business types) once the application is approved.
- Live Scan (fingerprint) background check is required as part of the application.
- Workers’ compensation insurance is required once the contractor has employees.
The C-6 Exam: What We Can Confirm
Every CSLB applicant sits for two exams: the Law & Business exam (common to all classifications) and the classification-specific trade exam — here, the C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry exam. Both are closed-book, computer-based, multiple-choice tests administered through CSLB’s testing vendor.
We won’t hand you a made-up question count or topic-weighting percentage. Third-party prep sites publish figures for the C-6 trade exam that are inconsistent with each other, and CSLB does not publish an official public blueprint breaking the exam down by percentage. What is verifiable is the general subject matter: material selection and estimating, layout and joinery methods, cabinet and millwork installation, finish specifications and tolerances, jobsite safety, and the business and contract-law content shared across all Law & Business exams. A study guide built around those subject areas — not a memorized percentage table — is the reliable way to prepare.
Material and Code Considerations: CARB Phase 2
One real, verifiable regulatory detail specific to this trade: composite wood products used in cabinetry — particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and hardwood plywood — sold or used in California must meet the California Air Resources Board’s Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) Phase 2 formaldehyde emission standards, aligned with the federal TSCA Title VI standard. C-6 contractors sourcing cabinet stock, sheet goods, or finished cabinet products should confirm CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI compliance labeling from suppliers, particularly on imported or lower-cost composite panel products.
Who Needs a C-6 License?
Custom home builders and remodelers who need built-in cabinetry, trim, and millwork; kitchen and bath design-build companies; commercial buildout contractors installing store fixtures and casework; and shop owners who fabricate cabinets or millwork for installation on other contractors’ jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a C-6 the same thing as a “finish carpenter”?
Functionally, yes — C-6 is CSLB’s licensed classification for finish carpentry and cabinet/millwork work. To contract directly with the public for this work in California, you need the C-6 license (or to work as an employee of a licensed contractor).
Can a C-6 contractor build a staircase?
A C-6 contractor can build and install the finish elements of a staircase — treads, risers, handrails, balusters, and trim. Structural framing/stringers of an interior stair typically falls under general building (B) or framing (C-5) scope; exterior staircases and railings are explicitly named in the C-5 definition. Confirm scope division with CSLB for a full staircase build.
Does C-6 cover rough framing too?
No. Rough, structural carpentry — form work, wall and roof framing, sheathing, sub-flooring, and truss work — is C-5 (Framing and Rough Carpentry) scope. C-6 is limited to non-structural, finish-grade woodwork.
Do I need a C-6 license to install cabinets I didn’t build?
Yes. Installing finished cabinets and millwork in a structure is itself part of the regulatory definition of C-6 (“places, erects, and finishes such cabinets and millwork”), regardless of who fabricated them.
What’s the C-6/C-9 boundary at something like door and window casing?
Wallboard installation, taping, and texturing up to a finished wall surface is C-9. Once that surface is finished, the wood casing, trim, and millwork applied around the opening are C-6. The two trades commonly sequence on the same job without overlapping licensing.
Does a C-6 license cover installing manufactured, not custom-built, cabinets?
Yes — the regulatory definition covers “places, erects, and finishes” cabinets and millwork regardless of who fabricated them, so installing pre-manufactured cabinet lines is still C-6 scope.
Get Ready for the C-6 Exam
Whichever CSLB classification you’re pursuing, preparation matters more than guesswork about exam content. Contractor Pathway runs CSLB exam-prep courses for every classification, including C-6, built as one of the most competitive study-and-practice-exam programs available for California contractors. Not sure C-6 is the right classification for your work? Use our classification finder to compare scopes before you apply. New to the process? Start with how it works, review course pricing for 30/60/90-day access, or contact us with questions before you enroll.