Glazing Contractor Insurance in California (C-17)

What the C-17 license covers

The CSLB’s definition

“A glazing contractor selects, cuts, assembles and/or installs all makes and kinds of glass, glass work, mirrored glass, and glass substitute materials for glazing; executes the fabrication and glazing of frames, panels, sashes and doors; and/or installs these items in any structure.”

Cuts, falls from lifts and scaffolds, and glass that breaks in handling are the common losses. Storefronts and curtain wall add completed-operations exposure when a seal fails and water gets in. Glass is also costly to replace if it cracks on the truck or on site before it is installed.

The C-17 coverage stack

General Liability — including completed operations for failed seals and leaks
Workers’ Compensation — dual-wage 5467/5470 for field crews
Commercial Auto — glass racks and trucks at contract limits
Inland Marine — an installation floater for glass in transit and before it is set
CSLB license bond — the $25,000 bond every C-17 license needs
Excess & Umbrella — commercial storefront and curtain-wall contracts

C-17 requirements

What California requires of a C-17 licensee

Requirement	What applies to C-17 glaziers
Contractor’s license bond	A $25,000 bond is required to activate and keep the license. LLC licensees also need a $100,000 LLC employee/worker bond. How the bond works
Workers’ compensation	Required now if you have even one employee. With no employees you can file a CSLB exemption, but that option ends for every classification on January 1, 2028. Check your requirement
General liability	Required by the CSLB only for LLC licensees (at least $1 million). General contractors and owners require it anyway, usually with additional insured status.

Workers’ comp class codes and 2026 rates

Class code	Description	Advisory rate per $100 payroll
5467	Glaziers away from shop, workers paid under $43.00/hr	$7.51
5470	Glaziers away from shop, workers paid $43.00/hr or more	$3.35

Source: WCIRB California, approved September 1, 2026 advisory pure premium rates and classification descriptions. These are benchmark loss costs, not quotes: each carrier files its own rates, and your experience mod and credits adjust the final premium.

Glaziers are a dual-wage pair split at $43.00 an hour for policies starting on or after September 1, 2026 (it was $39). The higher-paid code costs less than half as much, so clean payroll records pay for themselves. Shop fabrication is rated separately from field installation.

$43/hr

the glazier wage line for 5467 and 5470

Installation floater

covers glass before it is installed

WC by 2028

every C-17 needs a policy, employees or not

Common questions

C-17 coverage, answered

What is the workers’ comp class code for glaziers in California?

Field glazing is code 5467 for workers paid under $43.00 an hour and 5470 for workers paid $43.00 or more, on policies starting on or after September 1, 2026. The WCIRB’s 2026 advisory rates are $7.51 and $3.35 per $100 of payroll.

Is glass covered if it breaks before installation?

Not by general liability, which covers damage to other people’s property. Glass in transit or waiting to be installed is covered by an inland marine installation floater.

Is general liability required for a C-17 license?

Only for LLC licensees, at least $1 million. General contractors will require it, usually with additional insured status.

Do glaziers need workers’ comp with no employees?

A C-17 with no employees can file the CSLB exemption until January 1, 2028. After that every licensee needs a policy.

Glazing Contractor Insurance in California

The CSLB’s definition

The C-17 coverage stack

What California requires of a C-17 licensee

Workers’ comp class codes and 2026 rates

C-17 coverage, answered

Get a C-17 quote that fits the work