Verify Oregon CCB licenses for everyone you ask to bid

What changed

Effective January 1, 2024, Oregon HB 2922 (2023) raised the surety bond requirement for every CCB endorsement by $5,000. The CCB-rule liability insurance minimums didn't change with this bill. Current statutory minimums by endorsement (rev. 11/2024 CCB Endorsement Chart):

Endorsement	Bond	Per-occurrence GL
Residential General Contractor (RGC)	$25,000	$500,000
Residential Specialty Contractor (RSC)	$20,000	$300,000
Residential Limited Contractor (RLC)	$15,000	$100,000
Residential Developer (RD)	$25,000	$500,000
Restricted residential (HSC, RLSC, HISC, HEPSC, RRC)	$15,000	$100,000
Commercial General Contractor Level 1 (CGC1)	$80,000	$2M aggregate
Commercial General Contractor Level 2 (CGC2)	$25,000	$1M aggregate
Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 1 (CSC1)	$55,000	$1M aggregate
Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 2 (CSC2)	$25,000	$500,000

For a Portland DADU, you almost always want a Residential General Contractor (RGC) as the prime — $25K bond, $500K per-occurrence GL.

Why the bond matters

The bond isn't insurance for you. It's a small fund the state can pay out of if a court orders the contractor to compensate a homeowner or sub. It's intentionally small relative to a typical claim — on a Portland DADU averaging $300K-$475K, a $25K bond covers a small fraction of a worst-case claim.

What the bond actually does is gate access to CCB licensing. A contractor who can't qualify for a $25K surety can't be a residential general in Oregon. The bond's existence is the screening signal; the dollar amount is largely symbolic.

What to verify on the CCB lookup

When you pull the contractor's record, check four fields:

1. License status — should show "Active." "Inactive," "Lapsed," or "Suspended" means the registration isn't currently in good standing.
2. Endorsement type — for a DADU prime, you want "Residential General Contractor" (RGC). A "Residential Specialty" or "Restricted Residential" endorsement doesn't authorize prime contracting on a residential build.
3. Bond amount — should show the post-2024 minimum for the endorsement ($25K for RGC, $20K for RSC). A residential general still showing the pre-2024 $20,000 bond is on the old minimum.
4. Liability insurance current — expiration date in the future, at or above the per-endorsement minimum.

When the bond doesn't match — administrative lag vs. real gap

Two common explanations:

• Administrative lag. The contractor renewed the bond and the surety hasn't sent the update to CCB yet. Ask for a copy of the current bond rider showing the post-2024 amount. If they produce it within a day, the lookup will catch up.
• Pre-2024 registration not updated. The contractor hasn't increased the bond. The fix is easy (the surety files a rider) but until it's filed, the registration is technically out of compliance — either wait for the update or pick a GC whose record is current.

Other CCB fields that matter as much as the bond

• Entity name matches the entity name on your contract. Sole proprietors sometimes operate under a DBA that doesn't match their CCB registration. The contract counterparty has to be the registered entity, not a DBA.
• Workers' comp account in good standing. A lapsed account means the contractor's crew may not be covered, and your liability gets messier.
• Complaint history. A few minor complaints over a long history is normal; a pattern of unresolved ones is a flag. Click through to read what the disputes were about.
• License history length. A registration first issued in the last 12 months is a flag for a Portland DADU at $400K — not a deal-breaker, but pair it with a stronger reference list and consider escrow.