Short Answer: Our snapshot of the Washington L&I contractor file holds 162,025 records, of which 67,063 are ACTIVE. Every figure is counted directly from the state data on Oct 30, 2026.
Quick Facts
| Total records | 162,025 |
|---|---|
| ACTIVE | 67,063 |
| EXPIRED | 53,495 |
| SUSPENDED | 8,110 |
| Data date | Oct 30, 2026 |
Key Takeaways
- Our snapshot of the L&I contractor file holds 162,025 records.
- 67,063 are ACTIVE; 53,495 are EXPIRED and 8,110 are SUSPENDED.
- Every figure here is counted directly from the state file on Oct 30, 2026; nothing is estimated.
- A large share of records are historical, so always check the current status.
These figures come straight from Washington L&I’s public contractor license data file, downloaded and counted on Oct 30, 2026. We do not estimate, survey or extrapolate. The numbers below are counts of records in the state file, and they update whenever we refresh the data.
Headline Numbers
| Measure | Records |
|---|---|
| All records in the file | 162,025 |
| ACTIVE | 67,063 |
| EXPIRED | 53,495 |
| RE-LICENSED | 8,591 |
| SUSPENDED | 8,110 |
| OUT OF BUSINESS | 4,092 |
How to Read These Numbers
A record is one registration or license in the state file, not one person or one company. A business that changed from a sole proprietorship to an LLC may appear twice: once as RE-LICENSED or EXPIRED and once as ACTIVE. That is why the total is much larger than the number of contractors working today.
ACTIVE is the figure that best answers “how many registered contractors are there right now?” Even that count includes some specialty registrations held by the same owners and some licenses for related programs in the file.
The meaning of each status is covered in Washington Contractor License Statuses Explained.
Active Registrations by Trade
We group specialty codes into the trades homeowners search for most. These are ACTIVE records in each group:
| Trade group | ACTIVE records |
|---|---|
| General contractors | 46,004 |
| Electricians | 4,784 |
| Painters | 2,134 |
| Plumbers | 2,007 |
| Landscapers | 1,447 |
| Concrete contractors | 637 |
| HVAC contractors | 625 |
| Roofers | 425 |
General contractors dominate because many remodelers, builders and handyman businesses register as general contractors, which lets them perform more than one trade. Specialty counts can look low for trades like roofing for the same reason: many roofers register as general contractors.
Tip: Trade groupings depend on the specialty code each business chose when registering. A business doing electrical work also needs an electrical contractor license, which L&I tracks in its electrical program.
What the Numbers Mean for Homeowners
Inactive Records Outnumber Active Ones
More than half of the records in the file are not ACTIVE. When you find a business on an old directory, invoice or truck decal, there is a real chance the number you have is no longer current. Check it before hiring with the steps in How to Check a Contractor License in Washington.
Suspensions Are Common Enough to Matter
8,110 records show SUSPENDED. Suspension most often follows a lapsed bond or insurance policy. A contractor can be ACTIVE when you sign and SUSPENDED weeks later, so re-checking before large payments is worthwhile.
Expiry Is Continuous
Registrations expire every day. We publish a running list of Washington Contractor Licenses Expiring in the Next 30 Days, built from the same file.
Methodology
- Source: Washington L&I contractor license data on data.wa.gov, published under an open licence.
- Snapshot date: Oct 30, 2026.
- Counting: one row per record; statuses are counted exactly as the file labels them.
- Trade groups: specialty codes mapped to the trade groups above; one record may appear in only one group.
- Exclusions: none for the status table. Our directory pages show a smaller subset suitable for publication.
Our full approach is on the methodology page.
Using the Statistics Responsibly
If you cite these figures, include the snapshot date and the source (Washington L&I via data.wa.gov). Counts change with every refresh, and a record count is not the same as the number of individual tradespeople working in Washington.
Limitations
- The file is a snapshot; L&I Verify is authoritative for any individual contractor.
- Some statuses are rare or used for administrative purposes.
- Trade groupings are our classification, not an official L&I category.
- Individual electrician and plumber certificates are not counted here.
Explore the Data
Browse Licensed General Contractors in Washington or search any business in the Washington Contractor License Lookup.
Reading Status Counts Like an Analyst
Raw counts are easy to misread, so it helps to ask three questions of any figure on this page.
What Is Being Counted?
Records, not people or companies. One owner can hold a current registration plus several historical ones. One business can appear in more than one program if it also holds an electrical contractor license. When you compare our counts with figures elsewhere, check whether the other source counts records, businesses or individual workers.
When Was It Counted?
Every number here belongs to the Oct 30, 2026 snapshot. Registration is continuous: new businesses register, others renew, lapse or close every working day. A count from last year and a count from today describe different populations, even if the difference looks small.
What Does the Status Really Mean?
ACTIVE means the registration was current in the file on the snapshot date. It does not mean the business is busy, reputable or still trading at the same address. EXPIRED means the registration term ended without renewal; it is not a finding of wrongdoing. SUSPENDED usually reflects an administrative problem such as a cancelled bond or lapsed insurance, and many suspensions are cleared when the paperwork is fixed.
Why the Trade Groups Do Not Add Up to the Active Total
Our trade groups cover the categories homeowners search for most. Many ACTIVE records sit in specialty classifications outside these groups, such as cabinet installers, fence builders, flooring, insulation, siding, excavation and many more. Others belong to programs that do not fit a residential trade label. The groups are a guide to finding businesses, not a complete census of the industry.
Questions These Numbers Cannot Answer
- How many contractors are good at their work. Registration is a legal minimum, not a quality rating.
- How many complaints contractors receive. Complaints and lawsuits appear on individual L&I Verify records, not in our counts.
- How many people work in construction. Employment statistics come from different sources.
- Whether a particular business is safe to hire. Only a check of that business’s current record, plus references and a good contract, can help with that.
For any individual business, use the live state record and the steps in our guides rather than aggregate statistics.
How We Keep the Figures Current
We refresh the counts when we update our copy of the state file, and every page that uses them shows the snapshot date. Because the figures are computed rather than typed, the tables above, the takeaways and the FAQ always match each other. If you notice a figure that seems inconsistent with the live L&I record for a specific business, the live record is correct; the snapshot may simply be older. Contact details for reporting a data issue are on our contact page.
Steps to Take
- Read the status counts, not just the total.
- Compare trade counts to see how many businesses work in your trade.
- Remember that many records are historical.
- Check any contractor's current status before hiring.
- Use the methodology to understand the limits of the data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Licensed Contractors Are There in Washington?
In our Oct 30, 2026 snapshot of the L&I contractor file, 67,063 records had ACTIVE status out of 162,025 records in total.
Where Do These Numbers Come From?
From Washington L&I's public contractor license data published on data.wa.gov. We count statuses and trade classifications directly from the file.
Why Are So Many Records Expired?
The file keeps historical registrations. Businesses close, change structure and re-register, so expired and re-licensed records accumulate over time.
Sources
- Washington L&I Contractor License Data – General (data.wa.gov, PDDL)
- Washington L&I – Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business
- Open Data Commons Public Domain Dedication and License (PDDL) 1.0
Data references use Washington L&I open data published under the PDDL. This guide is general information, not legal advice.