Short answer: Exchange lists 8 renovation and remodeling companies in Oregon. Remodelers working for pay need a Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license; a Residential General Contractor endorsement carries a 25,000 dollar bond and 500,000 dollars per occurrence of liability insurance. Residential contracts over 2,000 dollars have to be in writing and come with three state notices. Construction liens are perfected within 75 days, and the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code took effect October 1, 2026, becoming mandatory April 1, 2027.
Licence authority
The Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licenses remodeling contractors statewide, with a two-year license term.
Endorsement classes
Residential General Contractor (25,000 dollar bond), Residential Specialty Contractor (20,000 dollar bond) and Residential Limited Contractor (15,000 dollar bond) are the main residential endorsements.
Lien deadline
A construction lien under ORS 87.035 is perfected no later than 75 days after the claimant stops providing labor or materials or 75 days after completion, whichever is earlier.
Contract rule
A residential contract over 2,000 dollars has to be written and delivered with the Consumer Protection Notice, Notice of Procedure and Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens.
Code regime
The 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, based on the 2024 IRC, took effect October 1, 2026 and becomes mandatory April 1, 2027; local building departments issue permits.
Pre-1978 and pre-2004 homes
Paid work disturbing paint in pre-1978 housing needs a CCB Lead-Based Paint Renovation license, and Oregon DEQ requires an asbestos survey before renovating residences built before January 1, 2004.
Do remodeling contractors need a license in Oregon?
Yes, in Oregon anyone who is paid to remodel, repair or improve real property generally needs a current license from the Construction Contractors Board (CCB), carrying a residential endorsement backed by a surety bond and general liability insurance.
The licensing statute is ORS chapter 701. ORS 701.021 requires a current license for any person who undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid to do work as a contractor, so the requirement attaches at the bid stage, not when work starts. There is a narrow statutory exemption in ORS 701.010 for work of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature where the aggregate price of all of the person's contracts is under 1,000 dollars. Oregon does not license remodelers by trade examination the way some states do. Instead, the CCB describes a path that starts with 16 hours of pre-license training and an exam through an approved provider, followed by registering the business with the Secretary of State, posting the bond, filing proof of insurance and, where there are employees, workers compensation coverage.
The license runs for two years, and the CCB lists the license fee at 400 dollars from July 1, 2025. Contractors are expected to show the CCB number on bids, contracts, advertising, business cards and site signs, which makes it easy for an owner to check the license, bond and complaint history through the CCB's public search before signing. Electrical and plumbing work inside a remodel sits under separate state trade licenses administered through the Building Codes Division, so a CCB license alone does not cover those scopes.
Which CCB endorsement does a home remodeler in Oregon need, and what bond and insurance go with it?
Most full-service remodelers in Oregon hold the Residential General Contractor endorsement, which the Construction Contractors Board ties to a 25,000 dollar surety bond and at least 500,000 dollars per occurrence of general liability insurance.
The CCB endorsement chart sets out the alternatives. A Residential General Contractor may supervise, arrange for or perform an unlimited number of unrelated building trades on residential and small commercial structures, which is what a kitchen, bath or whole-house remodel usually involves. A Residential Specialty Contractor carries a 20,000 dollar bond and 300,000 dollars per occurrence of insurance and is confined to one or two unrelated trades, or to three or more trades only where the contract is 2,500 dollars or less. A Residential Limited Contractor carries a 15,000 dollar bond and 100,000 dollars per occurrence of insurance, and is restricted to contractors with gross sales under 40,000 dollars a year doing work of 5,000 dollars or less per job.
These classes matter to an owner because the endorsement signals the size of job the contractor is set up for and the bond available if a claim succeeds. The bond is not project specific. ORS 701.150 caps the surety's aggregate liability at the penal sum of the bond regardless of how many claims are made, so a 25,000 dollar bond can be shared among several claimants. Owners planning a large remodel in Oregon commonly ask for the liability certificate as well, and confirm the endorsement on the CCB record matches the scope being priced.
Which licenses, permits and registrations apply in Oregon?
Requirement
Who issues it
When it applies
What it involves
CCB license with residential endorsement
Oregon Construction Contractors Board
Any paid remodeling work, from the bid stage
16 hours of pre-license training and exam, surety bond of 15,000 to 25,000 dollars by endorsement, liability insurance, two-year term
Lead-Based Paint Renovation license
Oregon Construction Contractors Board
Disturbing more than 6 square feet interior or 20 square feet exterior of paint in pre-1978 housing
Eight-hour RRP training, active CCB license, 150 dollar application fee
Written contract and three notices
Contractor, using CCB forms
Residential contracts over 2,000 dollars
Contract with CCB number, scope, price and payment terms, plus Consumer Protection Notice, Notice of Procedure and Information Notice to Owner
Building permit
City or county building department
Structural, layout and system changes not exempt under Chapter 1 of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code
Plan review and inspections under the edition in force; separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Asbestos survey
Accredited inspector, under Oregon DEQ rules
Renovation or demolition of residences built before January 1, 2004
Survey before work begins; licensed abatement contractor for friable material
Construction lien
Claimant, recorded with the county
Unpaid labor or materials on the property
Perfected within 75 days; notice to owner within 20 days of filing; suit within 120 days
What has to be in a home remodeling contract in Oregon?
In Oregon, a contractor's agreement with a residential owner has to be in writing once the price exceeds 2,000 dollars, and it comes with three state notices covering consumer protection, dispute procedure and construction liens.
The CCB lists the minimum contents: the contractor's name, address, phone number and CCB license number as shown on board records, the owner's name and the address where the work is done, a description of the work, the price and payment terms, a statement of the owner's rights including the ability to file a complaint with the board, and any mediation or arbitration clause. If a job starts under 2,000 dollars and grows past it, the CCB says the written contract and the notices are due within five days of the contractor knowing the price has crossed the line. This is a common situation on remodels, where opening a wall often turns a small repair into a larger one.
The three notices are the Consumer Protection Notice, the Notice of Procedure and the Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens. Each is due on or before the date the contract is entered into, only from the contractor that contracts directly with the owner, and the contractor keeps proof of delivery for two years. The CCB also describes a one-day cancellation right, under which an owner may cancel before midnight of the next business day subject to some exceptions, and a three-day right for home solicitation sales. Oregon's rules here are notice based; readers should check the CCB's contract guidance for the current wording of each form.
How long does a contractor have to file a construction lien on a remodel in Oregon?
In Oregon, a construction lien on a remodel has to be perfected no later than 75 days after the claimant stopped providing labor or materials, or 75 days after completion of construction, whichever comes first.
That deadline is in ORS 87.035, and several other dates hang off it. Under ORS 87.039 the claimant mails notice of the filing to the owner not later than 20 days after filing. Under ORS 87.055 the lien binds the property for no longer than 120 days after the claim is filed unless a suit to foreclose is brought, and ORS 87.057 calls for a notice of intent to foreclose not later than 10 days before the suit starts. Subcontractors and suppliers who do not contract with the owner protect their position with a Notice of Right to a Lien under ORS 87.021, which only reaches back to labor and materials provided after a date eight days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, before the notice is delivered.
For the owner, the Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens under ORS 87.093 explains the exposure: a supplier or subcontractor who is not paid by the prime contractor can lien the house even though the owner has paid in full. The notice applies to residential contracts where the aggregate price exceeds 2,000 dollars. Licensing and lien rights are also linked. ORS 701.131 makes a current CCB license a condition of perfecting a lien or pursuing a court or administrative remedy for the work, so an unlicensed remodeler in Oregon generally cannot use the lien statute to collect.
Do I need a building permit to remodel a house in Oregon, and which code applies?
Most structural, layout and system changes to an Oregon house need a permit from the city or county building department under the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, whose 2026 edition took effect October 1, 2026 with a six-month phase-in.
Oregon uses a single statewide residential code adopted by the Building Codes Division and enforced locally. The code is mid-change. The Building Codes Division states that the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code is based on the 2024 International Residential Code, that its administrative chapter was effective and mandatory October 1, 2026, and that the construction provisions are effective October 1, 2026 and mandatory April 1, 2027. It replaces the 2023 edition, which was based on the 2021 International Residential Code. Anyone pricing a remodel in the phase-in window should ask the local building department which edition will be applied to the application.
Chapter 1 of the 2023 edition listed work exempt from a building permit, including painting, tiling, cabinets and countertops, door and window replacements, replacement or repair of siding, nonbearing partitions, decks with a walking surface not more than 30 inches above grade, and nonhabitable one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet. Readers should confirm the equivalent list in the 2026 edition. Exemption from a building permit does not remove separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits, and it does not waive zoning or historic review. Oregon land use law also requires many cities to allow accessory dwelling units and middle housing such as duplexes on residential lots, so garage and basement conversions are a regular part of remodeling work; local planning departments set the detailed standards.
What lead paint and asbestos rules apply to renovating older homes in Oregon?
Oregon requires a CCB Lead-Based Paint Renovation license for paid work disturbing paint in pre-1978 homes, and the Department of Environmental Quality requires an asbestos survey before renovating any residence built before January 1, 2004.
The lead rule is run by the Construction Contractors Board for licensed contractors. The CCB says the license is needed where work in a home or child-occupied facility built before 1978 disturbs more than 6 square feet of interior painted surface or 20 square feet of exterior painted surface. The contractor completes an eight-hour Renovation, Repair and Painting course from an approved provider, with certification valid for five years and a four-hour refresher before it lapses, and holds an active CCB license alongside it. The CCB lists the application fee at 150 dollars.
The asbestos rule is broader than many owners expect because the cutoff year is so recent. DEQ's guidance says an accredited inspector has to complete a survey of residential buildings built before January 1, 2004 before any demolition or renovation begins, and that friable asbestos is removed by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. For nonfriable material, DEQ describes a notification to the agency at least five days before work. On a typical Portland, Salem or Eugene remodel this means survey results are in hand before demolition is scheduled, and the cost and lead time are best carried as a line in the estimate, not discovered mid-job.
How do earthquakes, wildfire and wet winters affect remodeling work in Oregon?
Oregon remodels are shaped by three local conditions: older houses that are not bolted to their foundations in a seismic zone, wildfire exposure in the south and east, and a long wet season west of the Cascades.
Seismic strengthening is often added to basement and crawlspace work. The City of Portland requires a building permit for residential seismic strengthening and publishes a prescriptive method for one- and two-family dwellings on a continuous concrete perimeter foundation. That method calls for sill anchors every six feet on one-story homes and every four feet on two- or three-story homes, and plywood bracing of cripple walls over 40 percent of the wall length for one story, 50 percent for two and 80 percent for three. The city notes this work does not bring a house up to current code. Houses outside the prescriptive limits need engineered design.
Wildfire rules are local, not statewide. The Building Codes Division says the wildfire hazard mitigation standards in Section R327 of the residential code apply only where a municipality adopts them, and lists Ashland, Deschutes County, Grants Pass and Sisters as having done so. They apply to new dwellings and certain new accessory structures, with hardening encouraged but voluntary when exterior elements of an existing home are replaced. A statewide wildfire hazard map was repealed by Senate Bill 83 in 2025. West of the Cascades, rain drives sequencing: exterior envelope work such as roofing, siding and window openings is commonly scheduled for the drier summer months or done under temporary protection, and contractors routinely allow for concealed rot repair once old cladding comes off.
Where can I verify a license and check the source in Oregon?
Every figure and rule on this page can be checked against the primary source. These are the offices that publish them. Confirm current requirements directly before you rely on any of them:
How do I check that an Oregon remodeling contractor is licensed?
The Construction Contractors Board runs a public license search on its website. Entering the CCB number shown on the bid or contract returns the license status, endorsement, bond and insurance details and complaint history. An active Residential General Contractor record should show a 25,000 dollar bond.
How long do I have to file a CCB complaint against a remodeler in Oregon?
For work on an existing structure, the CCB says the complaint has to be received within one year from the date the work was substantially completed or the date work ceased. A 30-day pre-complaint notice sent to the contractor by certified mail comes first.
What does the CCB dispute process cost and how does it work?
The CCB charges a 50 dollar processing fee, requested once it confirms jurisdiction, and then offers mediation. The board reports about 70 percent of disputes settle when both sides take part. If mediation fails, the bond is reached only through a court judgment.
Can a handyman remodel my bathroom in Oregon without a CCB license?
Generally not. The statutory exemption covers only casual, minor or inconsequential work where the total price of all the person's contracts is under 1,000 dollars. A Residential Limited Contractor endorsement exists for small operators, limited to jobs of 5,000 dollars or less.
Is there a cooling-off period on a home remodeling contract in Oregon?
The CCB describes a one-day right, under which a residential owner may cancel before midnight of the next business day, with some exceptions, and a separate three-day right for home solicitation contracts negotiated away from the contractor's permanent place of business.
Do wildfire building rules apply to re-siding or re-roofing my Oregon home?
Not as a statewide mandate. The Building Codes Division says Section R327 wildfire standards apply only where locally adopted, currently Ashland, Deschutes County, Grants Pass and Sisters, and cover new dwellings. Hardening during replacement of exterior elements on existing homes is voluntary, so check with the local building department.
Can a subcontractor lien my house in Oregon if I already paid the general contractor?
Yes, that is the risk the Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens describes. A subcontractor or supplier who delivered a Notice of Right to a Lien and was not paid can perfect a lien within 75 days. Lien waivers and joint checks are common protections.
