Verify a basement waterproofing contractor's license (California and Virginia lookup workflow)

Steps

1. California: CSLB regulates waterproofing primarily under the C-39 classification — the old standalone "D-51 Waterproofing and Weatherproofing" classification no longer exists; CSLB folded it into C-39, C-33 (Painting), C-29 (Masonry), or C-54 (Tile) depending on scope. Verify at CSLB's public license lookup (cslb.ca.gov) by license number/business name, and confirm both active status and that the listed classification actually covers waterproofing.
2. Virginia: DPOR's Board for Contractors licenses waterproofing as a specialty ("placing of film barriers, sealing and waterproofing") tied to a class (A/B/C) based on per-project/annual dollar thresholds. Verify at DPOR's public License Lookup (dporweb.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup) by business/license number and confirm the class ceiling covers the contract value and the specialty is listed.
3. In both states, a license lookup only confirms licensing status — pull insurance/bond status and complaint history separately (CSLB shows bond/workers'-comp status on the license detail page; Virginia complaint history is a separate DPOR public-records inquiry).
4. Treat these two states as illustrative, not universal — most states regulate waterproofing as a specialty under a general or specialty contractor license rather than a dedicated "waterproofing license," so identify the correct licensing board before assuming an equivalent lookup tool exists elsewhere.