Two classifications, not one
Most homeowners assume there is a "flooring license." In Nevada there are two, and the line between them is the material:
| Classification | Regulation | Covers | Does not cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-16 Finishing Floors → C-16a Covering Floors | NAC 624.330 | Carpet, hardwood installation and finishing/refinishing, vinyl and LVP, laminate, and other applied floor coverings | Ceramic tile and marble — excluded by the regulation's own text |
| C-20 Tiling | NAC 624.370 | Ceramic and vitreous tile, stone tile, and related setting work (sub-letters cover plastic tile/wallboard and pool tile specifically) | Carpet, wood, vinyl, laminate |
So a company that installs carpet, hardwood, and LVP is fully licensed with C-16a alone. The moment it also tiles a bathroom floor, it needs C-20 too. Many Reno flooring companies hold both; a meaningful number do not — and the gap runs in a predictable direction.
What the Reno license records actually show
When this site pulled the NSCB records for ten Reno and Sparks flooring companies (verified 2026-09-03; full profiles on the Reno flooring companies overview), the pattern was clear. Some held both classifications, Active. One large, heavily advertised company had all three of its Nevada licenses — including both C-16 and C-20 — Suspended. One held C-16 Active with C-20 Suspended Not Renewed. One held C-16a Active with C-20 Voluntarily Surrendered. One remodeler held only a B-2 general license, with no flooring classification at all. One returned no NSCB match under any spelling of its name. Those are not edge cases; that is half the list.
The practical takeaway: the classification you need depends on the floor you are buying, and a license "existing" tells you nothing about which one it is or whether it is current. Check the specific line.
How to read an NSCB record
The lookup at https://app.nvcontractorsboard.com returns, for each licensee, a legal entity name (often different from the trade name you know), a city of record, and one line per classification held, each with its own license number and status. Read it this way:
- Match the entity. "Full Circle Flooring" is a DBA of a differently named corporation; "Artisan Hardwood Floors" is a DBA of another. Confirm you have the right company before reading further — the vetting guide covers searching by principal name when the trade name does not appear.
- Find the classification for your material. C-16a (or its parent C-16) for carpet, wood, LVP, laminate; C-20 for tile. A C-3B finish-carpentry line with a "hardwood limited" note appears on several Reno records — it is a carpentry classification with a flooring scope limitation, not a substitute for C-16a on non-wood floors.
- Read that line's status. Active is the only acceptable answer. Suspended, Suspended Not Renewed, Cancelled Not Renewed, Voluntary Surrender, and Inactive all mean the contractor may not currently contract for that class of work.
- Note the monetary limit on the license. It caps the size of contract the licensee may take; a large whole-home job should sit under it.
- Copy the exact legal entity name for the contract and your deposit check (see below).
The contractor vetting guide walks through the lookup itself, step by step.
What about a general contractor?
A B-2 (Residential and Small Commercial) license lets a remodeler contract for a whole project — a kitchen or bathroom remodel that happens to include a floor — and subcontract the specialty trades. That is legitimate. It is not a flooring license, and one of the ten Reno companies profiled on this site holds B-2 only, which is consistent with being a remodeler rather than a flooring specialist. If a general contractor is running your project, ask which C-16a or C-20 subcontractor will do the floor and check them too.
The three statutes worth knowing
- NRS 624.720 — advertising. A contractor's advertising must carry the company name and license number, and advertising licensed work without a license is unlawful. A flooring ad, truck, or website with no license number is a red flag before you ever call.
- NRS 624.970 — deposits. On a residential job, the lawful down payment is the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of the contract price. A flooring company asking for half up front for materials is asking for more than Nevada allows.
- Residential Recovery Fund. Homeowners harmed by a licensed residential contractor may claim up to $40,000. Claims have been denied where the homeowner's deposit check was made out to a name that did not match the licensed entity — which is exactly the DBA situation common among Reno flooring companies. Write the check to the name on the license record.
Legal references verified 2026-09-03 against the Nevada Administrative Code and Nevada Revised Statutes; rechecked in odd-numbered years after each legislative session. This is consumer information, not legal advice — for a dispute, contact the NSCB at 775-688-1141 (Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) — Reno office, 5390 Kietzke Lane, Suite 102, Reno, NV 89511).
Which license to check, by project
| Your project | Check for |
|---|---|
| Carpet | C-16a Active |
| Hardwood install or refinish | C-16a Active (C-3B hardwood-limited sometimes accompanies it) |
| LVP / vinyl or laminate | C-16a Active |
| Tile floor, shower, or backsplash | C-20 Active |
| Whole-home mix of tile and other floors | Both C-16a and C-20 Active on the same company — or a named licensed sub for the tile |
| Flooring inside a larger remodel | B-2 on the remodeler plus C-16a/C-20 on whoever actually lays the floor |
Sources
NAC 624.330 (C-16 Finishing Floors / C-16a Covering Floors) and NAC 624.370 (C-20 Tiling), Nevada Administrative Code; NRS 624.720 and NRS 624.970, Nevada Revised Statutes; Nevada State Contractors Board Contractor License Search, https://app.nvcontractorsboard.com; individual company license records pulled 2026-09-03 and summarized on the companies overview.