General Contractor License Requirements for All States

These are all the States we offer and each State has its own specific licensing requirements for General Contractors. Here, we’ve put together a state-by-state list of general contractor licensing requirements to make it easier for you to find what you need.

Alabama

General Contractors must have a State license in Alabama to work on any construction, alteration, maintenance, repair or demolition of structures that cost more than $50,000. The license is awarded by the Licensing Board for General Contractors. Applicants must pass a trade exam, as well as a business and law exam. You’ll also need to document your work experience and show proof of general liability insurance.

Alaska

General Contractors must hold a State license to work in Alaska. There are three classifications of licenses which are awarded by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing. These construction licenses include:

• General Contractor with Residential Contractor Endorsement – Can oversee new home construction or can undertake residential work that is more than 25% of the value of the structure. You’ll need to complete a 16-hour cold climate course and pass an exam.
• General Contractor without Residential Contractor Endorsement – Can undertake commercial work or residential remodel work less than 25% of the value of the structure. No exam is required.
• General Contractor Handyman – You’ll be able to undertake residential or commercial work valued at less than $10,000.

Arizona

Any general contractor who builds alters, repairs, adds to, subtracts from, improves, moves, wrecks or demolishes any structure must hold a state general contractor license to work in Arizona. There are a number of different classifications of licenses awarded by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. They include:

• General Residential Contractors
• General Commercial Contractor
• General Dual License Contracting – includes both Residential and Commercial Contracting

Florida

As a General Contractor, you must have a state license to work in Florida. The license is awarded by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. There are a number of classification of licenses:

• General Contractor – CG and RG – the license is unlimited regarding the type of work you can perform. You will need to show at least one year of experience constructing structures four stories or higher. You must have experience in four of seven specific categories.
• Building Contractor – CB and RB – limited to the construction of commercial buildings or residential buildings that don’t exceed three stories in height or the remodeling, repair or improvement of any size structure.
• Residential Contractor – CR and RR – limited to work on residences that are no more than two stories in height

Georgia

To work as a General Contractor in Georgia, you’ll need to hold a state license issued by the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors. To qualify for a license, you must have one of the following:

• A four-year college or university course in a related field and one year of work experience
• A combination of college-level accredited courses and practical experience totaling four years
• Four years of work experience in a construction-related field with at least two years employed as a general contractor and one year in related fields such as marketing, management or administration.

Mississippi

General Commercial and Residential Contractors must hold a State license to work in Mississippi on projects worth more than $50,000. The licenses are awarded by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. You’ll need to pass a trade exam, as well as a business and law exam. You must show proof of general liability insurance.

North Carolina

General Contractors must have a state license to work in North Carolina if the projects they work on are worth more than $30,000. The General Contractor license is awarded by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. There are multiple classifications of licenses and you can be licensed in more than one classification if you meet the qualifications. These include building contractors, residential contractors, highway contractors, public utility contractors, and specialty contractors. These are further divided into Limited, Intermediate, and Unlimited categories depending on the scope of the work you plan to do. You’ll need to pass an exam to gain your license.

South Carolina

General Contractors will require a General and Mechanical Contractors License to work in South Carolina on any commercial construction jobs worth over $5,000. The general contractor license is awarded by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. You’ll need to show proof of two years of experience in the past five years and pass a trade exam, as well as a business and law exam.

Utah

A General Contractor requires a State license to do any work in Utah that is worth more than $3,000. The B-100 General Building Contractor License is awarded by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. To qualify, you must show proof of general liability and worker’s compensation insurance, as well as proof of financial responsibility. You need to show two years of experience in the past ten years. You’ll need to pass a trade exam and a business and law exam.

Virginia

General Contractors must have a State license, issued by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, in order to work in Virginia. You need to choose the license classification you want to be licensed for, most specifically Commercial Building Contractor or Residential Building Contractor. There are three license classes (A, B or C), depending on the scope of the work you plan to do:

• Class A licenses – for individual projects worth up to $10,000 with a maximum of $150,000 per year. You must have two years of experience.
• Class B licenses – for individual projects of up to $120,000 with a maximum of $750,000 per year. You must have three years of experience.
• Class C licenses – unlimited. You must have five years of experience.

West Virginia

General Contractors who do any work on projects worth more than $2,500 require a general contractor license to work in West Virginia. The license is issued by the West Virginia Division of Labor. There are multiple classifications of licenses, including general building and general engineering. You’ll need to pass a trade exam, as well as a business and law exam. You must also show proof of worker’s compensation insurance, and you may require a wage bond.