Article Index

Hawaii Contractor Licenses

State Licenses

In Hawaii, a contractor’s license is required for any project where the labor and material cost is over $1,000 or when, regardless of the cost, a building permit is required.
Select a license to view its requirements, definition, exams, books, and classes.

Business and Law

Business exam that all construction contractors must pass besides their trade exam to become licensed

Acoustical and Insulation (C-1)

Acoustic tile systems, spray systems, and insulation in buildings and structures for the purpose of sound control

Aluminum and Other Metal Shingles (C-42a)

Aluminum and Other types of metal shingles

Asbestos (C-19)

Remove, encapsulate, or otherwise disturb asbestos or asbestos-containing material which might become friable

Asphalt Concrete Patching, Sealing, and Striping (C-3a)

Patch asphalt driveways and parking areas; sealcoat surfaces; paint parking and highway stripes

Asphalt Paving (C-3)

Paving and surfacing of roadways, runways, driveways, parking areas, play areas, seal coating, and parking lot striping

Awnings and Patio Cover (C-44b)

Awnings and patio covers

Boiler, Hot-Water Heating, and Steam Fitting (C-4)

Fire-tube and water-tube power boilers, hot-water heating boilers, and thermal fluid systems

Building Moving and Wrecking (C-24)

Demolish structures and remove related debris

Cabinet, Millwork, and Carpentry Remodeling and Repairs (C-5)

Cabinet, case, sash, door, trim, nonbearing partitions, and remodeling of existing buildings

Carpentry Framing (C-6)

Carpentry, framing, siding, wood truss, and roof sheathing

Carpet Laying (C-7)

Fabric floor coverings and artificial turf

Cement Concrete (C-31a)

Place and finish concrete

Cesspool (C-9)

Excavate cesspools and install septic tanks

Classified Specialist (C-68)

Performance of construction work requiring unique or special skill which is not related to or does not completely fall within any of the listed classifications

Composition Shingle (C-42d)

Shingles and shakes made of wood or any other material

Concrete and Clay Tile (C-42c)

Lay concrete and clay tile

Concrete Cutting, Drilling, Sawing, Coring, and Pressure Grouting (C-31e)

Cut, drill, saw, core, and pressure grout concrete

Conveyor Systems (C-16a)

Belt line conveyor systems, including baggage carousels

Cultured Marble (C-51a)

Cultured marble or synthetic marble products

Dry Chemical Fire Repressant Systems (C-20a)

Tanks, piping, and sprinkler heads in kitchens and range hoods

Drywall (C-12)

Gypsum wallboard systems, including taping and texturing

Electrical (C-13)

Transmit, transform, or utilize electrical energy less than 600 volts phase to phase

Electronic Systems (C-15)

Electronic equipment, controls, PA systems, intercom, maste antenna, CATV, clock systems, electric door opening, and fire/burglar alarm systems

Elevator (C-16)

Electrical, hydraulic, and manually operated elevators, dumb waiters, moving walks or ramps, conveyor systems, stage lifts, escalators, and man lifts

Elevator Mechanic

Construction, reconstruction, alteration, maintenance, mechanical, or electrical work or adjustments of any elevator, dumbwaiter, stage lift, mechanized parking garage elevator, escalator, moving walk or ramp, and manlift

Excavating, Grading, and Trenching (C-17)

Excavate, cut, fill, grade, or trench (includes incidental use of explosives)

Fire and Burglar Alarm (C-15a)

Fire and burglar alarm systems

Fire Protection (C-20)

Fire prevention and protective systems

Flooring (C-21)

Floor covering (linoleum, rubber, vinyl, cork, asphalt, plastic aluminates, composition flooring, wood, floor sanding, and refinishing)

Fuel Dispensing (C-37f)

Gas tanks, hazardous waste storage tanks, pumps, hoists, and service stations

Garage Door and Window Shutters (C-5a)

Overhead, mechanical, and sliding garage doors, including window shutters which require a similar installation method

General Building (B)

Build, alter or repair any building

General Engineering (A)

Irrigation, drainage, water power, water supply, flood control, inland waterways, harbors, docks, wharves, shipywards, ports, dams, hydroelectric projects, levees, river control, reclamation works, railroads, highways, streets, roads, tunnels, airports, airways, sewers, sewage disposal plants and systems, waste reduction plants, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, pipelines, transmission of petroleum, parks, playgrounds, recreational works, refineries, chemical plants, industrial plants, powerhouses, power plants, mines, metalurgical plants, land leveling, earth-moving projects, excavating, grading, trenching, paving, surfacing, cement, and concrete

Glass Tinting (C-22a)

Tinting of existing glass surfaces

Glazing (C-22)

Glaze or tint frames, panels, sash, and doors window walls, curtain walls, shower doors, tub enclosures, mirrors, metal windows/screens, metal sliding doors, metal jalousies, store front metal/trim, plastics, tempered glass doors

Gunite (C-23)

Pneumatically applied aggregates, cement, and water as gunite

Gutters (C-44a)

Gutters and downspouts

High Voltage Electrical (C-63)

Transmit, transform, or utilize electrical energy of more than 600 volts phase to phase

Hot Tub and Pool (C-49b)

Hot tubs, saunas, and vinyl or fabric-lined pools

Hydro Mulching (C-27a)

Place hydro-mulch material as a bed for ground cover and for containment of soil

Injection Well (C-57b)

Injection wells

Institutional and Commercial Equipment (C-25)

Install industrial instrumentation, pneumatic instrumentation systems, laboratory equipment, lockers, food services equipment, folding and sliding partitions, folding bleachers, stationary metal partitions, raised floor systems, prefabricated systems using metal chutes, incinerator, stages, rigging of stage curtains and racks, jail and prison equipment, and related locking devices or control

Interior Design (C-54)

Provide interior design services and enter into contracts for renovation work, as long as the work is subcontracted to licensed contractors

Irrigation and Lawn Sprinkler Systems (C-37b)

Irrigation, lawn sprinklers, pressure regulators, back flow prevention devices, irrigation control electrical wiring (less than 24 volts), and automatic/manual controls

Journeyman Plumbing

Plumbing systems, including drains, waste, sanitary vents, water supply systems, fixtures, and gas systems

Journey Worker Electrician

Electrical work

Journey Worker Industrial Electrician

Electrical work on industrial facilities, substations, switchgears, and automatic controls

Journey Worker Specialty Electrician

Electrical specialty work

Landscaping (C-27)

Gardens, lawns, shrubs, vines, bushes, trees, and other decorative vegetation; construct conservatories, hot and green houses, drainage and sprinkler systems, all types of rockscaping and ornamental pools, fountains, ornamental walls, fences, and walks; and placement of hydro mulching, irrigation control electrical wiring (less than 24 volts)

Lathing (C-36a)

Wood and metal lath to support plaster coatings, including metal framing needed to support the lath

Maintenance Electrician

Electrical maintenance

Masonry (C-31)

Brick, baked clay products, rough/cast stone, marble, granite, decorative plaster, veneer, CMU, structural glass brick/block, fire clay products, refractories, grout, rubble work, caulking, tuckpointing, sandblasting, mortar; and drill, cut, and core concrete

Master Plumbing

Plumbing system, including drains, waste, sanitary vents, water supply systems, fixtures, and gas systems

Mechanical Insulation (C-2)

Insulation materials on mechanical systems for the purpose of temperature control

Miscellaneous Retail Products (C-53)

Contract for the installation of retail products sold, as long as the installation is done by a subcontractor who is properly licensed

Ornamental, Guardrail, and Fencing (C-32)

Folding gates, guardrails, handrails, stairs, fencing and gates, window shutters and grills, room dividers and shields, accessories, railings, and traffic safety devices

Painting and Decorating (C-33)

Painting and decorating, including highway and parking striping using emulsions, waxes, epoxies, polyesters, urethane, liquidglass, fibrous cement and ruber base coatings. Includes incidental surface preparation like caulking, sandblasting, waterblasting, power cleaning, steam cleaning, decorative texturing, taping, and fishing of drywall

Pile Driving, Pile and Caisson Drilling, and Foundation (C-35)

Drill holes for pilings and caissons, drive the pile and set the caissons. Includes pile cutting and capping, foundation compacting and vibrafloat systems

Plastering (C-36)

Apply gypsum plaster, cement, and acoustical plaster to any surface, as part of multipurpose, acoustic, insulation, and fire retardant systems. Includes lath installation

Play Court Surfacing (C-3b)

Apply top or seal coating to achieve a level, suitable play, court surface

Plumbing (C-37)

Plumbing systems, supply water piping systems, waste water piping systems, fuel gas piping systems, other fluid piping systems, equipment, instrumentation, non-electric controls, fixture for these systems, venting for waste water piping systems, venting for fuel gas piping systems, including piping for vacuum, air, and medical gas systems, piping for spas and swimming pools, piping for lawn sprinkler systems, piping for irrigation systems, sewer lines, related sewer disposal work performed within property lines, fire protection sprinkler systems when supervised by licensed mechanical, engineers or licensed fire protection contractors, solar hot water heating systems, and incidental trenching, back filling, patching, and surface restoration

Pole (C-62a)

Strengthen poles by injecting into or encasing poles with fiberglass, polyurethane, or epoxy; also covers reinforcement of poles using steel trusses or braces

Pole and Line (C-62)

Dress, ground, anchor, and erect poles that will carry high voltage (600 volts phase to phase or more) electrical wires; connect and string electrical wires, fixtures, and apparatus to and between the poles, installation of pole-mounted transformers, street and highway lighting, and traffic signal systems

Post-Tensioning (C-38)

Apply compression to concrete structures through the use of steel bars or wires to bring them to proper tension after the structures are built/placed

Prefabricated Refrigerator Panels (C-40a)

Prefabricated refrigerator panels

Pumps Installation (C-57a)

Pumps and related equipment

Reconditioning and Repairing Pipelines (C-43a)

Repair or recondition water and sewer lines (manually and remotely)

Refractory (C-31c)

High-temperature fire clay and refractory products or equipment

Refrigeration (C-40)

Refrigeration devices, machinery and units, temperature insulation units, ducts, blowers, registers, humidity, thermostatic controls for the control of air temperature below fifty degrees, Fahrenheit, refrigerators, refrigerated rooms, Insulated refrigerated spaces, and construct walk-in refrigerator boxes

Reinforcing Steel (C-41)

Place and tie steel reinforcing bars (rods) of any profile, perimeter, or cross-section to reinforce concrete buildings and structures

Roof Coatings (C-42g)

Application of roof coatings for waterproofing and reflective purposes

Roofing (C-42)

Watertight coverings to roof surfaces, cedar, cement, asbestos, metal, and composition shingles, wood shakes, cement and clay tile, built-up roofing, single ply, fluid type of roofing systems, spray urethane foam, asphalt, protective/reflective roofs, and deck coatings

Scaffolding (C-10)

Erect or dismantle scaffolds

Sewer and Drain Line (C-37a)

Sewer lines from houses to city sewer with connections, and septic tank installation

Sewer, Sewage Disposal, Drain, and Pipe Laying (C-43)

Concrete and masonry sewers, packaged sewer disposal plants, sewage lift stations, septic tanks, and piping for sewers and manholes

Sheet Metal (C-44)

Cornices, flashings, gutters, downspouts, kitchen and laboratory equipment, duct work, metal flues, premanufactured sheet metal products, metal chutes, lockers, shelving, louvers, nonbearing metal partitions, plastic skylights, fiberglass ducts and fittings, installation of aluminum awnings, canopies, patio, covers, and seamless aluminum gutters

Siding Application (C-5b)

Aluminum vinyl or other manufactured siding to form a watertight surface

Sign (C-14)

Electrical or nonelectrical signs, devices, supports, and accessories

Soil Stabilization (C-34)

To stabilize the earth through the use of cement and/or chemical pressure grouting

Solar Energy Systems (C-61)

Solar hot water systems for buildings and swimming pools, and solar hearing and cooling for all types of buildings

Solar Heating and Cooling Systems (C-61b)

Solar heating and cooling systems

Solar Hot Water Systems (C-61a)

Collectors, storage vessels, controls, pumps, and related piping

Solar Power Systems (C-60)

Photovoltaic panels, batteries, controls, and related low voltage and DC wiring

Steel Door (C-48a)

Mechanical, overhead, sliding, and roll-up steel doors

Stone Masonry (C-31b)

Ornamental and veneer, structural walls, stone-paved surfaces, and retaining walls

Structural Steel (C-48)

Structural steel shapes (bars, rods, plates), structural steel members for buildings and structures, riveting, bolting, welding, and rigging, erection of prefabricated metal buildings, passenger loading bridges, metal roofing, metal siding installed on steel framing, overhead, sliding and roll-up steel doors or mechanical doors

Supervising Electrician

Supervise electrical work

Supervising Industrial Electrician

Supervise industrial electrical work (substation, switchgear, automatic controls and industrial facilities)

Supervising Specialty Electrician

Direct and supervise the performance of electrical work

Surface Treatment (C-33c)

To treat surfaces by using, but not limited to, sandblasting, water blasting, power cleaning, or steam cleaning. This also includes the application of sealants in connection with the above

Swimming Pool (C-49)

Concrete, gunite, metal, and plastic type pools, whirlpool baths, hot tubs, jacuzzis, pool decks, walkways, pool piping, pumps, heaters, electric pool lights, and interior pool finishing

Swimming Pool Service (C-49a)

Service of swimming pools, whirlpool baths, and Jacuzzi pumps, filters, heaters and related circulation piping, acid washing and repainting, repairs to pool tile, coping stones, plaster, and decks

Taping (C-33b)

Fill and tape joints and indentations in wallboard to achieve a smooth surface to serve as the base for future finishes

Telecommunications (C-15b)

Telephone, computer, and data systems, and related cabling, wiring, and fiber optics

Terrazzo (C-51b)

Place and finish terrazzo and liquid membrane with terrazzo chips

Tile (C-51)

Ceramic, mosaic, granite, terrazzo, tile

Treatment and Pumping Facilities (C-37e)

Equipment and piping systems in connection with wastewater treatment, water distribution, and water pumping facilities

Tree Trimming and Removal (C-27b)

Prune, trim, and remove trees, and stumps

Tuckpointing and Caulking (C-31d)

Tuckpointing, caulking, and sealing of concrete block and pre-cast stone; caulk metal to concrete and masonry, and spall repair

Urethane Foam (C-42e)

Apply urethane foam coatings to roofs

Vacuum and Air Systems (C-37c)

Tubing for air systems, pneumatic conveyor systems, and central vacuum systems for conveying material

Ventilating and Air Conditioning (C-52)

Warm-air heating, air cooling systems, heating and cooling solar systems, including thermal and acoustical insulation

Wall Coverings (C-33a)

Apply wall covering materials like vinyl, wallpapers, wood veneer, cloth fabric, and fibrous type coverings

Water Chlorination and Sanitation (C-37d)

Chlorinate or sanitize water or water lines

Waterproofing (C-55)

Waterproofing exterior walls and between slabs, both above and below grade, planter boxes, tank linings and application of tank coatings, and application to parking decks, play courts, and walking decks to form a watertight, non- skid surface, but not to include the work of the C-42 roofing contractor

Welding (C-56)

Welding of pipe lines, tanks, pressure vessels, guard rails, and fire escapes

Well (C-57)

Water wells, injection wells, water well pumps, pump controls, concrete pump base and waterline to adjacent storage tank

Wood and Vinyl Fencing (C-32a)

Wood and vinyl fencing

Wood Shingles and Shakes (C-42b)

Installation of shingles and shakes made of wood or any other material