Renovation permits and contractor licences in Vermont

Trades that need a licence in Vermont

• General contracting and renovation

  A residential contractor must register with the Office of Professional Regulation before contracting with a homeowner for residential construction worth more than the amount the statute sets, counting both labour and materials. Registration gives you a registry to check and a place to complain; it is not an examination of skill, so use it alongside references rather than instead of them.

  Sources:Vermont Secretary of State – Residential contractor FAQs⁠(opens in a new tab)Vermont 26 V.S.A. chapter 106 – Residential contractors⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Consumer protection

  A registrant must execute a written contract before taking a deposit or starting residential construction above the statutory value, and that contract has to state the price on one of the permitted bases, the estimated start and completion dates, a description of the services and materials, and how amendments are approved and documented. Registrants must also carry liability insurance to the minimum the statute requires.

  Sources:Vermont 26 V.S.A. 5509 – Requirements of registrants⁠(opens in a new tab)Vermont Secretary of State – Residential contractor FAQs⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Electrical work

  Electrical work is licensed separately and by a different part of state government: the Electricians' Licensing Board sits with the Division of Fire Safety, not the Secretary of State. The law reaches anyone who installs, replaces or repairs an electrical installation without the right licence, and Type-S licences are limited to named specialties such as automatic heating, refrigeration and air conditioning, or well pumps.

  Sources:Vermont 26 V.S.A. chapter 15 – Electricians⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Plumbing

  All plumbing and specialty work performed in Vermont must be done by someone licensed under the plumbing chapter, apart from its listed exemptions. A specialist licence covers only its field — water heaters, hydronic heating or water treatment — so check that it matches your job.

  Sources:Vermont 26 V.S.A. chapter 39 – Plumbers and plumbing⁠(opens in a new tab)

• New-home building and warranty

  Registration does not apply to everything. The statute exempts employees working within their employer's scope, licensed professionals such as engineers, architects and licensed tradespeople acting within their own licence, appliance and equipment installation, landscaping, work on structures not attached to a dwelling, and emergency response work where registration is applied for afterwards.

  Sources:Vermont 26 V.S.A. chapter 106 – Residential contractors⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Certified trades

  Vermont's Division of Fire Safety reviews construction plans and issues state permits, and says a state work notice or permit must be obtained before the start of any work it covers. Ask the Division which permit your project needs, and ask your town office separately about local approvals.

  Sources:Vermont Division of Fire Safety – Permits, applications and forms⁠(opens in a new tab)Vermont Division of Fire Safety⁠(opens in a new tab)

Before you hire a contractor in Vermont

Practical checks you can do yourself, using official tools where they exist.

1. 1

   Check the contractor's residential contractor registration in the state's Find a Professional lookup.

   Official lookup: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation – Find a professional⁠(opens in a new tab)

2. 2

   Get the written contract before you pay a deposit, with the price basis, the dates, the work and how changes will be documented.

   Official lookup: Vermont 26 V.S.A. 5509 – Requirements of registrants⁠(opens in a new tab)

3. 3

   Ask for proof of the liability insurance the registration requires.

   Official lookup: Vermont 26 V.S.A. chapter 106 – Residential contractors⁠(opens in a new tab)

4. 4

   For electrical or plumbing work, check the trade licence issued through the Division of Fire Safety, not the contractor registration.

   Official lookup: Vermont Division of Fire Safety – Trade licensing and certifications⁠(opens in a new tab)

5. 5

   Ask the Division of Fire Safety which construction permit your project needs before work starts.

   Official lookup: Vermont Division of Fire Safety – Permits, applications and forms⁠(opens in a new tab)

6. 6

   Confirm the contractor's licence and insurance with your state or county government, and get the work, materials and price in writing.

   Official lookup: FTC – How to avoid a home improvement scam⁠(opens in a new tab)