Get general contractor leads in the US

Guide last checked September 14, 2026.

• Alabama

  Alabama's general contractor licence turns on the cost of the undertaking, including labor and materials, at the level state law sets, and swimming pool work has its own, much lower threshold. A subcontractor working under a licensed prime contractor has to be licensed at the same thresholds, so ask the main contractor which subs are licensed too.

  Sources: Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors – Law · Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors – License search

  For a new home, or a remodel or repair of an existing one, the Home Builders Licensure Board is the board to check. It tells you to verify the builder in its licensee search before you sign a contract above the value it names, to ask to see the home builder licence card, and to ask whether the builder carries insurance and for proof of it.

  Sources: Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board – How to hire a builder · Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board – Consumers

• Alaska

  Alaska requires contractors to be registered, and it is enforced actively: Mechanical Inspection enforces contractor registration and certificate of fitness requirements throughout Alaska, with a full-time investigator who conducts civil and criminal enforcement and state inspectors who report violations they find on site.

  Sources: Alaska Mechanical Inspection – Contractor licensing enforcement

  If you suspect the person you hired is unregistered or uncertified, there is a direct route: the Mechanical Inspection section takes public complaints about unlicensed contractors, and forwards breaches of Alaska's electrical and mechanical administrator requirements to the state licensing division for further action.

  Sources: Alaska Mechanical Inspection – Contractor licensing enforcement · Alaska Labor Standards and Safety Division

  Do not assume the State Fire Marshal will review your house plans. Residential housing that is a three-plex or smaller is exempt from state plan review, and the review that does happen covers fire and life safety rather than structural design or general accessibility. For a house, your local building department is the one that checks the structure.

  Sources: Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety – Building plan review

• Arizona

  It is unlawful in Arizona to engage in the business of, act as, or offer to act as a contractor without a contractor's licence in good standing. Licences are issued by classification: general residential contracting, general commercial building contracting, general dual licensed contracting, general engineering contracting, and specialty residential, commercial or dual licensed contracting. Ask which classification the licence carries and whether it covers your job.

  Sources: Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1151 – Contracting without a licence · Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1102 – Classification of licences

  Above a contract value the statute sets, an Arizona home improvement contract must be in writing and must carry the contractor's name, business address and licence number, the jobsite address, the date the parties signed, the estimated completion date, a description of the work, the total to be paid, any deposit, and the stage of construction at which each progress payment is due. It must also state, prominently, that you may file a written complaint with the Registrar, and give the Registrar's phone number and website.

  Sources: Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1158 – Contract requirements

  The residential contractors' recovery fund exists for owners who occupy, or intend to occupy, the damaged property as their primary residence, and for certain trusts, limited liability companies, lessees and homeowner associations. The contractor must have held a valid residential contractor licence when the contract was signed, the first payment was made or the work began, so hiring an unlicensed contractor puts you outside the fund entirely.

  Sources: Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1132 – Residential contractors' recovery fund

• Arkansas

  The Attorney General's office puts the rule plainly: a contractor building, repairing or doing improvements to a home costing more than the amount set in law must be bonded and licensed by the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. Verify the licence, when it was issued and whether complaints have been filed before you sign anything.

  Sources: Arkansas Attorney General – Home improvements

  The same office lists what belongs in the written contract: a complete and detailed description of the work and the materials, including grade, quality and quantity; a provision requiring your written approval before any price increase or expansion of scope; start and completion dates; a statement of the contractor's guarantee; and both signatures. It warns against limited-time offers, out-of-town door-to-door solicitors and anyone who wants the price settled later.

  Sources: Arkansas Attorney General – Home improvements · Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board – Find a licensed contractor

• California

  One state board licenses contractors in California. Licences are issued as general engineering (A), general building (B), residential remodeling (B-2) and specialty (C) classifications, and the classification has to match the work. Ask for the licence number and classification before you sign.

  Sources: CSLB – Licensing classifications · Contractors State License Board (CSLB)

  State law exempts only work that is casual, minor or inconsequential below a contract value set in statute, and the exemption does not apply where the work requires a building permit, where it is part of a larger operation, or where contracts are split to get around the rule.

  Sources: California Business and Professions Code, section 7048 – Small operations

  CSLB's licence check shows complaint disclosure alongside the licence details, so you can see a contractor's record before you hire.

  Sources: CSLB – Check a license · CSLB – Hire a licensed contractor

• Colorado

  There is no single state licence for general contracting in Colorado, so the rule depends on where you live. Denver issues its own contractor licences and certificates and will not accept one from another county or state, and Aurora runs its own contractor and supervisor licensing. Ask your city what it requires before you compare bids.

  Sources: Denver Community Planning and Development – Contractor licensing · Aurora – Building Division

  Check an electrician's or plumber's licence yourself in the state licence lookup, which covers every profession the Division regulates. The Electrical Board also publishes consumer guidance on hiring, including what to look for in a home improvement contract and how to avoid disaster-repair scams.

  Sources: Colorado DORA – Licence lookup · Colorado State Electrical Board – Consumer resources

• Connecticut

  Under the Home Improvement Act an individual or business must register with the Department of Consumer Protection to contract with a consumer for work on residential property. The registration is a registration, not a trade exam, so treat it as the entry ticket rather than proof of skill — and check the HIC number on eLicense before you hire.

  Sources: CT Department of Consumer Protection – Home improvement applications · CT Department of Consumer Protection – Home improvement

  Home improvement projects are required to have a written contract before the project starts, and DCP tells homeowners to look for five things in it: the verified HIC number, a summary of the work and materials, the start, completion and signing dates, the cost and payment schedule, and a notice of your right to cancel. You can cancel up to midnight on the third business day, and no work should start during that cooling-off period.

  Sources: CT Department of Consumer Protection – Home improvement projects require a contract and a registered contractor

  Building a new house is a separate registration again: new home construction contractors register with DCP, not as home improvement contractors. If your project is a new dwelling rather than work on an existing one, check for that registration.

  Sources: CT Department of Consumer Protection – Home improvement

• Delaware

  There is no general contractor or home improvement contractor board in Delaware — the Division of Professional Regulation's list of boards covers electrical and plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, but nothing for general contracting. The registration that does apply is with the Department of Labor, and you can look a contractor up in the state's registry of registered construction contractors.

  Sources: Delaware Division of Professional Regulation – Boards and commissions · Delaware – Registered construction contractors

  Two things are worth asking for before you hire: the contractor's registration, which the statute requires before they perform construction services or maintenance, and their Delaware business licence, which the Division of Revenue requires of any contractor conducting business activity in the state. The Department of Justice also publishes home improvement regulations covering contracts with consumers.

  Sources: Delaware Title 19 chapter 36 – Contractor registration · Delaware Division of Revenue – Contractors, resident and non-resident · Delaware Department of Justice – Home improvement regulations

  Whatever else happens, the state fire marshal reviews the plans and specifications for new buildings, additions and modifications to existing buildings for compliance with the regulations. Ask your builder when that review will happen and who is responsible for submitting the plans.

  Sources: Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal

• District of Columbia

  Ask which DC licence the contractor holds. Home improvement contractors and general contractors doing residential work are two different categories with different requirements, and both are required to designate and maintain a basic business licence for at least one home improvement salesperson.

  Sources: DC DLCP – Contractor and construction services licences

  Check the licence before you sign. DLCP points the public at Scout, its consolidated online database, where licences, enforcement actions and regulatory information on District businesses can be searched by street address, business name, person name, permit or licence number, and it also runs a separate search for occupational and professional licences.

  Sources: DC DLCP – Online resources and licence verification

• Florida

  A person must be certified or registered to engage in the business of contracting in Florida. A certified contractor holds a certificate of competency from the department and may contract anywhere in the state; a registered contractor met the competency requirements of one local jurisdiction and may only work there. Ask which one your contractor holds.

  Sources: Florida Statutes 489.113 – Certification or registration required · Florida Statutes 489.105 – Definitions and contractor divisions

  Unlicensed contracting is a crime in Florida: it is an offence to act as a contractor, or to advertise as available to do so, without being duly registered or certified, and the penalties rise for repeat offences and during a declared state of emergency. Contracts must also carry the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund notice.

  Sources: Florida Statutes 489.127 – Unlicensed contracting prohibited · Florida Statutes 489.1425 – Recovery fund notice in contracts

• Georgia

  Residential and general contractors are licensed by the same state board, in separate divisions with their own tiers: the residential division separates basic from light commercial work, and the general division has a limited tier capped by contract value alongside a standard tier.

  Sources: Georgia – Qualifications for licensure, residential contractor division · Georgia – Qualifications for licensure, general contractor division

  Repair work has its own rules. Georgia defines repair as fixing, mending, maintenance, replacement or restoring part of a property to good condition, and sets conditions under which unlicensed people may do it, including disclosure requirements and limits on structural changes.

  Sources: Georgia – Repair work rules (Chapter 553-8)

  Georgia's mandatory codes apply to all construction whether or not the local government enforces them, so a project can be subject to a code even where no one inspects it. Confirm with your local building office which codes and permits apply.

  Sources: Georgia Department of Community Affairs – Mandatory and permissive state codes

• Hawaii

  The two triggers for a contractor licence are worth remembering together: the value of labour and material, and whether the job needs a permit. If your project needs a building, electrical or plumbing permit at all, the person doing it must be a licensed contractor regardless of how small the bill is.

  Sources: Hawaii DCCA – Hire a licensed contractor

  Verify the licence yourself rather than accepting a card. The Department publishes a free online licence search where you can see the original licence date, expiration date, licence status and any disciplinary action, and it also takes licence checks by phone.

  Sources: Hawaii DCCA – Hire a licensed contractor · Hawaii Contractors License Board

  The code that applies to your house is your county's, not the state's directly. The Council adopts the statewide codes and the counties then amend and adopt them for their own jurisdiction, so check with your county's building department which edition and which local amendments are in force before design work starts.

  Sources: Hawaii State Building Code Council – Building code rules · Hawaii State Building Code Council

• Idaho

  Registration is not a competence test, but it is compulsory, and it works both ways: a contractor may not engage another contractor who is required to register without satisfactory proof of registration. Anyone acting as a contractor, registered or not, submits to the jurisdiction of the Idaho Contractors Board.

  Sources: Idaho Code 54-5204 – Contractor registration required

  Check both things before you sign: the contractor's registration and any trade licence the job needs. The Division's public search covers contractor registrations and trade licences in the same place, and it is where formal actions against registered contractors are published.

  Sources: Idaho DOPL – Licence search · Idaho Contractors Board

• Illinois

  Roofing contractors are licensed by IDFPR under the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act. General contractors are not on the state's list of licensed professions, so ask your city whether it licenses or registers contractors.

  Sources: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation – Roofing contractors · IDFPR – Licensed professions

• Indiana

  The Professional Licensing Agency's list of professions has no general contractor, remodeler or home improvement licence, so for general renovation work there is no state licence to check. Ask your city or county building department what it requires instead, and ask the contractor for references and proof of insurance.

  Sources: Indiana Professional Licensing Agency – Professions

  The code that applies to a new house is the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, which adopts the 2018 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings and has been in effect since December 2019. Ask your builder which edition the plans were drawn to, since the commission's rules tables show several older Indiana residential codes that have since been repealed.

  Sources: Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission

  If your project is a Class 1 structure, the plans must be filed with the state and released before construction, and filing is electronic. Since July 2026 some plans can be released without a review, including a remodel, renovation or repair of a structure that is not changing use and is located in Indianapolis, but they still have to be submitted and may still be selected for review.

  Sources: Indiana Department of Homeland Security – Building Plan Review

• Iowa

  Contractor registration in Iowa is not proof of skill. The definition of construction is deliberately broad and covers carpenters, electricians, plumbers, roofers, painters and many others, and the registration itself is about tax, insurance and public information. Treat it as the floor, then ask separately about trade licences, references and insurance.

  Sources: Iowa DIAL – Contractor registration

  An out-of-state contractor must file a bond before registering, and having a branch office in Iowa does not exempt them, so ask where the business is actually based. The department lists every building, construction and trade credential it issues in one place if you are not sure which one your job needs.

  Sources: Iowa DIAL – Contractor registration · Iowa DIAL – Building, construction and trades licences

• Kansas

  Because Kansas has no state contractor licence, the only question that matters is which local programme applies. In Johnson County a Class A licence covers any structure, a Class B licence structures of no more than three storeys and a Class C licence single-family or duplex homes and their accessory buildings — and none of the three entitle the holder to do HVAC, plumbing, electrical or fire protection work.

  Sources: Johnson County – New licence and licence types

  Roofing is the one trade with a state-level check anywhere in Kansas: a roofing contractor must hold a registration certificate from the Attorney General to provide roofing services for a fee, and the office maintains a public registry of registrants. Ask for the certificate before any storm-damage work begins.

  Sources: Kansas Attorney General – Roofing Registration

• Kentucky

  The state department's own list of who it licenses runs to plumbers, electricians, boiler contractors, sprinkler and fire alarm contractors and building inspectors. A general contractor or remodeler is not on that list, so on a general renovation there is no state licence to look up. Ask your city or county instead: Lexington requires every contractor to register, and unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits there.

  Sources: Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Lexington – Building Inspection

  Zoning is a local issue in Kentucky and the requirements vary substantially from place to place, so the state's own advice is to contact your local county clerk, city clerk or planning and zoning office. Do that before you commit to a design, not after the drawings are paid for.

  Sources: Kentucky Business One Stop – Building and zoning permits

• Louisiana

  Louisiana has two residential tiers. Above the value set in law, residential construction and home improvement work on an existing residence need a residential contractor licence; below that, a home improvement registration covers reconstruction, alteration, renovation, repair, modernization, conversion, improvement, removal or demolition from the lower value the Board sets. Ask which of the two the firm holds, because they are not interchangeable.

  Sources: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors – Types of licenses

  The Board's own line is that verifying licensure greatly reduces your chances of becoming a victim of contractor fraud and can save you time, money and damages in the long run. Its search lets you look a firm up by name, licence number, city, parish, type of contractor or qualifying party, so a half-remembered company name is usually enough.

  Sources: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors – Verify licensure

• Maine

  There is no general contractor licence to ask for in Maine — the Attorney General says general contractors and trades such as roofing and framing are not licensed or regulated. That puts the weight on the contract, on references, and on the trade licences that do exist for electrical and plumbing work.

  Sources: Maine Attorney General – Home construction and repair

  A home construction contract above the value the statute sets must be in writing and signed by both the contractor and the homeowner. It must name the parties and the property, give the start and substantial completion dates, state the price, the payment method and the down payment terms, describe the work and materials, carry a warranty statement and a dispute resolution option, and say that change orders must be in writing.

  Sources: Maine Title 10 section 1487 – Home construction contracts · Maine Title 10 section 1486 – Definitions

  If you are wiring a newly built single-family home you occupy yourself, Maine allows you to make the installation, but it must meet the National Electrical Code and be certified by a state or local electrical inspector, or by a licensed master or limited electrician, before the utility turns the power on.

  Sources: Maine Title 32 section 1102-D – Single-family dwelling exception

• Maryland

  Only an MHIC licensed contractor may enter into a home improvement contract with a homeowner, so ask for the licence number and check it before you sign anything. Since 2016 a subcontractor working for a licensed contractor no longer needs a licence of their own, which means the licence to check is the one belonging to the firm you are contracting with.

  Sources: Maryland Home Improvement Commission

  Your contract must be in writing and legible, and it must carry the contractor's name, address and MHIC licence number, a description of the work and the materials, and the approximate dates when work will start and be substantially complete. You must be given a signed copy before the work starts.

  Sources: Maryland Home Improvement Commission – Home improvement contracts

• Massachusetts

  No contractor or subcontractor may undertake, offer to undertake or agree to perform residential contracting services without being registered with the approval of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

  Sources: Massachusetts General Laws c.142A §9 – Registration of contractors

  Residential contracting covers reconstruction, alteration, renovation, repair, modernization, conversion, improvement, removal, demolition and additions to a pre-existing owner-occupied building of one to four dwelling units, so the registration rule follows the type of home rather than the size of the job.

  Sources: Massachusetts General Laws c.142A §1 – Definitions

• Michigan

  State law defines a residential builder as a person who contracts to erect, construct, replace, repair, alter, add to, improve, wreck or demolish a residential structure, meaning a detached one- or two-family dwelling or a townhouse of no more than three storeys above the grade plane. Owners building or altering a structure on their own property for their own use and occupancy are exempt, as is a single small project under a contract value the statute sets. Anyone else needs the state licence.

  Sources: Michigan Compiled Laws 339.2401 – Definitions · Michigan Compiled Laws 339.2403 – Acting without a licence

  Check any Michigan builder, electrician, plumber or mechanical contractor by name, business name or licence number in the state's licensee search before you sign anything. The bureau also investigates consumer complaints against the people and businesses it licenses, so there is somewhere to take a problem.

  Sources: Michigan LARA – Licensee search · Michigan LARA – About the Bureau of Construction Codes

• Minnesota

  A licence is required of every residential building contractor and remodeler who contracts with a homeowner and offers more than one special skill. The exemption for owners is narrower than people assume: an owner working on their own property still needs a licence if the work is for speculation or resale. Ask for the licence number and check it before you sign.

  Sources: Minnesota DLI – Residential contractors, remodelers, roofers

  Check a contractor, remodeler, roofer, electrician or plumber in the department's licence and registration lookup before you sign. The department publishes contractor enforcement and licensing actions, runs a contractor recovery fund for homeowners and hosts a home warranty dispute resolution process.

  Sources: Minnesota DLI – License and registration lookup · Minnesota DLI – Residential contractors, remodelers, roofers

• Mississippi

  The board sets three separate thresholds: one for commercial jobs, a higher one for new residential construction, and a lower one for residential remodeling, additions and roofing. All contractors and subcontractors on a commercial job above the commercial threshold need a commercial licence, including firms only installing equipment. Ask which licence the firm holds and confirm your job sits inside it.

  Sources: Mississippi State Board of Contractors – Frequently asked questions

  The residential builder classification covers construction, remodeling, repair or improvement of a residential building to be occupied by fifty or fewer families and not more than three floors in height. A residential remodeler is limited to remodeling, repair or improvement of a residential building not more than three floors, and a residential roofer to residential roof coverings and roof drainage only.

  Sources: Mississippi State Board of Contractors – Classifications

  The board's own advice is blunt: for your protection you should always hire a licensed contractor, get proof the contractor is licensed, and contact the licensing board to check the status. It warns that unlicensed contractors may suggest you pull your own permit to save money, and then do shoddy work, or in some cases no work at all, costing you far more in the long run.

  Sources: Mississippi State Board of Contractors – Hire a contractor

• Missouri

  There is no state board for general contractors, so for a renovation there is no state licence to check. The rule is whatever your city sets: Springfield reviews permit applications against its own contractor and trade licensing codes, and St. Louis will not let construction start without a City building permit. Ask your city what it licenses before you sign.

  Sources: Missouri Division of Professional Registration – Listings of boards · Springfield – Building Development Services

  The division's licensee search covers every board it administers, including electrical contractors, so a statewide electrical licence can be checked in seconds. For any other trade the check has to happen with your city or county, because that is where the licence is issued.

  Sources: Missouri Division of Professional Registration – Licensee search · Missouri Division of Professional Registration – Listings of boards

• Montana

  Since January 2026 every construction contractor in Montana must hold a state licence, not just a registration. The statute reaches anyone who, in an independent business, offers to undertake, undertakes or bids to construct, alter, repair, add to, improve, move, wreck or demolish a building or other improvement attached to real estate for someone else, including roofing, siding and floor covering.

  Sources: Montana Construction Contractor Licence Program

  The Licensee Lookup System is the state's primary source for verifying the credentials of Montana licensees, and it is free. The Department notes that it relies on licensees to keep their information accurate and that some disciplinary actions may not be posted immediately, so it is worth asking the board directly if something looks unclear.

  Sources: Montana – Licensee Lookup System · Montana State Electrical Board

• Nebraska

  Ask for the contractor's Nebraska registration number, and treat it as a starting point rather than a verdict. The Department of Labor states plainly that the registration is a requirement and does not ensure quality of work or protect against fraud, so references, proof of insurance and a written contract still matter.

  Sources: Nebraska Department of Labor – Who needs to register as a contractor

  The energy code reaches ordinary renovations, not just new houses. Nebraska's residential energy provisions apply to new buildings, additions and renovations of detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, and the state enforces them itself where the town or county has adopted no energy code.

  Sources: Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment – Energy codes

• Nevada

  One licence covers general engineering, general building, both together, or a specialty subclassification, and each licence carries a monetary limit as well as a scope. The person who qualifies the licence must be an owner, officer, member, manager or employee actively engaged in the business, with at least four full years of experience in that classification within the previous fifteen years.

  Sources: Nevada State Contractors Board – Licence requirements · Nevada State Contractors Board – Licence classifications

  The Board publishes a Home Improvement Bill of Rights: you have the right to hire only licensed contractors and to check the licence, to see past work and references, to get at least three bids, to pay as work is completed, not to pay cash, to withhold the final payment until the contracted work is done, to one project price covering all labour and materials, to a written payment schedule and completion date, and to require your contractor to obtain a building permit.

  Sources: Nevada State Contractors Board – Home Improvement Bill of Rights

  The Residential Recovery Fund is open only to owners of single-family residences who contracted with a licensed residential contractor since October 1, 1999, suffered actual damages and exhausted every other means of recovery. It is explicitly not available to anyone who hired an unlicensed contractor, and it does not guarantee recovery of the whole loss.

  Sources: Nevada State Contractors Board – Residential Recovery Fund

• New Hampshire

  There is no state general contractor licence in New Hampshire to check, so the checks that remain are the trade licences the job needs, references, proof of insurance and the permit itself. The work still has to meet the state building code, whoever does it.

  Sources: NH RSA 155-A – State Building Code · NH RSA 319-C – Electricians

  The state building code adopts named editions of the international codes and the National Electrical Code, and a building permit may be approved only where the work complies with it. Where a municipality has appointed a local enforcement agency, that agency enforces the code; where none exists, the state fire marshal or the marshal's designee may enforce it.

  Sources: NH RSA 155-A – State Building Code

• New Jersey

  Home improvement contractors are registered with the state: the Division of Consumer Affairs verification system lists home improvement business contractors alongside electrical business permits and master plumbers, so you can check a business before you hire it. Some cities also register contractors that hold no state licence.

  Sources: New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs – License verification · Jersey City – Division of the Construction Code Official

  New Jersey's code is statewide but enforcement is local: the Department investigates alleged violations and reviews local budgets, while it issues permits itself only for state buildings and for municipalities that have asked it to take over enforcement.

  Sources: New Jersey DCA – Office of Regulatory Affairs · New Jersey DCA – State and local inspections

• New Mexico

  New Mexico requires a state licence for anyone practising or offering to practise construction contracting, so there is one place to check no matter where in the state the job is. The division publishes a licence verification route on its own site, and tells homeowners in its guidance on roof damage claims to verify the contractor holds a valid licence before work starts.

  Sources: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department – Construction Industries Division · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department – Verify a licence

  New Mexico's energy requirements are set at state level: the Construction Industries Commission adopted the 2021 New Mexico Residential Energy Conservation Code and the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Energy Code, both effective 30 July 2024. If you are building new or doing a deep renovation, ask your designer which of those applies.

  Sources: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department – Construction Industries Division

  Verify the licence through the Regulation and Licensing Department's own verification page, which routes Construction Industries Division licences to the division's public search. Doing that before signing is the single most useful check, because an unlicensed contractor is outside the division's enforcement reach in the way a licensed one is not.

  Sources: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department – Verify a licence

• New York

  Contractor licensing in New York is local, not statewide, so the rule depends on where you live. In New York City a Home Improvement Contractor licence is required for construction, repair, remodeling and other home improvement work, including basements, driveways, fences, garages, patios, porches, swimming pools and terraces. Buffalo issues its own contractor licences.

  Sources: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection – Home Improvement Contractor licence · Buffalo – Permit and Inspection Services

  Before you hire in New York City, check the contractor's licence status with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, which licenses tens of thousands of businesses across dozens of industries.

  Sources: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection – Check licence status

  The Uniform Code and the Energy Code sit in Title 19 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, and the Code Council updates them: the 2025 editions of the Residential, Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Fire, Property Maintenance and Existing Building Codes of New York State took effect on December 31, 2025.

  Sources: NYS Department of State – Notice of adoption of the Uniform Code · NYS Department of State – Building Standards and Codes

• North Carolina

  A general contractor must be licensed by the state once the project reaches the value the Board sets, so ask for the licence number before you sign. Licences come in classifications, such as Building Contractor and Residential Contractor, and in limits that cap the value of a single project.

  Sources: NC Licensing Board for General Contractors – Consumer FAQ · NC Licensing Board for General Contractors – Classifications and limitations

• North Dakota

  Ask for the licence class, not just the licence. North Dakota's four contractor classes each cap the value of the work the holder may take on, so a contractor can hold a valid licence that does not stretch to your project. Licences renew every year, so confirm the current one rather than a certificate from a past season.

  Sources: North Dakota Secretary of State – Contractors

  Whether a building inspector ever sees your project depends on your jurisdiction. Adoption of the State Building Code is a local choice; a jurisdiction that adopts it must adopt and enforce the state code, and may add local amendments. Ask your city or county whether it has adopted the code before you assume an inspection is coming.

  Sources: North Dakota Department of Commerce – Building codes

• Ohio

  There is no Ohio general contractor or home improvement licence at state level. The licensing board says plainly that all local building and health departments regulate residential contractors, so the rule depends on the city: Cincinnati requires annual contractor registration before it will issue any permit, and Toledo licenses contractors, journeymen and apprentices itself and requires home improvement and remodeling contractors to complete ten hours of continuing education each year to renew.

  Sources: Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board · Cincinnati – Contractor registration · Toledo – Contractor licence renewal

  Check an electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing or refrigeration contractor in the board's eLicense Center, which searches by licence type and can also look up licensees by employer. For residential work, ask your local building department which registration or licence it requires, because that is where the residential rule lives.

  Sources: OCILB eLicense Center – License lookup · Ohio Department of Commerce – Construction Industry Licensing Board

• Oklahoma

  There is no state general contractor licence to check in Oklahoma, so the licence you verify is the trade licence. Oklahoma City puts it directly: the state requires all electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing and elevator contractors to be licensed and registered before performing work in Oklahoma, and the city requires its own registration on top for a longer list including residential building contractors.

  Sources: Oklahoma Construction Industries Board – Frequently asked questions · Oklahoma City – Building and trade permits

  The board tells homeowners to ask for the licence or registration number and verify it is current, to request to see the building permit, and to get a written contract setting the start date, a detailed description of what will and will not be done, and a completion date. It also warns that it has no authority over workmanship or general business practices, including financial disputes, insurance disputes or unfinished work, unless state law grants it.

  Sources: Oklahoma Construction Industries Board – Home repair tips · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board – Roofing

• Oregon

  A CCB licence is not optional for renovation work, and the Board's own line to consumers is blunt: anyone can pretend to be a contractor, so check licences. Licences carry endorsements — Residential General Contractor, Residential Specialty Contractor, Residential Limited Contractor and Residential Developer among them — so ask which endorsement the contractor holds before you sign.

  Sources: Oregon Construction Contractors Board – Licensing and endorsements · Oregon Construction Contractors Board

  Homeowners can apply for a building permit online through Oregon ePermitting, but participation is voluntary: each participating city or county decides which permits are sold online. Check whether your jurisdiction takes part before you plan around it.

  Sources: Oregon ePermitting – Online building permit application for homeowners

• Pennsylvania

  There is no state contractor licence to ask for in Pennsylvania: the Department of Labor and Industry says the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors or their employees. Some of the state's municipalities have their own licensing or certification rules, and the Commonwealth keeps no record of them, so ask your municipality directly what it requires.

  Sources: PA Department of Labor and Industry – Contractor licensing

  The registration that does apply is the home improvement contractor registration with the Office of Attorney General, required of anyone whose home improvement business reaches the threshold the Act sets. Under the Act a home improvement contract must be in writing, signed by both parties, and carry the contractor's registration number, the start and completion dates, a description of the work and materials, the price, any subcontractors, proof of liability insurance and your right to rescind.

  Sources: Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (Act 132 of 2008) · PA Business One-Stop Shop – Home improvement contractor registration

  Where a municipality has opted out of enforcing the Uniform Construction Code, residential code enforcement is done by certified third-party agencies hired by the property owner — which can mean you, not the builder. The Department of Labor and Industry publishes the list of which municipalities opted in or out, with the building code official's name and phone number, so check yours before you assume the town will inspect.

  Sources: PA Department of Labor and Industry – Municipal elections and contact information

• Rhode Island

  A contractor may not undertake, offer to undertake or bid for work on a structure without a current, valid certificate of registration, and the registration number must appear in their advertising — business cards, vehicles and directory listings included. If the work goes wrong, the board accepts complaints about negligent work, improper work, breach of contract and contract disputes, though the statute says the board does not itself order payment of damages.

  Sources: RI General Laws 5-65-3 – Registration for work on structures; building permit restrictions · RI General Laws chapter 5-65 – Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board · RI General Laws 5-65-11 – Complaints to the board

  Registration is enforced at the permit counter. A city, town or the state shall not issue a building permit to anyone required to be registered who does not have a current, valid registration or licence, and where a homeowner pulls the permit themselves the building official must find out the registration number of every contractor on site and report unregistered ones to the board.

  Sources: RI General Laws 5-65-3 – Registration for work on structures; building permit restrictions

• South Carolina

  A residential builder licence covers anyone who constructs, superintends, or offers to construct or superintend the construction, repair, improvement or reimprovement of a residential building not over three floors and with no more than sixteen units in a single apartment building, once the cost of the undertaking exceeds the level set in law. Anyone who engages or offers to engage in that undertaking is treated as being in the business of residential building, so the offer alone is enough to need the licence.

  Sources: South Carolina Residential Builders Commission – Residential builder

  Everything above sits inside one agency, the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which runs a single public licence lookup. Check the licence before the deposit, not after, and note whether the record shows a licence or only a registration, because they mean different things in South Carolina.

  Sources: South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

• South Dakota

  For a kitchen, a deck or a basement finish there is no state contractor licence to look up: the Department of Labor and Regulation's list of licensing agencies has no general contractor, home builder or remodeler board. Ask instead about the trade licences the job actually needs, references, proof of insurance and any licence your city requires.

  Sources: South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation – Occupational licensing agencies

  Because the state leaves general contracting unlicensed, your city's permit process is the main check on the work. Sioux Falls reviews construction documents against the International Codes it has adopted, including the International Building, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, and inspects plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems.

  Sources: Sioux Falls – Building Services

• Tennessee

  A contractor licence is required before contracting, including bidding, offering to engage or negotiating a price, once a project reaches the value the Board sets, whether the firm is acting as prime contractor, as certain subcontractors, or as construction manager or consultant. Ask for the licence number before you talk price, not after.

  Sources: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors – Contractor license

  Smaller residential remodeling falls under a separate home improvement licence, which covers a value band below the contractor threshold. The Board applies it only in the counties it lists: Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby. Outside those counties the home improvement licence does not apply, so check the contractor licence instead.

  Sources: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors – Home improvement license

• Texas

  TDLR's list of licensed programmes includes no general contractor, home builder or remodeler licence, so for general renovation work there is no state licence to check. Ask instead about the trade licences the job needs, references and insurance, and check any city registration where you live.

  Sources: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)

• Utah

  A Utah contractor licence belongs to the business, not to the person who qualified it, and the only lawful way to work under someone else's licence is as an officer or a W2 employee of that licensed business. If a qualifier leaves, both the qualifier and the licensee must tell the Division in writing within ten days and the business has sixty days to replace them.

  Sources: Utah DOPL – General contractor licence requirements · Utah DOPL – Contractor licensing frequently asked questions

  Lending and borrowing a licence are both criminal offences in Utah: the lender for aiding and abetting, the borrower for contracting without a licence. Paying an unlicensed worker as a 1099 contractor exposes both of you, because the Division can act against the worker for unlicensed contracting and against you for hiring them.

  Sources: Utah DOPL – Contractor licensing frequently asked questions

  The Residence Lien Recovery Fund is an alternative source of payment for contractors, labourers and suppliers whose liens are voided because the homeowner qualifies for protection under the Residence Lien Restriction and Lien Recovery Fund Act. The Division warns that available funds are extremely limited, and that condominium units in a building with more than two dwellings are usually not eligible, so it is not a substitute for checking a licence.

  Sources: Utah Residence Lien Recovery Fund

• Vermont

  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 · Vermont 26 V.S.A. chapter 106 – Residential contractors

  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 · Vermont Secretary of State – Residential contractor FAQs

  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

• Virginia

  A contractor licence has two parts: the class (A, B or C), which determines the value of the contracts and projects the licensee may perform, and the classification or specialty, which determines what type of work is allowed. Check both against your project.

  Sources: Virginia DPOR – Board for Contractors · Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100 – Contractor licence classes

  DPOR says regulatory boards set the minimum competency standards needed to practise without harming the public, and it runs a recovery fund for consumers. Filing a claim does not guarantee payment, and the fund is supported entirely by assessments paid by licensees rather than by tax revenue.

  Sources: Virginia DPOR – Consumers · Virginia DPOR – Recovery funds

• Washington

  Washington registers contractors rather than licensing them as general contractors: every contractor must register with L&I, and registration requires a surety bond and liability insurance. Check the registration is active before you hire.

  Sources: Washington L&I – Contractors · RCW 18.27.020 – Contractor registration required

  L&I advises hiring a registered construction contractor and using its verification tool to confirm the registration is active and the contractor is bonded and insured, along with the job-site safety record and licence history.

  Sources: Washington L&I – Hiring a contractor · Washington L&I – Verify a contractor, tradesperson or business

• West Virginia

  The licence requirement has no small-job carve-out: the statute bars anyone from acting as a contractor, or even bidding, without a licence. The exemptions are specific rather than general — owners working on their own property, employees paid by wages rather than contract price, material suppliers who do not install, public utilities and emergency equipment repairs among them.

  Sources: West Virginia Code 30-42-6 – Necessity for licence; exemptions

  Check the credential in the state's own database before you sign — the Division of Labor publishes separate searches for contractor licences, certified HVAC technicians and certified plumbers. An expired state contractor licence is not a technicality: Charleston lists it as a reason a permit application is denied.

  Sources: West Virginia Division of Labor – Licence database search · Charleston – Applying for licences

• Wisconsin

  The most useful check in Wisconsin is the permit. Nobody can pull a building permit for a one- or two-family dwelling without a Dwelling Contractor or Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification, or without holding or employing a certified Dwelling Contractor Qualifier. Ask your contractor which of those three they have before you sign.

  Sources: Wisconsin DSPS – Dwelling Contractor

  Check any trades credential in the state licence search before you sign. Wisconsin's standard electronic building permit form for a new one- or two-family dwelling requires contractor licence numbers and their expiry dates, so a contractor who cannot give you a number is a problem before the permit stage, not after.

  Sources: Wisconsin – Licence search · Wisconsin DSPS – One- and two-family (Uniform Dwelling Code)

• Wyoming

  Contractor licensing in Wyoming is municipal, so the answer depends on your city. Casper issues general and sub contractor licences through its Community Development Department, reviewed by the Chief Building Official, with proof of insurance required before issue. Cheyenne issues a company licence only together with a registered individual qualified supervisor.

  Sources: Casper – Contractor licensing · Cheyenne – Building permitting and licensing

  In Casper a permit is required before new construction, an addition, or the remodel, alteration or repair of any existing structure, with a short list of exceptions such as small unheated sheds, fences under a set height and finish work like painting and flooring. Permits are issued to a licensed contractor, to a homeowner working on their primary residence, or to a commercial owner or lessee, and lapse after a set period.

  Sources: Casper – Permit requirements · Casper – Building and fire codes

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