Fees and costs

Fee schedules change frequently. The figures below are drawn from source material and may not reflect the latest rate adjustments. Always confirm current fees with the licensing authority before applying.

How to read this table

The table below estimates the total upfront cost to obtain a general contractor license (or the nearest equivalent) in each jurisdiction. “Total estimated initial cost” adds the application fee, initial license or registration fee, required bond, and exam fee where available. It does not include insurance premiums, which vary by your business profile, or ongoing renewal costs. Bond amounts vary widely — some states set a flat amount, others scale by revenue, contract size, or license classification. Where a range exists, the table shows the minimum or most common tier.

Data completeness varies by jurisdiction. Some states publish detailed fee schedules; others bundle fees or adjust them annually. Entries marked “Varies” indicate that the source material did not include a fixed dollar amount, or that fees are determined case-by-case. This table is a starting point — not a final quote.

States with no state-level general contractor license

These jurisdictions do not issue a general contractor license at the state level. Costs for trade-specific licenses (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) vary. Local city and county licensing fees apply separately.

Jurisdiction	State-level licensing scope
Colorado	Electrical and plumbing only
Connecticut	Trade-specific only (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, elevator)
Illinois	Roofing certification only ($125 application; $10,000–$25,000 bond)
Indiana	Plumbing only; highway prequalification
Kansas	No contractor licensing; highway prequalification only
Kentucky	Trade-specific only (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, elevator, boiler, fire sprinkler)
Michigan	Trade-specific (electrical, mechanical, boiler, plumbing); residential builder license separate
Missouri	Electrical only ($200 application; $500,000 liability insurance required)
New Hampshire	Trade-specific (electrical, plumbing, asbestos, lead)
New York	Asbestos and elevator only
Ohio	Trade-specific (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, refrigeration)
Oklahoma	Trade-specific (electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing)
Pennsylvania	Home improvement registration; highway prequalification
South Dakota	Electrical and plumbing only; highway prequalification
Texas	Trade-specific only (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire sprinkler, elevator)
Wisconsin	Trade-specific; financial certification for 1-2 family dwellings
Wyoming	Electrical only

General contractor fee comparison

Sorted by estimated total initial cost, lowest to highest. All dollar values are bold.

Jurisdiction	Application fee	License fee	Bond	Exam fee	Est. total initial cost
Nebraska	—	$25/yr	—	—	$25
Montana	—	$70 (2-yr registration)	—	—	$70
Delaware	Included	$75/yr	—	Varies	$75+
Iowa	$150	Included	—	—	$150
Rhode Island	—	$150/yr	—	—	$150
North Carolina	$75–$125	Included	—	$79	$154–$204
Idaho	$50	$50/yr	—	$75	$175
Virgin Islands	$50	$130–$260	—	—	$180–$310
West Virginia	$90	$90/yr	Payroll-based	$60	$240+
Georgia	$100	$100/yr	—	$72	$272
Utah	$175	$119/yr	—	Varies	$294+
Minnesota	$120	$125/yr	—	$100	$345 + $500–$700 recovery fund
North Dakota	$100–$450	Included	—	—	$100–$450
Louisiana	$100 (1 classification)	Included	—	$150 trade + $150 B&L course	$400+ ($800+ for out-of-state with surcharge)
Mississippi	$400	Included	—	Varies	$400+
Tennessee	$250	$200 (biennial)	—	Varies	$450+
Alabama	$300 (prime) / $150 (sub)	$200/yr (prime) / $100/yr (sub)	—	Varies	$500+
Guam	$50	$400	—	$50	$500
Arizona	$200	$580 (2-yr)	Revenue-based	Varies	$780+ (commercial); $870+ (residential with recovery fund)
Vermont	—	Registration required	—	—	Varies
Virginia	$360 (Class A)	$240/yr	$50,000 (optional)	Varies	$600+
Hawaii	$50	$438–$663	$5,000 min	$150 exam + $150 recovery fund	$5,788–$6,013
Florida	Included	$409 (certified)	$5,000–$20,000	$215	$5,624–$20,624
New Mexico	$30	$150–$300/yr	$10,000	$65–$250	$10,245+
Arkansas	$100	$50/yr	$10,000	$80 (est.)	$10,230
Washington	—	$124.70 (biennial)	$12,000	—	$12,125
South Carolina	$350	$135 (biennial)	$20,000–$350,000	Varies	$20,485+
Oregon	—	$325	$25,000–$80,000 (commercial)	—	$25,325+
Alaska	$100	$250 (biennial)	$25,000	$95	$25,445
District of Columbia	$70	$654.50 (2-yr)	$25,000 (home improvement)	Included	$25,725
California	$450	$200–$350	$25,000 contractor + $25,000 QI	Varies	$50,650+
Nevada	Varies	Varies	Required (amount by monetary limit)	Varies	Varies
Maryland	$270	—	—	$63	$433 (home improvement; plus $100 guaranty fund)
Massachusetts	$150 (CSL)	Included	—	$100	$250 (CSL); plus $100–$500 guaranty fund
New Jersey	Varies	Registration	—	—	Varies
Maine	Varies	Varies	—	Varies	Varies (trade-specific only)

The “Est. total initial cost” column adds application, license, bond, and exam fees where known. It does not include general liability insurance premiums or workers’ compensation, which vary by payroll, classification code, and claims history. Bond costs shown are face values — the premium you pay a surety is typically 1–3% of the bond amount.

Understanding bond costs

The bond column shows the face value of the required surety bond. Contractors do not pay the full bond amount upfront. Instead, you pay a surety company a premium — typically 1–3% of the bond face value for contractors with good credit and financials. A $25,000 bond might cost $250–$750 in annual premium. States that require bonds as part of licensing include:

California: $25,000 contractor bond plus $25,000 qualifying individual bond (plus $100,000 for LLCs)
Alaska: $25,000 general contractor bond; $20,000 residential endorsement; $10,000 specialty/mechanical
Oregon: $25,000–$80,000 depending on commercial classification level
South Carolina: $20,000–$350,000 depending on license group
Washington: $12,000 general contractor, $6,000 specialty
New Mexico: $10,000 consumer protection code bond (all licensees)
Arkansas: $10,000 commercial contractor bond
Hawaii: $5,000 minimum, may increase based on financial review
Alabama: $15,000 performance bond (HVAC and refrigeration contractors)

Insurance is a separate cost

Most states require proof of general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage, but the premium you pay depends on your business size, payroll, trade classification, and claims history. Common state-mandated GL minimums include:

Minimum GL coverage	Jurisdictions
$50,000–$100,000	Alaska ($50,000 property; $100,000 injury), Minnesota ($100,000 per occurrence)
$250,000–$300,000	Idaho ($300,000), Kentucky plumbing ($250,000), Maryland home improvement ($50,000 liability)
$500,000	Iowa (plumbing/mechanical contractors), Kentucky HVAC ($500,000 GL, $300,000 property), Missouri electrical ($500,000)
$1,000,000	California (LLC), Mississippi ($300,000 per occurrence / $600,000 aggregate), Oregon (commercial Level 1)
$2,000,000	Maryland highway ($1M/$2M)

When estimating your total cost of entry into a new state, add the bond premium (1–3% of face value), the GL insurance premium, workers’ compensation, and any exam prep or continuing education costs on top of the fees shown above.

Compare

Workflows

How to read this table

States with no state-level general contractor license

General contractor fee comparison

Understanding bond costs

Insurance is a separate cost

​How to read this table

​States with no state-level general contractor license

​General contractor fee comparison

​Understanding bond costs

​Insurance is a separate cost

How to read this table

States with no state-level general contractor license

General contractor fee comparison

Understanding bond costs

Insurance is a separate cost