Compiled from our state guides. Each figure was verified against the issuing board or statute on the date shown in that state’s guide (5 September to 20 October 2026). Bond and insurance coverage content reviewed by Tyler Williamson, Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent, North Carolina.
There is no national general contractor licence. Becoming a general contractor in the United States means meeting your state’s rules, and the gap between states is enormous. Washington asks for no exam and no experience. California asks for four years at journey level and two exams. Texas and Ohio have no state general contractor licence at all.
Most guides to this question describe one generic path and then add “check your state’s requirements”. That last line is the whole answer. This page sets out the path every state shares, then shows how far apart the states really are, using figures verified against each board.
What a general contractor is
A general contractor takes responsibility for a whole construction project for an owner. They price it, sign the contract, hire and coordinate the trades, pull the permits, and answer for the result. Many do some of the work themselves; what makes them a general contractor is the responsibility, not the tools.
States draw the legal line in different places. Georgia’s statute, for example, reserves the construction of commercial, institutional, industrial and public buildings for an owner to a licensed commercial general contractor. It also bars general contractors from doing licensed electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low-voltage or utility work themselves, and that pattern is common: a general contractor licence does not let you do the licensed trades. You hire licensed trade contractors for those.
Is a general contractor the same as a builder? In everyday use, often yes. In licensing, the words differ by state. Some states call their credential a “builder’s licence”; North Carolina has a Building Contractor classification within its general contractor licence. Search your state’s board for the term it actually uses.
The path every state shares
- Get real experience in construction. Most licensing states want years of it, documented and verified by someone who saw you work.
- Find out whether your state licenses general contractors, and above what job value. This single question changes everything that follows.
- Set up the business. The entity matters more than people expect. California charges a non-sole-owner more to issue and renew a licence; Georgia requires a business to name a licensed qualifying agent; Ohio assigns state trade licences to a contracting company.
- Meet the licensing requirements: application, exams, and any financial test.
- Get insured, and bonded if your state requires it. Several states make liability insurance a condition of the licence itself.
- Register locally and pull permits. Even with a state licence, cities and counties issue the permits, and in some states they license contractors too.
How the states compare
The nine states below are the ones we have fully verified. Figures come from the board or statute; follow the link for the detail behind each row.
| State | Licence needed above | Experience | Exams | Bond | Insurance required to license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $1,000 (no permit, no employees) | 4 years at journey level | Law & Business + trade | $25,000 | Workers’ comp for 5 classifications |
| Nevada | $1,000 (repair and maintenance) | 4 years (1,460 days) in the classification | Business & Law + trade | $1,000 – $500,000, set by the Board | Workers’ comp |
| Georgia | $2,500 (residential) | 2 years (Residential Basic) to 4 years | Yes, via PSI | None stated; net worth $25,000 – $150,000 | General liability $300,000 – $500,000 |
| Louisiana | $50,000 (commercial and residential); $7,500 home improvement registration | Not a years requirement in the materials we verified; exam-based | Business & Law + trade | Not standard | General liability $100,000 (residential) + workers’ comp |
| North Carolina | $40,000 | Not a years requirement in the materials we verified; exam-based | Yes, via PSI | Only as an alternative to working capital | None |
| Washington | Any construction work (registration) | None | None | $30,000 general / $15,000 specialty | General liability $200,000 / $50,000 or $250,000 |
| Ohio | No state GC licence; licensed by your city | 5 years (state trade licences only) | Trade exam (state trades only) | Set by cities (Columbus: $25,000) | $500,000 (state trade licences) |
| Florida | $2,500 (casual, minor handyman work only) | 4 years incl. 1 as foreman (or degree + 1 year) | Business & Finance + Contract Administration + Project Management | Only for a Financially Responsible Officer ($100,000) | $300,000 liability + $50,000 property damage (general/building) |
| Alabama | $10,000 residential ($2,500 roofing); $100,000 commercial | None stated for home builders (exam-based); commercial reviewed by the Board, with 3 references | Skills + Business & Law (Prov); commercial via PSI | Roofers licence only ($10,000) | None for home builders (written disclosure to homeowner); proof of liability for commercial |
Four ways states do it
A full state licence with experience and exams. California, Nevada, Georgia and Florida set a low dollar threshold, require documented years in the trade, and test you. This is the hardest route to enter and the most protective of licensees once they are in.
A state licence earned mainly by exam, with a high threshold. North Carolina lets you work unlicensed up to $40,000 per project, then licenses you largely on passing the exam and a financial test. Louisiana works on a similar exam-based model, at $50,000 for commercial and residential work. Alabama splits the two: homes need a licence above $10,000, earned by two open-book exams and a credit check with no years requirement, while commercial work needs a separate licence only at $100,000 or more.
Registration rather than licensing. Washington registers every construction contractor, with no exam and no experience requirement, but makes you post a bond and carry liability insurance first. Easy to enter, strict on financial protection.
No state general contractor licence. Ohio and Texas license specific trades at state level and leave general contractors to cities and counties. In those states the honest answer depends on where you will work. Contrast Georgia, where a state licence covers the whole state and cities cannot add their own.
How much experience you need
Where states require experience, they usually mean experience at a responsible level, not years spent as a helper. California gives credit only at journey level or as a foreman, supervising employee, contractor or owner-builder. Nevada wants 1,460 days in the specific classification requested, within the last fifteen years. Georgia’s commercial licence wants at least two of its four years working as or for a general contractor.
Education can shorten the clock in some states. California allows up to three years of credit for a completed apprenticeship or a four-year degree in construction technology or engineering, but at least one year must be practical experience. Georgia accepts a relevant degree plus one year of experience in place of the full four years.
The part that sinks applications is proof, not the number of years. Boards want named verifiers who saw your work, tax records, or permits pulled by the contractors you worked for. Ohio, for instance, wants five consecutive years of W-2s or Schedule C plus a second form of proof, and permits for sewer, water, gas or drain-cleaning work do not count. Start gathering documentation long before you apply.
The exams
Most licensing states test two things: business and law (contracts, liens, employment and tax obligations, state licensing law) and the trade itself. North Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and Ohio all use PSI as their testing vendor, as does Alabama for commercial licences; Alabama’s home builders exams are run by Prov. Retake limits are strict: Nevada allows three attempts at each exam, and Georgia three sittings within a year of approval, after which you wait a year.
Experienced builders usually find the trade exam the easier half. The business and law paper is where preparation pays.
What it costs
Board fees are the small part, from $50 for an Ohio state trade licence to $900 for two years in Nevada. The costs that decide whether you can afford to get licensed are elsewhere: bond premiums, liability insurance, CPA-prepared financial statements, and in some states capital you must hold. North Carolina requires working capital of $17,000 to $150,000 depending on the licence limit; Georgia requires net worth of $25,000 to $150,000. We break this down in how much a contractor license costs.
Insurance and bonds
Being a general contractor means carrying risk on other people’s property, and states increasingly make you prove you can cover it. Washington, Georgia, Louisiana (for residential work) and Ohio’s state trade licences all require general liability insurance as a condition of licensing. Nevada and Louisiana require workers’ compensation. North Carolina requires none, though clients and lenders will. Alabama asks commercial applicants for proof of liability insurance but requires none for a home builders licence; instead, builders must tell each homeowner in writing whether they are insured.
Bonds are a separate question. Five of the eleven states we have verified require one to be licensed; six do not. A bond protects your client, not you; insurance protects you. See licensed, bonded and insured for the difference, and contractor license bonds by state for the amounts.
How long it takes
Most boards do not publish a timeline, and the experience requirement is the long part: years, not weeks. Once you are eligible, the licensing process itself can be quick. North Carolina’s board indicates roughly two weeks of initial processing and about 30 days in total including the exam. Elsewhere the calendar is set by the board: Ohio’s trade sections meet every other month, and an application that misses the two-week deadline waits for the next meeting. In Georgia, exam approval is valid for one year.
Frequently asked questions
Can you become a general contractor without experience?
In some states. Washington requires no experience or exam to register. North Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama (for its home builders licence) qualify you mainly by exam. California, Nevada, Georgia and Florida require documented years, though California, Georgia and Florida accept education towards part of it.
Do you need a licence to be a general contractor in Texas?
Not from the state. Texas has no statewide general contractor licence. It licenses specific trades, such as air conditioning and refrigeration contractors through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Check with the city where you will work for any local registration.
What is the easiest state to become a general contractor in?
Of the states we cover, Washington has the lowest barrier to entry: no exam, no experience, a $150.20 fee. The trade-off is that you must post a $15,000 or $30,000 bond and carry general liability insurance before you can register.
How long does it take to become a general contractor?
Mostly as long as it takes to build the experience your state requires, which is four years in California and Nevada. The licensing process after that is usually weeks to a few months, depending on the board’s review schedule and exam availability.
Is a general contractor licence valid in other states?
No. Licences are issued by states, though some offer reciprocity. Georgia, for example, has reciprocity for its unlimited commercial licence with Louisiana and Mississippi, under conditions.
State guides
- How to get an Alabama home builders licence
- How to get a California contractor licence
- How to get a Florida general contractor licence
- How to get a Georgia general contractor licence
- How to get a Louisiana contractor licence
- How to get a Nevada contractor licence
- How to get a North Carolina general contractor licence
- How to get an Ohio contractor licence
- How to get a Washington contractor licence
More states are added as we verify them. If yours is missing, it is because we have not checked it yet.
Every figure on this page comes from our state guides, each verified against the issuing board or statute on the date shown there. Licensing rules change; confirm with your state board before you apply. This page is research, not legal advice.
