How to become a general contractor

How to become a general contractor, step by step

1. Learn a trade. Carpentry, masonry and other construction specialties are the usual start for people who go the experience route.
2. Or study construction, business or engineering. A bachelor's degree is typical for managers hired by large firms, and an associate degree plus experience can be enough for small projects.
3. Work your way up to running jobs: scheduling, budgeting, hiring subs and dealing with inspectors.
4. Pass your state's contractor exam where there is one, and line up insurance and any bond the state asks for.
5. Get the license, then start taking jobs under your own name.

Apprenticeship and on-the-job training

New construction managers are usually hired as assistants and work under an experienced manager for up to a year, sometimes longer.

College students can gain construction experience through internships and co-op programs.

Find registered openings near you in the Apprenticeship Job Finder. In each state page below, we note whether the state runs its own apprenticeship agency or works through the U.S. Department of Labor.

Trade school and other ways in

Bachelor's degree. Degrees in construction, business or engineering cover project control and management, design, construction methods and materials, and cost estimating.

Associate degree. An associate degree in construction management or construction technology, plus work experience, is typical for people who manage small projects.

Years in a trade. People with a high school diploma and many years in a construction trade can qualify, and they more often work as self-employed general contractors.

Licenses and exams

Some states require construction managers to be licensed, and most states license general contractors in some form: a full state license with an exam, a license only above a dollar amount, or a city permit desk. The state rows below show the ones we have checked.

Of the 48 states we have checked against the official boards, 18 require a state general contractor license, 19 license only part of the work, and 11 leave it to cities and counties. Every state, with fees and forms: general contractor licenses by state.

Certifications

Professional certifications. Not required, but they show a level of knowledge and experience.

EPA lead-safe firm certification. Anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes or child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified under the EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. That covers every firm, sole proprietors included, so it matters the day you go out on your own.

What general contractors earn

General contractors earned a median $55.28 an hour in May 2025. The lowest-paid tenth earned under $33.50 and the top tenth over $91.08.

BLS has no separate wage figure for general contractors. These are its numbers for construction managers, the group BLS files general contractors under. They count managers on a payroll, so owners who run their own contracting business are not in them.

Among the states with a page below, the highest medians are in Massachusetts ($69.71), Alaska ($66.92) and California ($64.02).

BLS counts 609,100 jobs for construction managers and projects 9 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 49,700 openings a year.

Pay in every state: general contractor salary by state.

From the truck to your own shop

Self-employed construction managers have to find their own clients, so business skills matter as much as building skills.

Retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient is expected to create work for general contractors, who are more likely to manage renovations than large new projects.

Before you go out on your own, price your hours. At the national median of $55.28, the labor rate calculator gives $167.67 per billable hour on its starting numbers.

The full checklist: how to start a general contracting business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.