How to become a general contractor in Hawaii

The path in Hawaii, step by step

Hawaii licenses general contractor work at the state level through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Build four years of supervisory experience within the last ten years.
2. Gather three notarized experience certificates, a project list, a financial statement with an accountant report, a credit report and a tax clearance.
3. File the application with the $50 fee by the board deadline.
4. After approval, pass the Prometric business and law and trade exams.
5. Send insurance certificates and pay the license fee.
6. Renew by September 30 of each even numbered year.

The full license guide, with every fee and form: general contractor license in Hawaii.

Finding an apprenticeship in Hawaii

Hawaii runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Hawaii State Apprenticeship Agency as the contact.

Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.

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

License levels and exams in Hawaii

The license to aim for: "B" General Building Contractor.

Trade exam. Yes. A Part II trade exam for your classification, given by Prometric.

Business exam. Yes. A Part I business and law exam, given by Prometric.

Keeping it. Every two years. All licenses expire September 30 of even numbered years. A forfeited license can be restored within 60 days.

Coming from another state. No. Hawaii has no reciprocity agreements. Everyone meets the same requirements and exams.

What the Hawaii license costs

The fees the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

What general contractors earn in Hawaii

The median general contractor in Hawaii earned $61.98 an hour in May 2025, 10th of 51 states, with 2,890 on payrolls. The national median was $55.28.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of general contractors in Hawaii earned under $48.77 an hour and a tenth under $33.76. At the top, a quarter earned over $76.65 and a tenth over $92.30.

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. Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: general contractor salary in Hawaii.

Starting your own general contractor business in Hawaii

To contract on your own in Hawaii, the license is the "B" General Building Contractor.

Insurance. General liability of at least $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per occurrence, and $50,000 property damage. Workers compensation if you have employees.

Bond. Only if the board requires one for your license.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Hawaii median of $61.98 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $179.44 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.

The full checklist is in 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.