- DLCP lists a Home Improvement Contractor basic business license for contractor and construction services, which include repairing, altering and improving structures.
- Pay runs from about $20.24 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of handymen to $40.57 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.6% projected nationally.
The path in the District of Columbia, step by step
The District of Columbia licenses handyman work at the state level through the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Register your business and get DC tax registration and a Clean Hands certificate.
- Get a Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupation Permit.
- Buy liability insurance and a $25,000 surety bond.
- Get a police criminal history report and prepare your home improvement contract.
- Apply with DLCP for the Home Improvement Contractor license and designate a salesperson.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: handyman license in District of Columbia.
Finding an apprenticeship in the District of Columbia
The District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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. Some maintenance and repair workers complete an apprenticeship, which usually combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction.
License levels and exams in the District of Columbia
The license to aim for: Home Improvement Contractor basic business license.
Keeping it. Two or four year terms. Six month terms are not offered for home improvement.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Home Improvement Contractor | Home improvement work; needs a $25,000 surety bond, a home improvement contract form and a police report. |
What the the District of Columbia license costs
The fees the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| License category fee, 2 years | $99 |
| License category fee, 4 years | $198 |
What handymen earn in the District of Columbia
The median handyman in the District of Columbia earned $29.00 an hour in May 2025, the highest median of any state, with 4,860 on payrolls. The national median was $23.84.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of handymen in the District of Columbia earned under $23.67 an hour and a tenth under $20.24. At the top, a quarter earned over $36.64 and a tenth over $40.57.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.24 | $42,100 |
| 25th percentile | $23.67 | $49,240 |
| Median | $29.00 | $60,310 |
| 75th percentile | $36.64 | $76,210 |
| 90th percentile | $40.57 | $84,390 |
BLS has no separate figure for handymen. These are its numbers for general maintenance and repair workers, the closest group: people who keep buildings and equipment in repair using the skills of two or more trades. Real estate, schools and government are among the top industries BLS lists for them. Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: handyman salary in District of Columbia.
Jobs ahead in the District of Columbia
The District of Columbia's labor market office projects jobs for handymen growing from 4,560 in 2022 to 4,970 in 2032, a change of 9%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 470 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.6% projected nationally, ranking 21st of the 50 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group maintenance and repair workers, general.
Starting your own handyman business in the District of Columbia
To contract on your own in the District of Columbia, the license is the Home Improvement Contractor basic business license.
Insurance. A certificate of liability insurance is required.
Bond. $25,000 home improvement surety bond.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the the District of Columbia median of $29.00 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $121.52 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start a handyman 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.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is the District of Columbia's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- DLCP contractor and construction services (checked 2026-10-08)
- DLCP Board of Industrial Trades (checked 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 49-9071
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, General Maintenance and Repair Workers (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a handyman.