- State law: the Home Repair and Remodeling Act does not cover maintenance, service or repairs under $500. Local license thresholds vary.
- No state license, so check with your city.
- No state license to renew. Chicago licenses last one year.
Do you need a state license in Illinois?
Illinois does not issue a statewide general contractor license. Any license you need comes from the city or county where the job is, so the rules can change from one town to the next.
State law: the Home Repair and Remodeling Act does not cover maintenance, service or repairs under $500. Local license thresholds vary.
Each city or county decides. Chicago requires a general contractor license for most permitted construction, repair and demolition, in five classes by project size, processed by mail through Continental Testing Services.
Illinois license types for general contractor work
Illinois splits the work into 5 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Chicago Class A General Contractor | Any project value. $5 million per occurrence insurance. |
| Chicago Class B General Contractor | Projects up to $20 million. $3 million per occurrence insurance. |
| Chicago Class C General Contractor | Projects up to $10 million. $2 million per occurrence insurance. |
| Chicago Class D General Contractor | Projects up to $4 million. $2 million per occurrence insurance. |
| Chicago Class E General Contractor | Projects up to $500,000, no demolition. $1 million per occurrence insurance. |
How to get set up in Illinois, step by step
- Ask each city or county where you work whether it licenses general contractors.
- Buy liability insurance that meets the Home Repair and Remodeling Act and any local minimum.
- Get the local license, for example the Chicago class that fits your project size. Chicago wants proof you are authorized to do business in Illinois, except for sole proprietors.
- Use written contracts for jobs over $1,000 and hand out the consumer rights pamphlet.
- If you do roofing, get the IDFPR roofing license first.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. None at state level, since Illinois does not license general contractors. Chicago's list of application requirements has no experience rule.
What it costs in Illinois
The board lists 5 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chicago Class A license or renewal (2026) | $3,500 |
| Chicago Class B license or renewal (2026) | $1,800 |
| Chicago Class C license or renewal (2026) | $1,300 |
| Chicago Class D license or renewal (2026) | $900 |
| Chicago Class E license or renewal (2026) | $300 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. State law for home repair and remodeling: liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, plus $50,000 per occurrence for property damage, and $10,000 per occurrence for work that does not meet code, unless net worth is at least $1,000,000. Chicago adds its own class-based minimums.
Bond. No state license, so check with your city.
Renewal
Renewal. No state license to renew. Chicago licenses last one year.
Good to know in Illinois
- Roofers must hold a state roofing license from IDFPR and show its number on contracts, bids and ads.
- Home repair jobs over $1,000 need a written contract with the total cost, and you must give the Attorney General's consumer rights brochure.
- Homeowners 65 or older who sign at home after an uninvited sales visit can cancel within 15 business days.
Once you are cleared to work
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a contractor near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with your city or county before you file.