- None stated at state level. Written contracts are required for home improvement jobs over $150.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Set by each city or county.
- Set by each city or county.
Do you need a state license in Indiana?
Indiana 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.
None stated at state level. Written contracts are required for home improvement jobs over $150.
The Indiana Attorney General tells homeowners that licensing rules vary from community to community and to check with the city or county building department. Many localities also require permits.
How to get set up in Indiana, step by step
- Call the building department for each city or county where you plan to work and ask about contractor licensing.
- Get the local license, bond and insurance it asks for.
- Use written contracts for every home improvement job over $150.
- Wait for any required permit before work starts.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Set by each city or county.
Indiana general contractor exams
Trade exam. Set by each city or county.
Business and law exam. Set by each city or county.
What it costs in Indiana
There is no state license fee for general contractor work in Indiana. Ask the city or county where you work about any local fees.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Set by each city or county.
Bond. Set by each city or county.
Renewal
Renewal. Set by each city or county.
Good to know in Indiana
- Home improvement contracts over $150 must be in writing, with the price, payment schedule, work description, dates, and your name, address and signature.
- The Attorney General advises homeowners not to pay more than one third up front, so plan your deposit terms around that.
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.