- No license needed when the total contract price for labor and materials is less than $600.
- No experience rule is stated. Instead you must finish 60 hours of approved prelicensure courses, with at least six hours each in business management, estimating and job costing; design and building science; contracts, liability and risk management; marketing and sales; project management and scheduling; the Michigan Residential Code; and MIOSHA construction safety.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Every three years by May 31. In your first and second renewal cycles you need 21 hours of continuing education; from the third cycle on, 3 hours.
Do you need a state license in Michigan?
Michigan licenses some general contractor work at the state level and leaves the rest alone. Which side of that line a job falls on decides whether you need the state license.
No license needed when the total contract price for labor and materials is less than $600.
Michigan license types for general contractor work
Michigan splits the work into 2 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 |
|---|---|
| Residential Builder | Build, repair, remodel or demolish residential structures, including new homes |
| Residential Maintenance and Alteration Contractor | Repair and alteration work on existing homes in specific trades, building garages, laying concrete on residential property |
Steps to get licensed in Michigan
- Complete 60 hours of LARA approved prelicensure courses.
- Apply to LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes and pay the $15 processing fee.
- Once approved, pay PSI and pass the residential builder exam.
- Pay the license fee and receive your license.
- Complete continuing education hours each three year cycle and renew by May 31.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. No experience rule is stated. Instead you must finish 60 hours of approved prelicensure courses, with at least six hours each in business management, estimating and job costing; design and building science; contracts, liability and risk management; marketing and sales; project management and scheduling; the Michigan Residential Code; and MIOSHA construction safety.
The license to apply for. Residential Builder license.
Michigan general contractor exams
Trade exam. Yes. You must pass the residential builder exam, given by PSI. It has a law and rules portion and a practice or trades portion, and is offered in English and Spanish.
Business and law exam. The builder exam includes a law and rules portion.
What it costs in Michigan
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 |
|---|---|
| Application processing | $15 |
| Complete builder exam | $50 |
| Initial license, per year of the first cycle | $60 |
| License fee, per year | $50 |
| Renewal (three year license) | $150 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every three years by May 31. In your first and second renewal cycles you need 21 hours of continuing education; from the third cycle on, 3 hours.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Michigan
- Owners working on their own home and owners maintaining their own rental property are exempt.
- Subcontractors working only for a licensed builder do not need their own builder license.
- Buying, fixing up and reselling more than two homes a year counts as contracting under the law.
- Part of each license fee goes to a builder enforcement fund.
After you are licensed
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 Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.