- No state license needed for home repair or improvement jobs of $10,000 or less including labor and materials. Roofing jobs over $2,500 need a roofer license.
- Limited or roofers license: a copy of a city or county contractor business or occupational license you hold now or held within one year before applying. Unlimited license: shown by passing the Home Builders exams.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Roofers license needs a $10,000 license or permit bond naming the board. Limited and unlimited applicants send a credit report instead.
- Licenses run by calendar year and expire December 31. Six hours of continuing education are required to renew.
Do you need a state license in Alabama?
Alabama licenses some handyman 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 state license needed for home repair or improvement jobs of $10,000 or less including labor and materials. Roofing jobs over $2,500 need a roofer license.
Alabama license types for handyman work
Alabama splits the work into 3 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 |
|---|---|
| Limited license | Home jobs over $10,000 that involve one trade and do not affect structure |
| Unlimited license | Home jobs over $10,000 that affect structure or involve more than one trade |
| Roofers license | Residential roofing over $2,500 |
Steps to get licensed in Alabama
- Check the contract price. At $10,000 or less (roofing $2,500 or less) no Home Builders license is needed.
- Above that, pick a limited license for single-trade work that does not touch structure.
- Order a credit report sent straight to the board and fill out the application package.
- Send a copy of your current city or county contractor license, or one you held within the past year.
- Pay the $100 processing fee, $235 license fee and $15 recovery fund fee.
- Complete six hours of continuing education each year and renew before December 31.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Limited or roofers license: a copy of a city or county contractor business or occupational license you hold now or held within one year before applying. Unlimited license: shown by passing the Home Builders exams.
Alabama handyman exams
Trade exam. Unlimited license: Alabama Skills exam given by Prov (passing score 66). Limited license: you show a local contractor license instead of passing the exams.
Business and law exam. Unlimited license only: Alabama Business and Law exam given by Prov (passing score 70).
What it costs in Alabama
The board lists 4 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 (nonrefundable) | $100 |
| Annual license fee, limited | $235 |
| Annual license fee, roofing | $150 |
| Homeowners' Recovery Fund fee, yearly | $15 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Not required by the Home Builders law, but you must tell the homeowner in writing before starting whether you carry liability insurance.
Bond. Roofers license needs a $10,000 license or permit bond naming the board. Limited and unlimited applicants send a credit report instead.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Licenses run by calendar year and expire December 31. Six hours of continuing education are required to renew.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Alabama
- If you hold a Limited license, you also need a Roofers license to do residential roofing.
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 handyman 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 Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how handyman businesses run on Koira.