Do handymen need a license?

Handyman licensing is one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of the trade, largely because the rules are genuinely different depending on where you work.

The general shape is this. Many jurisdictions permit general repair and maintenance work without a contractor license below a certain job value, and require a licensed trade above it or for specific categories of work. Electrical, plumbing, gas, HVAC and structural changes are the categories most often reserved for licensed trades regardless of job size.

Verify your own rules directly. Requirements are set at state and often city level, they change, and general guidance found online is frequently out of date or written for a different state. Your state contractor board and your city permitting office are the authorities.

Two things are worth doing regardless of what your local rules require:

• Carry liability insurance, and workers compensation if you have anyone working with you. Homeowners increasingly ask, and being able to produce a certificate on request separates you from casual operators.
• Publish what you do not take. A short line on your website saying you do not handle electrical panels or roof replacement makes you look more professional, not less, and it prevents the calls that waste an afternoon.

Stating your coverage clearly on your website is one of the cheapest trust signals available in this trade.