Michigan contractor license lookup, who needs which licence.

Check the licence on the official register

Open Michigan LARA (licence lookup)

Licences under this law are issued by the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (the statute calls it "the department"). Use LARA's licence verification for the licensee name or number on your contract. We could not open LARA's pages from our tools (they returned 403), so we do not describe the lookup screens or status labels here; read them on LARA itself.

Two licences, defined by the law

Article 24 of Michigan's Occupational Code (Act 299 of 1980) licenses two kinds of residential contractor. MCL 339.2401 defines a residential builder as someone who, for a fixed sum, price, fee, percentage or other compensation other than wages for personal labour only, undertakes to erect, construct, replace, repair, alter, add to, improve, wreck or demolish a residential structure, or who builds or sells prefabricated or shell housing. A residential maintenance and alteration contractor does repair, alteration, addition, improvement or demolition work on a residential structure, builds a garage, or lays concrete on residential property.

A "residential structure" is a detached one- or two-family dwelling and its related facilities, or a townhouse of not more than three stories above grade with a separate means of egress.

Which trades the maintenance and alteration licence names

Under MCL 339.2404 the licence is issued for a specific craft or trade, and the statute lists: carpentry; concrete; swimming pool installation; waterproofing a basement; excavation; insulation work; masonry work; roofing; siding and gutters; screen or storm sash installation; tile and marble work; and house wrecking. "A license shall specify the particular craft or trade for which the licensee is qualified." A specialty contractor may take a contract that includes other trades only if that other work is incidental and supplemental to the licensed trade. So check that the trade on the licence matches the work you are buying: a roofing licence is not a carpentry licence.

Who does not need the licence

MCL 339.2403 lists exemptions, including:

• Government representatives and officers of a court acting in that role.
• An owner working on their own structure for their own use and occupancy, and an owner of rental property doing maintenance and alteration on it.
• A person working under contract with a licensed residential builder or licensed maintenance and alteration contractor.
• Work on one undertaking or project where the aggregate contract price for labour, material and other items is less than $600. This does not apply if the work is only part of a larger operation, or if the work is split into contracts under $600 to evade the law.
• Licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors, for their own installation, maintenance and repair work only.

The statute states these are exemptions "notwithstanding article 6"; read the full section before relying on one.

What the licence involves

MCL 339.2404 requires an applicant to pass an examination on the obligations of a residential builder or contractor to the public. A licensee must maintain a place of business in Michigan, with a branch office licence for each additional place. Licences are issued for three years, and a renewal applicant must state that they have a current copy of the Michigan residential code and meet continuing competency requirements, with records kept for at least five years. So a licence that looks old may simply be mid-cycle; check the expiry date on the register.

Worked example

A homeowner gets a $4,800 quote to re-roof a house. The job is above $600, the contractor is not the owner or a licensed electrical, plumbing or mechanical contractor, and roofing is one of the named trades, so a maintenance and alteration licence for roofing is the one to look for. The same contractor quoting a $450 gutter repair falls under the $600 exemption, as long as it is not part of a larger project split to avoid the rule.

What this page does not cover

• It does not search the register or show a licensee's status, bond or insurance. LARA is the source for that.
• It does not cover electrical, plumbing, mechanical or other skilled-trades licences, which sit under a separate act.
• The statute text is from the Michigan Legislature site as read on the date below; the law can be amended.

FAQ

Who needs a residential builder license in Michigan?

Someone who, for compensation other than wages for personal labour only, builds or substantially alters a residential structure, or who sells prefabricated or shell housing, as defined in MCL 339.2401.

What is a residential maintenance and alteration contractor?

A person who, for compensation, repairs, alters, adds to, improves or demolishes a residential structure, builds a garage or lays concrete on residential property (MCL 339.2401).

Is there a dollar threshold for needing a Michigan licence?

There is an exemption for one project where the aggregate price is less than $600, but not if the work is part of a larger operation or split to evade the law (MCL 339.2403).

Which trades are covered by the maintenance and alteration licence?

Carpentry, concrete, swimming pool installation, basement waterproofing, excavation, insulation, masonry, roofing, siding and gutters, screen or storm sash installation, tile and marble work, and house wrecking.

How long does a Michigan residential builder licence last?

Three years, per MCL 339.2404.

Can a homeowner do the work without a licence?

An owner doing work on their own structure for their own use and occupancy is exempt under MCL 339.2403.

Sources

Retrieved 2026-11-01. Each link was opened and checked against the claim next to it.

• Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.2401: Definitions of residential builder, residential maintenance and alteration contractor, residential structure and salesperson.
• Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.2403: The list of persons who may work without a licence, including the $600 exemption.
• Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.2404: The examination, the named crafts and trades, the place of business rule, the three-year term and renewal conditions.