Utah contractor license requirements

Licenses and registrations

B100 General Contractor

General contractors doing general building work.

• When it applies: Required unless the project is under the small projects exemption (contracted or agreed value of less than $7,000, including labor and materials).
• Good to know: Needs 2 years (4,000 hours) of paid construction experience or an approved alternative, plus the Utah Business & Law exam or an exam alternative.

R100 Residential/Small Commercial Contractor

Contractors doing residential and small commercial building work.

• When it applies: Same small projects exemption applies (less than $7,000).
• Good to know: Same experience and exam rules as other general contractor licenses.

Specialty contractor licenses

Contractors who work in one trade or specialty classification.

• When it applies: Same small projects exemption applies (less than $7,000).
• Good to know: No experience requirement. 25-hour pre-licensure course.

What you need to qualify

• Exams: General contractors pass the Utah Business & Law Exam, unless they have one year of licensed experience in another state in a similar scope with an active license, or were a qualifier on a Utah contractor license before May 9, 2017.
• Experience: General contractors (B100, R100, E100) need two years of construction experience with at least 4,000 hours of paid work, self-certified. Alternatives include 2 years as a qualifier on a Utah license, a 2- or 4-year construction management degree, a Utah Professional Engineer license, or passing the NASCLA commercial general building exam. Specialty contractors need no experience.
• Insurance: General liability insurance of at least $100,000 per incident and $300,000 total, with DOPL as certificate holder. Workers' compensation certificate if you have employees, or a Workers Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission if you do not.
• Business registration: Corporations, LLCs, LLPs and partnerships must register with the Utah Division of Corporations. An FEIN from the IRS is required. Employers also need state withholding and unemployment registrations.
• Also required: Pre-licensure course: 30 hours for general (B100, R100, E100), plumbing and electrical contractors; 25 hours for specialty contractors. The license belongs to the company. Business must be done under the licensed name or a registered DBA.

Fees, renewal and continuing education

• Fees: Renewal fee $119. Application fees are non-refundable; the initial application fee amount was not found on DOPL pages.
• Renewal: Every 2 years. Contractor licenses expire on November 30 of odd years.
• Continuing education: 6 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle.

Contracts and homeowner protections

Small projects of less than $7,000 (labor and materials) are exempt from licensing. If such a project is over $3,000, the person must file an affirmation of public liability insurance (and workers' compensation if applicable) with DOPL. Plumbing and electrical system work, gas appliance work, HVAC, fire sprinklers, alarms and radon mitigation still require licensed or certified people. DOPL offers an optional residential construction agreement (2025); its use is optional.

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work

DOPL licenses plumbers and electricians and the plumbing (P200, P201) and electrical (E200, E201) contractor classifications, which need a Master Plumber or Master Electrician qualifier. HVAC work must be done by an HVAC contractor licensed by DOPL.

Working without a license

Lending or borrowing a contractor license is a class A misdemeanor. Paying an unlicensed person on a 1099 can lead to action against that person for contracting without a license and against the hiring party for hiring an unlicensed contractor.

What to confirm with the state

We couldn't confirm these on an official page when we checked. Ask the licensing office before you rely on them:

• Initial application fee amount.
• Scope definitions and any dollar limits of the B100 and R100 classifications.
• Criminal and citation penalty amounts for unlicensed contracting (Utah Code 58-55-503).
• Local business licensing rules.
• Statutory written contract requirements for residential work.

Sources

1. DOPL: Apply for a General Contractor License
2. DOPL: Specialty Contractor License
3. DOPL: Contracting Frequently Asked Questions
4. DOPL: Renew a Contracting License
5. DOPL: Construction Contract
6. DOPL: Contracting home
7. Utah Code 58-55-305 Exemptions from licensure (effective 5/7/2025)