Contractors working on residential or a combination of residential and commercial buildings must be licensed.

Residential Builder's License

A residential builder’s license allows the tradesperson to work in these trades:

• Basement waterproofing
• Carpentry
• Concrete         
• Excavation
• Gutters, downspouts  
• House wrecking
• Insulation       
• Masonry
• Painting, decorating   
• Roofing
• Siding
• Storms, screens
• Swimming pools        
• Tile, marble

The applicant must pass a two-part exam for this license, a business and law part and a trade part.  The exam has 50 multiple choice questions and takes about 75 minutes.

Maintenance and Alteration Contractor's License

For this license the tradesperson has to take a similar exam as the residential building contractor without the business part.

Electrician's Licenses

Journeyman Electrician License: The applicant must:

• Be 20 years old,
• Have 8,000 hours of electrical work experience over at least four (4) years
• Have worked under a master electrician.

Similar licensing requirements in other about the same as Michigan, you can qualify to take the exam.

Master Electrician: The applicant must:

• Have six (6) years of electrical work experience covering 12,000 hours
• Two (2) years working as a licensed journeyman electrician
• Proof that he or she is 22 years of age or older

The master exam will ensure that the applicant has the knowledge to plan and supervise electrical installation, read plans and apply safety procedures.

Electrical Trades that require specialty licenses:

Fire Alarm Specialty and Fire Alarm Contractor License

• Applicant must be 20 years of age
• Must be certified by NICET (National Institute For Certification In Engineering Technologies) as an associate of engineering technician, level II or equivalent as determined by the Board.

The exam subjects are the same as the master and journeyman exams.

Sign Specialist License

• Applicant must be 18 years of age
• Completion of a sign specialist training course
• Must have 4,000 hours of related experience.

The exam subjects are the same as the master and journeyman exams.

Mechanical Contractor's License

To work on mechanical systems in the state of Michigan requires licensing. To get a license the applicant needs:

• To pass an exam
• At least three (3) years of experience or a Board-approved

If the Board approves education from another area, or other local local education, the applicant can apply up to one (1) year of that education to the three (3) year work experience requirement.

The Michigan Board of Mechanical Rules issues contractor licenses in these classifications:

• Hydronic heating, cooling, process piping
• HVAC equipment
• Ductwork
• Refrigeration
• Limited heating service
• Unlimited heating service
• Limited refrigeration, air conditioning service
• Unlimited refrigeration, air conditioning service
• Specialty
  • Solar,
  • Solid fuel,
  • LP tank and pipe,
  • Underground tank and pipe,
  • Gas piping
  • Gas piping and venting.

Consumers are advised to also check for municipal license requirements as contractor laws can differ from county to county. It is also advisable to double check with the state’s requirements before hiring a contractor.