Trade licenses
3 guides · 3 comparisons
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing licenses run on their own ladders — apprentice hours, a trade exam, and in some states a separate bond.
Trade licenses run on their own ladder, separate from a general contractor’s: hours as an apprentice, a journey-level exam, then a contractor or master license that lets you pull permits and sign contracts. The electrical guide walks that ladder rung by rung; the HVAC guide adds the federal EPA 608 certification; and plumbing vs HVAC sets two of the ladders side by side. Roofing is the trade the states disagree about most.
Two questions come before any of that. Does the job need a license at all? The handyman vs contractor comparison covers the thresholds. And does it need a general license or a specialty one? That is general vs specialty. Some states license only the trades — Ohio and Texas are the clearest examples.
Guides
- Electrical contractor licenseApprentice to journeyman to contractor, and the hours each rung wants.2026-09-04
- HVAC license and EPA 608The mechanical license, plus the EPA 608 certification nobody waives.2026-09-04
- Roofing contractor licenseWhich states license roofing on its own, and the bond that comes with it.2026-10-18
Comparisons
- Handyman vs contractor licenseThe dollar threshold that turns odd jobs into contracting.2026-09-04
- General contractor vs specialty licenseWhich license a given scope of work actually needs.2026-10-18
- Plumbing vs HVAC license pathsTwo trade ladders compared on how hours are counted, the federal 608 track, and scope.2026-09-04
Not legal advice — verify with the board that issues your license. Every figure on the pages above carries the regulator page it was read from and the date we read it.