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Tennessee Contractor

Tennessee contractor license guide

Tennessee contractor licensing is handled by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The board regulates contractors, home improvement contractors, limited licensed electricians, and limited licensed plumbers.

The short answer

Tennessee says a contractor license is required before contracting, bidding, or negotiating a price when the total project cost is $25,000 or more. Contractors should confirm classification, exams, financial statement, insurance, entity, renewal, and qualifying-agent requirements with the board before bidding.

Who this applies to

  • Prime and specialty contractors bidding Tennessee projects at or above the board's stated threshold should review the contractor license path before negotiating price.
  • Contractors in building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, masonry, painting, landscaping, and similar trades should confirm the correct classification.
  • Homeowners and contractors can use Tennessee's verify-a-license resources to check status.

Requirement snapshot

Authority Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors
Threshold The board says a contractor's license is required before contracting when the total project cost is $25,000 or more.
Exam path The board says applicants are required to take the Business and Law exam, with trade exams required for certain classifications.
Classification Tennessee lists contractor classifications across building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, masonry, painting, landscaping, and other work.
Financial and insurance items The official application page covers financial statement, proof of insurance, contractor affidavit, and entity registration steps.
Verification The board links to license and qualifying-agent verification resources.

Practical application path

  1. Read the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors page.
  2. Confirm whether the project meets the $25,000 contractor-license threshold.
  3. Choose the correct classification and review the board's exam requirements.
  4. Prepare the financial statement, insurance, affidavit, and entity documents listed by the board.
  5. Use the board's forms, renewal, and verification resources to keep the license current.

Watchouts before you sell the work

  • Do not bid or negotiate a covered Tennessee project before confirming the license requirement.
  • License classification and monetary limit matter; do not assume one license covers every work type or project size.
  • Home improvement contractors, limited licensed electricians, and limited licensed plumbers have related but separate Tennessee paths.

Official source links

Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors.html Tennessee contractor license https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/get/contractor.html Tennessee contractor forms https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/forms.html Tennessee contractor renewal https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/renewal.html Tennessee license lookup https://search.cloud.commerce.tn.gov/

FAQ

When does Tennessee require a contractor license?

The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors says a contractor's license is required before contracting, bidding, or negotiating a price whenever the total project cost is $25,000 or more.

Who regulates Tennessee contractor licensing?

The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors regulates contractors, home improvement contractors, limited licensed electricians, and limited licensed plumbers.