General contractor · Local (city/county) licenses
Becoming a general contractor in Maine
State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026
Journeyman level Licensed by cities or counties, not the state What's a journeyman?
Maine does not license or regulate home contractors, according to the Maine Attorney General's office. A 2025 bill to license residential building contractors passed the House but died when the Legislature adjourned on April 29, 2026. What the law does require: a written contract with specific terms for any home construction job over $3,000, and state trade licenses for electrical, plumbing and fuel-burning equipment work. [1][2][3][4][5][6]
New to the trade?
Starting from zero in Maine
Since Maine has no contractor license, you learn the trade by working: get hired by a builder or remodeler, or join a registered carpentry apprenticeship such as ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Maine's 4,000-hour carpenter program. Find programs, including AGC (Associated General Contractors) Maine pre-apprenticeships at high schools, CTE (career and technical education) centers and community colleges, on the Maine Apprenticeship Program map. [1][7][9]
Minimum age
Registered apprentices in Maine must be at least 16 (or 18 where another law or the sponsor sets 18). Pre-apprenticeship programs listed by the Maine Apprenticeship Program are for people 16 and older. [12][13]
Register before you start work
No state contractor or worker registration exists. If you join a registered apprenticeship, you sign an apprenticeship agreement that is registered with the Maine Apprenticeship Program. [1][14]
Trade work still needs a license
Electrical installations need a Maine electrician license, plumbing that needs a permit needs a plumber license, and oil, propane, natural gas or solid fuel heating equipment needs a Maine Fuel Board license. A general contractor may set mini-split heat pump equipment but may not do the wiring. [4][5][6][15]
Pre-apprenticeship
Maine-certified pre-apprenticeship programs must offer hands-on and safety training and have an agreement with a registered apprenticeship sponsor so graduates can enter directly. AGC Maine runs pre-apprenticeships with CTE centers, community colleges and other partners around the state. [9][10]
Pay while you learn
Maine's apprenticeship law requires registered programs to pay rising wages, starting at no less than 50% of the journeyman rate for adult registered apprentices, with at least 144 classroom hours a year. [8]
Still in high school?
Maine has 27 career and technical education (CTE) centers and regions open to all high school students (Maine DOE CTE schools list). AGC Maine pre-apprenticeship programs partner with several of them, including the Bath, Biddeford, Caribou and Lewiston centers. Registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships can start at 16, and some CTE programs link to Maine community college programs for dual or escrow college credit. [9][12][13][16][17][18]
Where to apply in MaineHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs
Maine contractor license at a glance
- State contractor license
- None The Attorney General's office says Maine does not license or regulate home contractors [1]
- Licensing bill
- LD 1226 (residential building contractor licensing) died on adjournment, April 29, 2026 [2]
- Written contracts
- Required for home construction jobs over $3,000, with set terms Warranty, change orders, deposit of no more than 1/3 [3]
On this page
The license pathway in Maine
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1
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2
Does Maine license general contractors?
No. The Maine Attorney General's office says "Maine does not license or regulate home contractors," and adds that its Consumer Mediation Program gets more complaints about contractors than any other kind of business.
Lawmakers keep trying to change that. LD 1226 (Legislative Document), "An Act to Protect Consumers by Licensing Residential Building Contractors," was passed to be enacted by the House on June 3, 2025, but it died in the Senate when the Legislature adjourned on April 29, 2026.
Ask the code office in the city or town where you work about local permit and registration rules. [1][2]
What the law does require
Written contracts over $3,000. Any home construction contract for more than $3,000 in materials or labor must be in writing and signed by both sides, and both get a copy before work begins. It must include, among other things:
- estimated start and substantial-completion dates,
- the total price, with the down payment limited to no more than 1/3 of it,
- a warranty statement set out in the law,
- a choice of dispute resolution method, and
- a statement that price changes need a written change order.
Licensed trades. Electrical installations must be made by licensed electricians, plumbing that needs a permit by licensed plumbers, and work on oil, solid fuel, propane or natural gas burning equipment by Maine Fuel Board licensees. [3][4][5][6]
How to get started in construction
With no license to earn, your path is experience. Common routes:
- Registered apprenticeship. ABC Maine runs carpenter, construction craft laborer and painter programs with member employers. Registered programs include at least 144 classroom hours a year.
- Pre-apprenticeship. AGC Maine runs pre-apprenticeship programs with CTE centers, high schools and community colleges, listed on the Maine Apprenticeship Program map. Certified programs must connect graduates directly to a registered apprenticeship.
- Get hired. Working for a builder or remodeler is the other way in; see helper jobs.
More on the carpentry route: carpenter apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship. [7][8][9][10]
Steps to get licensed in Maine
Learn the trade on the job
Get hired by a builder or join a registered apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship listed by the Maine Apprenticeship Program. [7][9]
Use a written contract for jobs over $3,000
When you contract with homeowners, Maine law requires a signed written contract for any home construction job over $3,000. The Attorney General publishes a model contract and required addendum. [1][3]
Hire licensed trades
Electrical, plumbing and fuel-burning equipment work must be done by people holding the matching Maine license. [4][5][6]
Where to get the hours
Programs that train general contractors in or for Maine, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.
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Open shop
Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine runs registered programs with its member employers, including a 4,000-hour carpenter (framing and finishing) program, a 2,000-hour construction craft laborer program and a 4,000-hour painter program. [7]
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Other
The Associated General Contractors of Maine runs state-listed pre-apprenticeship programs with partners such as CTE centers, high schools, community colleges and the Maine Conservation Corps. [9]
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State program
The Maine Department of Labor's registered apprenticeship office. Its searchable map lists active apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. [9][11]
Licensed in another state?
We didn't find a reciprocity agreement published by the licensing office for this license. Ask the office how it treats an out-of-state license or experience before you apply.
Questions people ask
Do you need a license to be a general contractor in Maine?
No. Maine does not license or regulate home contractors. You do need a written contract for home construction jobs over $3,000, and licensed electricians, plumbers and fuel technicians for that work. [1][3][4][5][6]
Is Maine going to start licensing contractors?
Not yet. LD 1226, which would have licensed residential building contractors, passed the House in 2025 but died when the Legislature adjourned on April 29, 2026. [2]
Sources (18)
- Home Construction Contracts, Maine Office of the Attorney General. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Summary of LD 1226: An Act to Protect Consumers by Licensing Residential Building Contractors (132nd Legislature), Maine Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 10 M.R.S. §1487. Home construction contracts, Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 32 M.R.S. §1201. License required (electricians), Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 32 M.R.S. §3302. Applicability (plumbers), Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 32 M.R.S. §18102. License required (fuel board), Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apprenticeship, Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 26 M.R.S. §3203. Standards of apprenticeship, Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Maine Apprenticeship Program: For Career Seekers (program search), Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 26 M.R.S. §3213. Preapprenticeship training programs, Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Maine Apprenticeship Program, Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 26 M.R.S. §3201. Definitions (registered apprenticeship), Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Maine Apprenticeship Program: For Parents, Guardians, and Guidance Counselors, Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 26 M.R.S. §3202. Maine Apprenticeship Program; eligibility and registration procedure, Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Consumer Information about the Electrical Installation for Mini-Split Heat Pumps (10/2013), Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Career and Technical Education, Maine Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Career and Technical Education: Schools & Programs, Maine Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Maine Career & Technical Education FAQ, Maine Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.