How to get a general contractor license in Utah

Licensing office Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Contracting · (801) 530-6628 [3][10]

The license pathway in Utah

1. 1

   Specialty contractor (for example S220 Carpentry and Flooring)

   • 25-hour pre-licensure course
   • $175 application
   • Every 2 years; $128; 6 hours CE

   Licenses one trade, such as carpentry, roofing, concrete or drywall. Utah law requires no exam and no experience for a specialty license; you need the 25-hour course, insurance, and business registrations. [2][3][4][7][11][12]

2. 2

   R100 Residential and Small Commercial Contractor

   • 4,000 hours on the job
   • 2 years of experience
   • 30 hours (25-hour pre-licensure course plus 5-hour business and law course)
   • Yes: Utah Business and Law exam (60 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass), Prov
   • $175 application; $85 exam
   • Every 2 years; $128; 6 hours CE

   Builds single-family homes, buildings of up to four units, and commercial buildings up to three stories and 20,000 square feet. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work must go to licensed specialty contractors, except that on homes of up to four units the contractor may do mechanical work and hire licensed plumbers or electricians as employees. [1][2][6][7][8][11][12]

3. 3

   B100 General Building Contractor

   • 4,000 hours on the job
   • 2 years of experience
   • 30 hours (25-hour pre-licensure course plus 5-hour business and law course)
   • Yes: Utah Business and Law exam (60 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass), Prov
   • $175 application; $85 exam
   • Every 2 years; $128; 6 hours CE

   Builds any kind of building and includes the work of the specialty contractor classes. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work go to licensed specialty contractors, with the same exception for homes of up to four units. [1][2][4][6][7][8][11][12]

Who needs a license in Utah

Utah licenses construction contractors under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act. The license is issued to the business (or to you in your own name as a sole proprietor), and each business has a qualifier who meets the requirements. Lending or borrowing a license is a class A misdemeanor.

Utah's handyman exemption covers repair, remodeling and similar work with a total value under $7,000. Even then, plumbing and electrical systems must be done by licensed contractors, HVAC by a licensed HVAC contractor, and gas appliance work by a certified technician; for projects over $3,000 you file an insurance affirmation with DOPL. Some activities, such as carpet and vinyl plank flooring, window coverings and interior decorating, need no contractor license at all. [3][4][5]

General contractor classes

• R100 Residential and Small Commercial: single-family homes, buildings of up to four units, and commercial buildings up to three stories and 20,000 square feet.
• B100 General Building: buildings of any size, including the scopes of the specialty classes.
• E100 General Engineering: DOPL also lists it among the general contractor classes; this page focuses on building work.

General contractors must subcontract plumbing, electrical and mechanical work to licensed specialty contractors, except that on homes of up to four units they may do the mechanical work themselves and hire licensed plumbers or electricians as employees. DOPL's rule lets a B100 do HVAC work only on homes of up to four units. [1][4][6]

Experience, courses and the exam

B100 and R100 qualifiers need 4,000 hours (two years) of paid construction work at any point in their lives; you self-certify this experience. It need not be supervisory, and it can come from the military or from an educational program under a construction trades instructor. A construction management degree, a Utah professional engineer license, a passing NASCLA commercial general building exam, or two years as a qualifier on a Utah contractor license also meet the requirement.

General contractors take 30 hours of pre-licensure education (a 25-hour course plus a 5-hour business and law course); anyone who took the course before October 1, 2019 doesn't need the extra 5 hours. The Utah Business and Law exam, given by Prov, has 60 questions in 2 hours, needs 70% and costs $85. If you fail, you can retest after 30 days, up to three failures, then after six months.

Utah has reorganized its Construction Trades Licensing Act. From January 1, 2027, contractor qualifications move to Utah Code 58-55-203, which keeps the 25-hour pre-licensure course, the 5-hour business and law course and two years of full-time paid construction experience. Check DOPL's contracting page for how it applies the new section. [1][2][3][4][7][8][9][10]

Insurance, fees and renewal

Since April 20, 2026 the liability insurance minimum is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, with DOPL listed as certificate holder. If you have employees you need workers' compensation insurance and state tax and unemployment registrations; if not, a Workers' Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission. DOPL may also require a bond if the owners have debts, liens or judgments; for those cases the rule sets minimums such as $50,000 for general contractor classes and $25,000 for R100.

DOPL charges $175 to apply and $128 to renew. Contractor licenses expire November 30 of odd years, and you need 6 hours of continuing education per period, at least 3 of them core and at least 3 taught live. DOPL says a fingerprint-based background check takes effect January 1, 2027. [2][4][10][11][12][13]

If you're licensed in another state

DOPL says Utah has no reciprocity; it uses licensure by endorsement instead. Utah Code 58-1-302 says DOPL shall license you if your out-of-state license covers a similar scope of practice, you have held it at least 1 year, and it is in good standing. Endorsement applicants don't take the Business and Law exam, and DOPL's general contractor page also accepts one year of licensed experience in another state, in place of the exam.

DOPL's contractor map (September 2020) shows 23 states as equivalent, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Florida and Georgia. States such as Colorado, Texas and Washington are marked "limited to specific classifications," and North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, New York and Pennsylvania as having no equivalent. See also our guide to license reciprocity. [1][3][4][14][15]

Steps to get licensed in Utah

1. Build two years of construction experience

   Work at least 4,000 paid hours in the construction industry, as a W-2 employee or owner. A construction management degree, a Utah professional engineer license or a passing NASCLA score can substitute. [1][4]

2. Take the pre-licensure courses

   The company's qualifier completes the 25-hour pre-licensure course and the 5-hour business and law course with ABC, AGC or the Utah Home Builders Association. [2][7][10]

3. Pass the Business and Law exam

   Register with Prov and pass the 60-question exam (70%). You can test at a Prov center or online. Don't submit your application until you've passed. [1][8]

4. Set up the business and insurance

   Register your business entity with the Utah Division of Corporations, get an EIN, buy liability insurance ($1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate) naming DOPL as certificate holder, and arrange workers' compensation coverage or a waiver. [2][10]

5. Apply to DOPL

   Apply online through DOPL's general contractor page. The application fee is $175. [1][11]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train general contractors in or for Utah, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• State program

  Apprenticeship Utah

  The state's apprenticeship hub lists carpenter, form builder, cement mason, drywall and other construction pathways and links to apprenticeship openings and registered sponsors. [17][18]

• Other

  U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Job Finder

  Apprenticeship Utah points to the national job finder to search for registered apprenticeship openings. [18]

• Other

  DOPL-approved pre-licensure course providers

  When you're ready for your own license, DOPL lists Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Utah, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah and the Utah Home Builders Association as the only approved providers of the required pre-licensure courses. [10]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask