How to become a general contractor in Vermont

Licensing office Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) [2]

The license pathway in Vermont

1. 1

   Employee or subcontractor

   Employees of a registered residential contractor and subcontractors hired by another contractor don't register with OPR. [1][3]

2. 2

   Individual residential contractor registration

   • $75
   • Every 2 years; $75

   For self-employed residential contractors with no employees. You need proof of your business name registration, liability insurance and a written-contract attestation. [1][3][8]

3. 3

   Business residential contractor registration

   • $250
   • Every 2 years; $250

   For contractors with employees; the employees work under the business registration and don't register separately. [1][8]

Who has to register

Vermont's residential contractor law (26 V.S.A. chapter 106, added by Act 182 of the 2021-2022 legislative session) requires anyone to register with OPR before contracting with a homeowner to do residential construction for more than $10,000, labor and materials included. OPR's own pages phrase the threshold as $10,000 or more; registration began April 1, 2023.

"Residential construction" means building, demolishing or altering a home or a building with four or fewer dwelling units. It includes interior and exterior work, renovation and repair, painting, paving, roofing, weatherization, and installing or repairing heating, plumbing, solar, electrical, water or wastewater systems.

You don't register if you're an employee of a registered contractor, a tradesperson licensed or certified by the Department of Public Safety working within that license, a licensed engineer or architect, or a subcontractor hired by another contractor. Work on structures not attached to a home, landscaping, and appliance installation are also exempt. Bartering doesn't avoid the rule: OPR counts any form of payment. [1][2][3]

Registration requirements

There's no exam and no experience requirement. The law says registration protects against fraud and breach of contract but "is not intended to establish standards for professional qualifications or workmanship." To register you need:

• an online application through OPR and the fee ($75 individual, $250 business);
• proof your business name is registered with the Secretary of State;
• liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate;
• an attestation that you'll use written contracts.

The law also lets OPR create voluntary certifications ($75 for the first, $25 for each additional). OPR's resources page lists the rules as "coming soon." [1][3][6]

Contracts and down payments

For jobs over $10,000, you need a signed written contract before taking a deposit or starting work. It must state the price terms (a maximum price, time and materials up to a maximum, or time and materials with no maximum), estimated start and finish dates, the scope of work and materials, and how changes will be approved. With a maximum price, a down payment can be up to half the labor cost or half the materials price, whichever is greater.

OPR can discipline registrants for not using required contracts, not carrying insurance or deceptive practices. Homeowner disputes outside OPR's reach go to the Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program. [1][3]

Commercial work and trade licenses

OPR says commercial contractors don't need to register unless they take a residential job of $10,000 or more. Electrical and plumbing work have their own state licenses from the Division of Fire Safety: see the Vermont electrician and Vermont plumber pages. Residential contractors must also follow Vermont's residential and commercial building energy standards. [3][4][5]

Steps to get licensed in Vermont

1. Learn the trade on the job

   Work for a builder or remodeler, or join a registered construction apprenticeship. Employees of a registered contractor don't need their own registration. [3][7]

2. Set up your business

   Register your business name with the Secretary of State's Corporations/Business Services Division; OPR registration is separate, and you may only contract under names registered with both. [3]

3. Get liability insurance

   Carry at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate; you upload the certificate when you apply and at each renewal. [1][3]

4. Register with OPR

   Apply through OPR's online services as an individual ($75) or business ($250). Allow at least 5 business days for processing. [1][8]

5. Use written contracts and renew every 2 years

   Put jobs over $10,000 in a written contract with price, dates, scope and change-order terms. Renewal opens 6 weeks before your registration expires. [1][8]

Where to get the hours

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

• State program

  Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program

  The Vermont Department of Labor registers apprenticeship programs, including construction; you apply to a sponsoring employer, not the state. [7][9][10]

• Open shop

  ABC New Hampshire/Vermont carpentry apprenticeship and Carpentry Boot Camp

  Associated Builders and Contractors NH/VT sponsors a Vermont carpentry registered apprenticeship: 2,000 hours (1.5 years) of on-the-job training with a participating employer and 310 hours of related instruction at its Vermont Construction Academy in Winooski (the academy's page lists 316 hours over 40 Fridays). You must be hired by a participating company. Its Carpentry Boot Camp (215 hours, about 5.4 weeks, OSHA 10 included) is a Department of Labor-certified pre-apprenticeship. [11][12][13][14]

• Other

  Vermont Works for Women Trailblazers

  A Department of Labor-certified pre-apprenticeship for the trades that feeds Alliance Systems' registered electrician and plumber apprenticeships. [14]

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