How to get a Residential Contractor - Business Registration in Vermont
Vermont licenses general contractors statewide through the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR).1 Vermont does not issue a state license for general contractors2; see what applies instead. The board lists $250 for the application2. You renew every 2 years3.
Who issues it
Office of Professional Regulation (OPR)
Exam
Not required2
Fees the board lists
Application fee: $2502
Renewal
Every 2 years3
On this page
- Vermont general contractor licenses
- Applies to every license level
- Who needs a Residential Contractor - Business Registration
- Requirements for a Residential Contractor - Business Registration
- How much a Residential Contractor - Business Registration costs
- Renewal and continuing education
- Residential Contractor - Individual Registration
- No state license for general contractors
- City and county rules
- Check a license or report a problem
- Laws and rules
- Common questions
- General contractor licenses in other states
Vermont general contractor licenses
Vermont issues 2 general contractor credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.
| License | What it covers | Exam | Application or license fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Contractor - Business Registration | Residential contracting: building, demolishing or altering a home or a building with four or fewer dwelling units, including interior and exterior construction, renovation and repair, painting, paving, roofing, weatherization, and installing or repairing heating, plumbing, solar, electrical, water or wastewater systems.2 | No2 | $2502 |
| Residential Contractor - Individual Registration | Residential contracting: building, demolishing or altering a home or a building with four or fewer dwelling units, including interior and exterior construction, renovation and repair, painting, paving, roofing, weatherization, and installing or repairing heating, plumbing, solar, electrical, water or wastewater systems.2 | No2 | $752 |
Applies to every license level
These rules are the same for every Vermont general contractor license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.
What it covers
Residential contracting: building, demolishing or altering a home or a building with four or fewer dwelling units, including interior and exterior construction, renovation and repair, painting, paving, roofing, weatherization, and installing or repairing heating, plumbing, solar, electrical, water or wastewater systems.2
Requirements
- Exam
- Not required2
- Background check
- Applicants must report all convictions to OPR; registrants must report convictions within 30 days and again at each renewal.3
- Insurance
- Liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate; upload the certificate at application and at each renewal.2
- Business requirements
- Every business name used on contracts (legal and DBA) must be registered with the Secretary of State Corporations division and with OPR; registration with Corporations alone is not OPR registration.2
- Also required
- A written contract with price terms, start/completion dates, scope and materials, and a change-order process is required; down payments are limited to half of labor or half of materials (whichever is greater) when the contract has a maximum price.2
- Also required
- Must follow Vermont residential and commercial building energy standards.2
Fees
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| License verification to another state | $204 | OPR | Verification sent by OPR to another licensing authority |
How to apply
- Register the business name (and any DBA) with the Secretary of State Corporations division.2
- Get liability insurance of at least $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate and have the certificate ready to upload.2
- Log in to OPR Online Services, choose "apply for a license" under your individual profile; the application issues an individual or business registration based on your answers.4 sos.vermont.gov4
- Attest that you use written contracts and pay the non-refundable fee.2
- Apply online
- sos.vermont.gov4
- Processing time
- At least 5 full business days.4
Renewal
- How often
- Every 2 years3
- When it expires
- Fixed two-year cycle for the profession; a first registration issued 91+ days before the profession's renewal date must renew at that date. Renewal opens 6 weeks before expiry.3
- If it expires
- Insurance certificate must be uploaded again at each biennial renewal.2
- Renew online
- sos.vermont.gov4
Who needs a Residential Contractor - Business Registration
Exemptions and dollar thresholds:
- Registration is required only when a residential job is estimated at $10,000 or more, labor and materials included, whatever form the payment takes.2
- Not required: employees of a registered business; tradespeople licensed by the Department of Public Safety working within that license; licensed engineers and architects; appliance/AV/telephone/network installers; work on structures not attached to a home; emergency work (register as soon as possible).2
- Subcontractors hired by another contractor (not by the homeowner) do not register.2
- No registration needed for work on property you own.2
- Commercial contractors do not register unless they take a residential job of $10,000 or more.2
Requirements for a Residential Contractor - Business Registration
The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.
- Business requirements
- Business registration is for contractors with employees; the employees work under it and do not register separately.2
How much a Residential Contractor - Business Registration costs
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $2502 | OPR | Business organization (with employees). Not refundable |
Renewal and continuing education
Renewal planner
Enter the expiration date printed on your Vermont Residential Contractor - Business Registration. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.
Residential Contractor - Individual Registration
Requirements
- Business requirements
- Individual registration is for self-employed contractors with no employees; an LLC without employees may choose individual or business registration.2
Fees
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $752 | OPR | Individual (self-employed, no employees). Not refundable |
The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.
No state license for general contractors
Vermont does not issue a state license for general contractors.2
- Tradespeople licensed by the Department of Public Safety (e.g. electricians, plumbers) work under those licenses.2
The official wording“I am a commercial contractor; do I need to register with OPR? No; but you are required to register if you accept a residential job where the estimated value is $10,000 or more inclusive of labor and materials.”2
Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation
City and county rules
In Burlington and South Burlington the local step is permits: zoning approval, then building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, applied for online. Burlington tells homeowners to check sub-trades' state licenses and get the city permits.5
| City or county | What it requires | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | Permits from the Department of Permitting & Inspections (zoning first, then building/trade permits, all in the online permit system). The city's contractor-hiring page lists state licenses for sub-trades and city permits, not a city contractor license.5 | Official page6 |
| South Burlington | Construction and electrical permits through the Fire Department (Fire Marshal and electrical inspection) and Planning & Zoning review, via the city's online portal. The city's permits/licenses page lists no contractor license.7 | Official page7 |
Check a license or report a problem
Before you hire a general contractor in Vermont, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Vermont is on the Vermont license lookup page.
- Look up a license
- sos.vermont.gov1
- File a complaint
- sos.vermont.gov2
Laws and rules
The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.
Common questions
How often do you renew a Residential Contractor - Business Registration in Vermont?
Every 2 years3.
General contractor licenses in other states
Sources
Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.
- Residential ContractorsVermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional RegulationChecked November 6, 2026
- Residential Contractor FAQsVermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional RegulationChecked November 6, 2026
- OPR Online Services General FAQsVermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional RegulationChecked November 6, 2026
- Residential Contractor Applications & RenewalsVermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional RegulationChecked November 6, 2026
- Construction PermitsCity of Burlington, Department of Permitting & InspectionsChecked November 7, 2026
- Hiring a ContractorCity of Burlington, Department of Permitting & InspectionsChecked November 6, 2026
- City Permits, Licenses, and RegistrationsCity of South BurlingtonChecked November 6, 2026