Nevada Contractor License

So, you have decided to work as a general contractor, handyman, or electrician in Nevada and you want to get your license, but don’t know where to start. Then you are in the right place, in this guide you will find all the information and important links. I will introduce everything that you need to know from start to end.

First, let’s figure out whether you need a license or not.

Who needs a contractor’s license in Nevada?

The Nevada State Contractors Board claims that if you are a business or an individual and you construct or alter any building, highway, road, parking facility, railroad, excavation, or other structure in Nevada. Then you need to have a license provided by the Nevada State Contractors Board.

To be able to apply for a contractor’s license in Nevada, you need to meet these requirements:

• You must be at least 18 years or older
• You must work as a journeyman, foreman, contractor, or supervisor minimum of 4 years during the ten years before applying for a license.

These are the basic requirements, if you meet them then it is time to choose the type of contractor license. In Nevada, there are three various classes of a contractor license. It depends on trade or specialty.

Here are the classes:

• Class A (General Engineering Contractor License): This classification is more for people who have specific engineering education. It is more on the technical side.
• Class B (General Building Contractor License): This classification combines in it all the common works that do the general contractor, including construction, altering, repairs, and more.
• Class C (Specialty Contractor License): This one is for specific areas like pool repairs, recycling asphalt, and industrial piping. In Nevada, there are more than 35 different specialties.

You can find the list of all special skills from the Nevada Administrative Code.

What are the requirements to get a licensed contractor in Nevada?

Now as you have decided which classification you need, it is time to know what qualifications you need, to apply for a contractor license.

• You must take a CMS exam and also a trade exam. To prove that you can handle all the finances connected with the contracting business. You need to provide a financial statement
• For each year of your work experience, you need to submit one certificate. Altogether you need four of them.
• The other part of the application is the criminal history check, so you need to provide fingerprints.
• If you are going to work on residential properties, you need to donate money to a Residential Recovery Fund. The amount depends on the monetary limit you pick.

There are a few additional steps that you need you to do:

• You must pay a $300 application fee (non-refundable)
• If your license is approved, every other year you will need to pay $600
• As your business must be bonded to operate, all additional costs will depend on the limit you pick.

Other important details you need to know

Additionally, to all these requirements there are a few things in the application process that you need to know.

Register your business with the Nevada Secretary of State

To work as a contractor in Nevada you need not only get a contractor’s license but also you must have a current business license. It seems a little bit complicated, but don’t panic. The Nevada Secretary of State provides a free business service called SilverFlume, with this service it will be much easier to register. In order to apply for a contractor’s license, you need to save your Nevada business ID. You can register as an LLC, LLP, corporation, or sole proprietor.

Submit a complete contractor’s license application

First, you need to submit your application with the required documentation. And after this, you will be able to schedule your exam.

Be ready to provide information like:

• The license classification that you have chosen
• The names of your employees if you have any
• Fingerprints, for background check
• A financial statement

For more information about the application process visit the Nevada State Contractors Board website.

Prepare for and schedule your contractor’s exam

As you may understand, to get your contractor’s license, you need to take the Business and Law exam and the trade exam for your classification of license. To be able to schedule your exam date, first, you need to submit the application with all documentation and get approval from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB).

Note: Remember it is your responsibility to get a date for your exam. Although you have a few testing center options.

All Nevada contractor’s license exams are distributed through PSI Online.

Fees

If you take The Business and Law exam with a trade exam it will cost $140. But if you take them separately, you will pay $95 for each.

If you need more information or have questions visit the Nevada State Contractors Board website.

Get the proper insurance coverage

The important part of the licensure process is to have required insurance coverage. In Nevada state, all licensed contractors must be bonded and have Workers Compensation.

As NSCB claims the amount of the bond is decided at the time of license approval by the Board. Depending on the type of license, monetary limit, past, present, or future financial responsibility, experience, and character of the applicant the amount can differ from $1,000 to $500,000. This means that the classification of the license will decide the amount of the bond that you need to pay.

Now about Workers Compensation, if you have even one employee you need to have a valid policy. If subcontractors, independent contractors, and their employees are not independent companies they should be covered under your policy.

In Nevada there is no state-funded Workers Compensation fund, so you need to get purchase coverage from a provider. To ensure that you get the right coverage at a good price, you need to get an insurance quote.

How long does it take to get a Nevada Contractors License?

Approximately it will take from 3 to 4 weeks until you get your license.