Maine Contractor License Requirements
There is no state licence to describe, so what follows is the absence itself and what stands in its place — each confirmed on an official source, quoted at the bottom of this page.
What the state requires
- Licence
- None at state level
- Issued by
- No state licensing board for general contractors. The Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) licenses the trades — Electricians' Examining Board, Plumbers' Examining Board, elevator contractors, oil/solid fuel technicians — but not builders or remodelers. The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division enforces the home construction contract law.10 M.R.S. §1487 (home construction contracts)
- NASCLA exam
- Not acceptedNot applicable — Maine issues no state general contractor licence.
What people get wrong
Absence confirmed by the Attorney General in so many words: general contractors, roofers and framers are not licensed or regulated in Maine, and the state's licensed-profession table contains electricians, plumbers and elevator contractors but no builder or remodeler category. What Maine does regulate is the contract: any home construction or repair work over $3,000 needs a signed written contract with names, location, estimated start and substantial completion dates, total price, a down payment capped at one third of the contract price, a description of the work and materials, a warranty statement and written change orders. Some municipalities require local registration or permits.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a contractor licence in Maine?
- Not from the state. Maine does not licence general contractors at the state level. There is no state exam, no state bond and no state licence to hold — the requirement is local, so which permit or registration you need depends on the city or county you are building in. Absence confirmed by the Attorney General in so many words: general contractors, roofers and framers are not licensed or regulated in Maine, and the state's licensed-profession table contains electricians, plumbers and elevator contractors but no builder or remodeler category. What Maine does regulate is the contract: any home construction or repair work over $3,000 needs a signed written contract with names, location, estimated start and substantial completion dates, total price, a down payment capped at one third of the contract price, a description of the work and materials, a warranty statement and written change orders. Some municipalities require local registration or permits.
- Does Maine accept the NASCLA exam?
- No. Not applicable — Maine issues no state general contractor licence.
Sources
“In Maine, general contractors - and trades such as roofing and framing - are not licensed or regulated.”
https://www.maine.gov/ag/consumer-protection/consumer-help-topics/housing/home-construction-and-repair“Maine law requires a written contract between a contractor and homeowner or lessee for any home construction or repair work that costs more than $3,000.”
https://www.maine.gov/ag/consumer-protection/consumer-help-topics/housing/home-construction-and-repair“Any home construction contract for more than $3,000 in materials or labor must be in writing and must be signed by both the home construction contractor and the homeowner or lessee.”
https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/10/title10sec1487.html“Electricians' Examining Board ... Plumbers' Examining Board”
https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions