Wisconsin Contractor License Requirements
Every figure below was read off the DSPS or the statute, and the sentence it came from is listed at the bottom of this page. Where a figure could not be verified this page says so rather than showing a number.
What the state requires
- Licence
- Dwelling Contractor certification (the business), held together with a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification (an individual). A Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification covers businesses posting a bond under $25,000.
- Issued by
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Division of Professional Credential ProcessingWis. Stat. 101.654; Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 (SPS 305.31, 305.315)
- Exam
- No exam
- Exam fee
- No verified figureDSPS does not publish the initial application and credential fees as a dollar figure: the forms say fees are calculated in the LicensE portal at the time of application (they are set by Wis. Admin. Code Table SPS 305.02). Published renewal fees are $25 for a Dwelling Contractor, $25 for a Dwelling Contractor Restricted and $30 for a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, with a $200 reinstatement fee and a $25 late-CE fee on the Qualifier.
- Application fee
- No verified figure
- Initial licence fee
- No verified figure
- Licence bond
- Not requiredA bond of at least $25,000 is one of two alternative proofs of financial responsibility under Wis. Stat. 101.654(2) — the business may post it instead of carrying liability insurance. A business that wants to post a smaller bond must apply for the Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification instead. Because it is an either/or, bond_required is recorded as false and the amount left null.
- General liability
- Not requiredThe business must show one of two proofs of financial responsibility: a surety bond of at least $25,000, or general liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence for bodily injury or death of others or damage to the property of others. Either instrument must give DSPS 30 days' written notice before cancellation. The applicant also attests that the business complies with worker's compensation requirements under Wis. Stat. ch. 102 and with unemployment compensation requirements under Wis. Stat. 108. gl_insurance_required is false only because the bond is an equal alternative; $250,000 is the figure when insurance is the route chosen.
- Workers compensation
- Required
- Experience
- None requiredNo years-of-experience requirement. The Dwelling Contractor Qualifier must instead complete at least 12 hours in an approved initial qualifier course in dwelling construction within one year before applying.
- Financial requirement
- Proof of financial responsibility under Wis. Stat. 101.654(2): a surety bond of at least $25,000 or general liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence.
- Continuing education
- 12 hours every two yearsThe Dwelling Contractor Qualifier (not the contractor certification itself) must complete at least 12 hours of department-approved continuing education every two years, of which at least 4 hours must cover construction laws and codes and contracts, liability, and risk management. Completion is attested on the DSPS DCQ CE attestation form at renewal.
- Renewal
- Every year
- NASCLA exam
- Not acceptedWisconsin does not appear on NASCLA's list of state agencies accepting the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors.
What people get wrong
Wisconsin's credential is a permit gate, not a trade licence: no one may pull a building permit for a one- or two-family dwelling without a Dwelling Contractor certification plus a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier on staff. There is no examination — the Qualifier's entry requirement is a 12-hour approved initial course. Note the split renewal cycles: the Dwelling Contractor certification renews every year (approved for 1 year, $25), while the Qualifier renews every two years ($30) and carries the 12-hour CE. renewal_period_years records the contractor certification's 1-year cycle. Commercial general contracting is not licensed by the state.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a contractor licence in Wisconsin?
- Yes. Wisconsin issues a state general contractor licence — Dwelling Contractor certification (the business), held together with a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification (an individual). A Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification covers businesses posting a bond under $25,000. — through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Division of Professional Credential Processing. Wisconsin's credential is a permit gate, not a trade licence: no one may pull a building permit for a one- or two-family dwelling without a Dwelling Contractor certification plus a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier on staff. There is no examination — the Qualifier's entry requirement is a 12-hour approved initial course. Note the split renewal cycles: the Dwelling Contractor certification renews every year (approved for 1 year, $25), while the Qualifier renews every two years ($30) and carries the 12-hour CE. renewal_period_years records the contractor certification's 1-year cycle. Commercial general contracting is not licensed by the state.
- How much continuing education does Wisconsin require?
- 12 hours every two years. The Dwelling Contractor Qualifier (not the contractor certification itself) must complete at least 12 hours of department-approved continuing education every two years, of which at least 4 hours must cover construction laws and codes and contracts, liability, and risk management. Completion is attested on the DSPS DCQ CE attestation form at renewal.
- Does Wisconsin accept the NASCLA exam?
- No. Wisconsin does not appear on NASCLA's list of state agencies accepting the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors.
Sources
“Per Wis. Admin. Code § SPS 305.31, no person may obtain a building permit for a one- and two-family dwelling unless the person complies with all of the following ... Holds a Dwelling Contractor certification or a Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification issued by the Department; Holds or engages, as an employee, a person who holds a certification issued by the Department as a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier.”
https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Trades/fm3096.pdf“Bond: If the business chooses to have in force a bond, endorsed by a surety company authorized to do business in Wisconsin (i.e. licensed in Wisconsin), of at least $25,000, conditioned upon the business complying with all applicable provisions of the one- and two-family dwelling code ... If the applicant wishes to utilize a bond of less than $25,000, complete the Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification application.”
https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Trades/fm3096.pdf“Liability Insurance: The business has in force a policy of general liability insurance insuring the applicant in the amount of at least $250,000 per occurrence because of bodily injury to or death of others or because of damage to the property of others”
https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Trades/fm3096.pdf“Initial Qualifier Course: A person applying for a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification shall have completed at least 12 hours in an approved initial qualifier course in dwelling construction within one year prior to the date of application.”
https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Trades/fm3097.pdf“Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 101.654(1m) (b)1, an individual holding a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier license must, every two years, complete at least 12 hours of department approved continuing education relevant to the professional area of expertise of the person seeking to obtain a building permit. The hours of continuing education required shall include a total of at least 4 hours of continuing education in construction laws and codes and contracts, liability, and risk management.”
https://dsps.wi.gov/Documents/DCQCEAttestationForm.pdf“Dwelling Contractor 1 Date of Issuance $25.00 N/A $200.00 Dwelling Contractor Qualifier 2 Date of Issuance $30.00 $25.00 $200.00 Dwelling Contractor Restricted 1 Date of Issuance $25.00 N/A $200.00”
https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Trades/TradesRenewalDatesFees.pdf“DCQ Certification Application Info, DCQ Continuing Education Attestation, Initial Qualifier Courses List — all renewals are processed through LicensE at https://license.wi.gov.”
https://dsps.wi.gov/pages/Professions/DwellingContractorQualifier/Default.aspx“Participating state agencies accepting the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors (Wisconsin is not among them).”
https://www.nascla.org/nascla-commercial-exam-participating-state-agencies