Quick answer: Hawaii requires a state contractor license for essentially all construction work over $1,500. The DCCA Contractors License Board (CLB) licenses contractors under HRS Chapter 444 as A (General Engineering), B (General Building) or a C specialty classification. Unlike many states, that includes painting (C-33), carpentry (C-5/C-6) and landscaping (C-27). Separately, individual electricians and plumbers must be licensed by the Board of Electricians & Plumbers under Chapter 448E. Only a true handyman doing jobs of $1,500 or less (with no building permit and no electrical or plumbing work) and pure cleaning services fall outside the contractor law.
The table below shows which of the common trades need a Hawaii state license and which do not.
Which trades need a license in Hawaii?
| Trade | State license required? | Licensing body |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | Yes | State license required. The plumbing contracting business needs a CLB C-37 Plumbing Contractor license (HRS Ch. 444), and individual plumbers are separately licensed by the Board of Electricians & Plumbers under HRS Ch. 448E. |
| Electrician | Yes | State license required. The electrical contracting business needs a CLB C-13 Electrical Contractor license (HRS Ch. 444), and individual electricians are separately licensed by the Board of Electricians & Plumbers under HRS Ch. 448E. |
| HVAC | Yes | State license required. Air-conditioning work falls under the CLB C-52 Ventilating and Air Conditioning classification (with C-40 Refrigeration for refrigeration work), HRS Ch. 444. |
| General Contractor | Yes | State license required. The CLB issues an A (General Engineering) or B (General Building) contractor license under HRS Ch. 444; a B contractor uses two or more unrelated trades. |
| Roofer | Yes | State license required. Roofing is the CLB C-42 Roofing Contractor classification (with subclasses such as C-42a metal shingles and C-42c concrete and clay tile), HRS Ch. 444. |
| Painter | Yes | State license required. Painting and decorating is the CLB C-33 classification under HRS Ch. 444. Only jobs of $1,500 or less with no permit qualify for the handyman exemption. |
| Carpenter | Yes | State license required for carpentry as a business. The CLB issues C-5 (cabinet, millwork, and carpentry remodeling and repairs) and C-6 (carpentry framing) classifications under HRS Ch. 444. |
| Landscaper | Yes | State license required for landscape construction. The CLB C-27 Landscaping Contractor classification covers this under HRS Ch. 444. Routine lawn mowing and gardening generally fall below the contracting threshold. |
| Handyman | No | No license for jobs whose aggregate price for labor and materials is $1,500 or less (HRS 444-2). The exemption never applies where a building permit is required, or to any electrical or plumbing work. |
| Cleaner | No | No state contractor or occupational license for residential or commercial cleaning. Cleaning is not construction work under HRS Ch. 444. |
"Yes" means a DCCA-issued state license is required. In Hawaii almost every trade that builds, alters, or repairs a structure for more than $1,500 needs a Contractors License Board license; electricians and plumbers also need an individual Chapter 448E license.
How Hawaii licenses construction trades
Hawaii regulates construction at the state level through the Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division. The Contractors License Board (CLB) licenses contractors under HRS Chapter 444. Under HRS 444-9, no one may act or advertise as a general engineering, general building, or specialty contractor without a license.
There are three top-level license types: A (General Engineering) for fixed works requiring specialized engineering such as roads, bridges, and utilities; B (General Building) for structures that use more than two unrelated building trades; and C specialty classifications for individual trades. Hawaii defines dozens of C classifications, so most single-trade contractors hold a specific C license rather than an A or B.
The specialty (C) classifications in detail
Hawaii's specialty classifications are listed in the CLB's official Description of Contractor License Classifications and Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 16-77. Key trades map to: C-13 Electrical, C-37 Plumbing, C-52 Ventilating and Air Conditioning (with C-40 Refrigeration), C-42 Roofing, C-33 Painting and Decorating, C-5 Cabinet, Millwork and Carpentry Remodeling and C-6 Carpentry Framing, and C-27 Landscaping.
This breadth is what makes Hawaii unusual: trades that are unregulated in states like Florida — painting, carpentry, and landscaping — each require a CLB license here once the work crosses the contracting threshold.
Electricians and plumbers: two licenses
Electrical and plumbing work involves two separate credentials. The business that contracts for the work needs a CLB contractor license (C-13 electrical or C-37 plumbing). Separately, the individuals doing the work must be licensed by the DCCA Board of Electricians and Plumbers under HRS Chapter 448E — as a journey worker electrician, supervising electrician, journey worker plumber, or master plumber, among other classes.
HRS 444-9.5 ties the two together: at least half of the individuals performing electrical or plumbing work on a job site for an electrical or plumbing contractor must be licensed under Chapter 448E, and they must display that license on site.
The $1,500 handyman exemption
Hawaii's main exemption is in HRS 444-2(4): the contractor law does not apply to a project whose aggregate contract price for labor and materials is not more than $1,500. This is the so-called handyman exemption, raised from $1,000 to $1,500 by Act 283 (Session Laws of Hawaii 2019), effective July 10, 2019.
The exemption is narrow. It does not apply where a building permit is required, regardless of price, and it cannot be used by splitting a larger project into pieces of $1,500 or less to evade the law. Under HRS 444-9.1, any electrical or plumbing work must be performed by contractors licensed under Chapters 448E and 444, so a handyman can never do that work. A separate owner-builder exemption (HRS 444-2.5) lets owners build for their own use under strict conditions.
What still needs no contractor license
Because Hawaii licenses nearly all construction trades, the list of unregulated work is short. A genuine handyman doing small jobs of $1,500 or less — with no building permit and no electrical or plumbing — needs no CLB license, and pure cleaning services are not construction work at all.
Even so, unlicensed operators still face other rules: HRS 444-9.2 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone, including someone exempt under 444-2, to advertise as a contractor without a license, and general excise tax and county business requirements still apply. Because thresholds and permit rules matter, confirm your specific job with the CLB and your county building department before starting.
How to get licensed in Hawaii
- Identify your Hawaii classification: an A (General Engineering) or B (General Building) license, or the specific C specialty classification for your trade (e.g., C-13 electrical, C-37 plumbing, C-42 roofing, C-33 painting, C-27 landscaping).
- Confirm whether a second credential applies. Electrical and plumbing businesses need a CLB contractor license, and their workers must separately hold an individual license under HRS Chapter 448E from the Board of Electricians and Plumbers.
- Meet the CLB requirements for your classification, including the required years of trade and supervisory experience, a qualifying individual (responsible managing employee), general liability insurance, and a surety bond.
- Apply to the Contractors License Board through the DCCA MyPVL portal, pass the required business/law and trade examinations, and submit fees and background documentation.
- Once licensed, keep the license active by renewing on the Board's biennial cycle and meeting any continuing-education and insurance requirements before working on jobs over $1,500.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a handyman need a license in Hawaii?
Only for larger jobs. Under HRS 444-2(4), work whose aggregate price for labor and materials is $1,500 or less is exempt from the contractor law — but only if no building permit is required and the job involves no electrical or plumbing work. A larger project cannot be split into $1,500 pieces to avoid licensing. Anything above that threshold requires the appropriate Contractors License Board license.
Do painters, carpenters and landscapers need a license in Hawaii?
Yes. Unlike many mainland states, Hawaii licenses these trades through the Contractors License Board: C-33 for painting and decorating, C-5 and C-6 for carpentry, and C-27 for landscaping. A license is required once the work exceeds the $1,500 handyman threshold. Only very small jobs and routine gardening or cleaning fall outside the law.
Who licenses electricians and plumbers in Hawaii?
Two boards are involved. The Contractors License Board licenses the electrical or plumbing business (C-13 or C-37) under HRS Chapter 444, while the Board of Electricians and Plumbers licenses the individual workers under HRS Chapter 448E (journey worker or supervising electrician, journey worker or master plumber). HRS 444-9.5 requires at least half of the electrical or plumbing workers on a job site to hold a 448E license.
What is the dollar threshold for needing a contractor license in Hawaii?
$1,500. A contractor license is required once the aggregate contract price for labor and materials is more than $1,500 (HRS 444-2, as amended by Act 283, SLH 2019). A building permit triggers the license requirement at any price, and the threshold cannot be avoided by dividing a job into smaller contracts.
Sources: Hawaii DCCA – Contractors License Board, HRS Chapter 444 – Contractors (statute), DCCA – Description of Contractor License Classifications, HRS § 444-2 – Exemptions (current, $1,500 threshold), Hawaii DCCA – Board of Electricians and Plumbers (HRS Ch. 448E), 2025. Licensing rules change — always confirm current requirements with the relevant state board and your local city before you work.