Who can fix it in North Carolina? Handyman and contractor license rules

Sources

1. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-1(a) — North Carolina General Assemblythe construction of any building, highway, public utilities, grading or any improvement or structure where the cost of the undertaking is forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or more
2. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-1(b)(2) — North Carolina General AssemblyAny person, firm, or corporation who constructs or alters a building on land owned by that person, firm, or corporation provided (i) the building is intended solely for occupancy by that person and his family, firm, or corporation after completion; and (ii) the person, firm, or corporation complies with G.S. 87-14. If the building is not occupied solely by the person and his family, firm, or corporation for at least 12 months following completion, it shall be presumed that the person, firm, or corporation did not intend the building solely for occupancy by that person and his family, firm, or corporation.
3. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 89G-3(5) — North Carolina General Assembly(5) Any irrigation construction or irrigation contracting work where the price of all contracts for labor, material, and other items for a given jobsite is less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).
4. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-43 — North Carolina General AssemblyNo person, partnership, firm or corporation shall engage, or offer to engage, in the business of electrical contracting within the State of North Carolina without having received a license in the applicable classification described in G.S. 87-43.3 from the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors
5. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-43.1(5a) — North Carolina General Assembly(5a) To any person when that person is installing, maintaining, altering or repairing electric work, wiring, devices, appliances or equipment upon that person's own property and for that person's own benefit when such property is not intended at the time for rent, lease, or sale.
6. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-43.1(7) — North Carolina General Assembly(7) To the replacement of lamps and fuses and to the installation and servicing of cord-connected appliances and equipment connected by means of attachment plug-in devices to suitable receptacles which have been permanently installed
7. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-21(a)(5) — North Carolina General AssemblyAny person who installs a plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler system on property which at the time of installation was intended for sale or to be used primarily for rental is deemed to be engaged in the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting without regard to receipt of consideration, unless exempted elsewhere in this Article.
8. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-21(c) — North Carolina General AssemblyThe provisions of this Article shall apply to all persons, firms, or corporations who engage in, or attempt to engage in, the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting, or any combination thereof as defined in this Article, which includes the installation or replacement of condensing units, air handlers, gas furnaces, package units, boilers, water heaters, heat exchangers, or whole-house water purification or treatment systems, as well as the connection, repair, or alteration to the plumbing drainage, waste, or venting system or the potable water system. The provisions of this Article shall not apply to those who clean plumbing drains or those who make minor repairs or minor replacements to an already installed system of plumbing, heating or air conditioning, but shall apply to those who make repairs, replacements, or modifications to an already installed fire sprinkler system. Minor repairs or minor replacements within the meaning of this subsection shall include the replacement of parts in an installed system which do not require any change in energy source, fuel type, or routing or sizing of venting or piping. Parts shall include a compressor, coil, contactor, motor, or capacitor.
9. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-1110(c)(1)-(3) — North Carolina General Assembly(c) No permit issued under Article 9 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is required for any construction, installation, repair, replacement, or alteration costing forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or less and performed in accordance with the current edition of the North Carolina State Building Code in any single-family residence, farm building, or commercial building unless the work involves any of the following: (1) The addition, repair, or replacement of load-bearing structures. However, no permit is required for replacement of windows, doors, exterior siding, or the pickets, railings, stair treads, and decking of porches and exterior decks that otherwise meet the requirements of this subsection. (2) The addition or change in the design of plumbing. However, no permit is required for replacements otherwise meeting the requirements of this subsection that do not change size or capacity. (3) The addition, replacement, or change in the design of heating, air-conditioning, or electrical wiring, devices, appliances, or equipment, other than like-kind replacement of electrical devices and lighting fixtures.
10. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-401.13(a)(1) — North Carolina General Assembly"You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction. See the attached notice of cancellation form for an explanation of this right."
11. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-401.13(c)(1) — North Carolina General Assembly(1) Off-Premises Sale. - A sale, lease, or rental of consumer goods or services with a purchase price of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) or more, whether under single or multiple contracts, in which the seller or his representative personally solicits the sale, including those in response to or following an invitation by the buyer, and the buyer's agreement or offer to purchase is made at a place other than the place of business of the seller.
12. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-401.13(c)(1)e — North Carolina General Assemblye. In which the buyer has initiated the contact and specifically requested the seller to visit his home for the purpose of repairing or performing maintenance upon the buyer's property. If in the course of such a visit, the seller sells the buyer the right to receive additional services or goods other than replacement parts necessarily used in performing the maintenance or in making the repairs, the sale of those additional goods or services would not fall within this exclusion; or
13. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-401.13(b1) — North Carolina General Assembly(b1) In addition to the requirements in subsection (a) of this section, contracts for residential roof replacement or repair shall be subject to a five-business day cancellation period following an insurance claim denial for the work to be performed under the contract, during which time the seller shall not begin work or collect any payment until the five business days have expired. If the residential roofing contractor has performed emergency services, acknowledged by the insured in writing to be necessary to prevent further damage to the premises, the residential roofing contractor shall be entitled to collect the amount due for the emergency services at the time they are rendered.
14. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-401.13(c)(7) — North Carolina General Assembly(7) Residential Roof Replacement and Repair Services. - Reconstruction or repair of any part of an existing roof of a residential home for the purpose of its maintenance, including the total replacement of an existing roofing system, except when performed by a general contractor licensed pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes or a person or subcontractor working under the supervision of a licensed general contractor pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes.
15. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-15.6(a) (Homeowners Recovery Fund) — North Carolina General AssemblyThe purpose of the Fund is to reimburse homeowners who have suffered a reimbursable loss in constructing or altering a single-family residential dwelling unit.
16. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-15.8(a)(3) — North Carolina General Assembly(3) Has exhausted all civil remedies against the general contractor whose conduct caused the loss and, if applicable, the general contractor's estate, and has obtained a judgment against the general contractor that remains unsatisfied.
17. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-15.5(6) (reimbursable loss) — North Carolina General Assemblya. Results from dishonest or incompetent conduct by a general contractor in constructing or altering a single-family residential dwelling unit.
18. House Bill 661 (2025-2026 Session), bill status — North Carolina General AssemblyRef To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate on 6/19/2025
19. House Bill 661, Fourth Edition, Section 3.3.(a) — North Carolina General Assembly(4) Any person engaged in the business of providing the following installation, maintenance, or replacement services related to the construction or improvement of a building or structure: a. Floor covering services. b. Painting services."
20. House Bill 661, Fourth Edition, Section 3.3.(b) — North Carolina General Assembly"(c1) A building permit is not required for installation, maintenance, or replacement services described in G.S. 87-1(b)(4) in the construction or improvement of a building or structure subject to the North Carolina Residential Code."
21. 21 NCAC 12A .0201(2) (cost of the undertaking), in the Board's 2026 Laws and Regulations book — NC Licensing Board for General Contractors(2) Cost of the undertaking: As used in G.S. 87-1(a), “cost of the undertaking” means the final price of a project, excluding the cost of land, as evidenced by the contract and any subsequent amendments, or in the absence of a contract, permit records, invoices, and cancelled checks.
22. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-14(a) — North Carolina General Assemblyfor the construction of any building, highway, sewer, grading, or any improvement or structure where the cost is to be forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or more, shall, before being entitled to a permit, satisfy the following:
23. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-14(a)(1) (owner affidavit) — North Carolina General AssemblyIf an applicant claims an exemption from licensure pursuant to G.S. 87-1(b)(2), the applicant for the building permit shall execute a verified affidavit attesting to the following: a. That the applicant is the owner of the property on which the building is being constructed and, if the applicant is a firm or corporation, that the person submitting the application is an owner, officer, or member of the firm or corporation that owns the property. b. That the applicant will personally superintend and manage all aspects of the construction of the building and that the duty will not be delegated to any other person not licensed under this Article. c. That the applicant will be personally present for all inspections required by the North Carolina State Building Code, unless the plans for the building were drawn and sealed by an architect licensed pursuant to Chapter 83A of the General Statutes.
24. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-15.5(5) (general contractor defined, Homeowners Recovery Fund) — North Carolina General Assembly(5) General contractor. - A person or other entity who meets any of the following descriptions: a. Is licensed under Article 1 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes.

Checked October 20, 2026. We used AI-assisted research, then separate review passes that tried to prove each claim wrong against the law and agency pages above. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change; confirm with the state board or your local building department before you hire or start work. See a mistake? Email [email protected].