Oregon Contractor Licensing Requirements

Any contractor or homeowner hiring a contractor needs to know the licensing requirements for your state.

Otherwise, you could be facing fines, removal of your project without compensation, or a dangerous situation at your home. Contractors can face jail time, and unlicensed contractors may not have any legal recourse if their client refuses to pay.

In general, licenses are needed for the following:

Commercial contracting
Residential contracting
Plumbing
Electrical
HVAC
Gas
Asbestos/hazardous waste remediation
Department of Transportation (road work)

Some states have dollar amounts for determining which jobs you must have a license for. This is the total cost of the job including labor, materials, etc. If no dollar amount is listed, then there is no minimum or maximum.

Licensed vs. Registered

Some states require licensing while others require registration. The difference between the two is this:

Licensing involves passing exams and meeting certain criteria to prove reasonable competency in a trade.
Registration is a written record of who is performing the work. It doesn’t guarantee expertise or competency.

Oregon

http://www.contractors-license.org/or/or.htm

Oregon requires a license for anyone performing construction activity for compensation. The exceptions are handyman projects totaling less than $1,000.00 and being “casual, minor, or inconsequential in nature”.

License lookup: http://search.ccb.state.or.us/search/