Louisiana General Contractor License: What Applies and What Does Not

Does a contracting business need a license in Louisiana?

Louisiana issues 4 license classes for general contractors on work valued above $7,500.

Louisiana requires a commercial license from the State Licensing Board for Contractors for commercial projects of $50,000 or more and a residential license for residential construction exceeding $50,000. Home improvement work on an existing residence valued at $7,500 or more requires a home improvement registration, and mold remediation of $7,500 or more requires a mold license. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing projects over $10,000, and any asbestos, hazardous waste, lead based paint or underground storage tank work valued at $1 or more, require a commercial license whatever the rest of the job is worth.

The contracting business itself must be licensed or registered, not only the people doing the work.

The license is issued to the contracting firm, which designates a qualifying party who sits the required examination or training. The board's public register lists both the licensed contractor and its qualifying party.

This records what Louisiana publishes, not a determination about your business. Scope, thresholds and local requirements are set by the issuing body, so confirm with them before you bid or file.

Verified 2026-09-03 against the primary source listed under Sources.

What the LLC has to do first

Where the state licenses the company rather than only the individual, the LLC has to exist before the license application can name it.

The entity filing is separate from anything the license requires. In Louisiana it is made with the Louisiana Secretary of State. File directly with the state here. The order matters wherever the license is issued to the company rather than to a person: the entity has to exist before an application can name it.

Forming an LLC as a contracting business in Louisiana covers the filing itself, step by step.

Insurance Louisiana general contractors are asked to show

General liability cover is the item most often demanded before a contractor license application is accepted or a job is awarded, and the certificate has to name the entity that holds the license.

We do not publish Louisiana premium figures for this trade, so nothing here is a quote. Our business insurance guide for general contractors covers what each policy does and does not pay for.