Handyman Business Permit Requirements in Detroit, MI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Michigan Residential Maintenance and Alteration Contractor License

   Michigan requires a state license for residential repair, maintenance, and alteration work. The exemption in MCL 339.2403(f) applies only where the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, and other items on one undertaking is less than $600, and splitting a larger job into sub-$600 contracts to evade the act is expressly barred. The applicable license is the Residential Maintenance & Alteration (M&A) Contractor license from LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes, covering carpentry, concrete, excavation, insulation, masonry, siding, roofing, screens and storm sash, gutters, tile and marble, house wrecking, swimming pools, and basement waterproofing. Requirements: at least 18 years old, a minimum of 60 hours of LARA-approved pre-licensure coursework with credits in specific areas, and passing the licensing exam (military veterans may substitute an affidavit from a superior officer). Detroit does add a local requirement: BSEED contractor registration in the Residential Builders, Alterations, and Maintenance category, renewed annually. Detroit also issues its own electrical licenses locally rather than through the state.

   Official government source

   $15.00 application processing fee; $50.00 for the complete builder/M&A contractor examination (law and rules portion $30.00, practice or trades portion $30.00 if taken separately; examination review $20.00); license fee $50.00 per year, charged over the 3-year license cycle, i.e. $150 — except $60.00 per year for the first license cycle of an initial or renewal licensee (MCL 338.2239, State License Fee Act). Pre-licensure course tuition is charged by private providers and is not a state fee. Detroit BSEED contractor registration is $46 annually.·Coursework and exam scheduling drive the timeline; under MCL 339.409(3) all licensure requirements must be completed within 1 year after the department receives the application or fees are forfeited

   $15.00 application processing fee; $50.00 for the complete builder/M&A contractor examination (law and rules portion $30.00, practice or trades portion $30.00 if taken separately; examination review $20.00); license fee $50.00 per year, charged over the 3-year license cycle, i.e. $150 — except $60.00 per year for the first license cycle of an initial or renewal licensee (MCL 338.2239, State License Fee Act). Pre-licensure course tuition is charged by private providers and is not a state fee. Detroit BSEED contractor registration is $46 annually.

   Coursework and exam scheduling drive the timeline; under MCL 339.409(3) all licensure requirements must be completed within 1 year after the department receives the application or fees are forfeited

1. Detroit Contractor Registration (no general business license)

   The City of Detroit does not require a general business license for handymen — BSEED licenses only enumerated business categories (vendors, lodging, amusement venues, consumer services, gas stations, second-hand sales, etc.) and general handyman work is not among them. However, BSEED does require contractor registration: 'The City of Detroit requires contractors performing certain construction and maintenance work on buildings and lands within its borders to be licensed and registered. In addition, such license registration requires renewal annually.' Register in the Residential Builders, Alterations, and Maintenance category. A state LARA Residential Maintenance & Alteration Contractor license is the prerequisite for regulated work, and electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work require their own Detroit trade registrations.

   Official government source

   $0 for a general business license — none exists. Detroit BSEED contractor registration for Residential Builders, Alterations, and Maintenance is $46 each, renewed annually; related trade registrations are $37 (electrical contractor), $22 (plumbing contractor), and $23 (mechanical contractor). BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025.·Registration/renewal is processed through BSEED's Construction Division; BSEED publishes no guaranteed turnaround (needs_review)

   $0 for a general business license — none exists. Detroit BSEED contractor registration for Residential Builders, Alterations, and Maintenance is $46 each, renewed annually; related trade registrations are $37 (electrical contractor), $22 (plumbing contractor), and $23 (mechanical contractor). BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025.

   Registration/renewal is processed through BSEED's Construction Division; BSEED publishes no guaranteed turnaround (needs_review)

Official Sources

• Michigan LARA — Maintenance and Alteration Contractor License
• City of Detroit — BSEED

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