Bathroom Remodel — Alabama license requirements
01 The project
The starting point is the work itself — Bathroom Remodel in Alabama. The job determines which trades are involved, and the trades determine which license classifications may be required.
| Component | Trade |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | Plumbing |
| Electrical | Electrical |
| Tile | Tile |
| Framing | Framing |
| Drywall | Drywall |
| Painting | Painting |
02 Jurisdiction
This project is evaluated for Alabama — the five-board / two-threshold state. Non-residential work of $100,000 or more (pools $5,000) is the ALBGC general contractor layer; residential work over $10,000 (roofing over $2,500) is the HBLB home builder layer; and the electrical (AECB, ch. 36), plumbing/gas (PGFB, ch. 37) and HVAC/R (HACR, ch. 31) trades are licensed by their own boards. Alabama jurisdiction page.
Municipal building-permit and business-licence fees are set locally and were not read — LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED. Alabama publishes a single confirmed contractor bond (the HVAC/R $20,000 performance bond) and no general contractor bond, so no other bond amount appears here to verify against. State requirements are not the complete story for any locality.
03 Trade → license
Relations below are recorded per state — only this jurisdiction's classifications are shown.
Trades involved: Plumbing, Electrical, Tile, Framing, Drywall, Painting.
- Component basis PLB-JRN — Journeyman Plumber confirmed S-AL-PGFB-LAW rule AL-PLUMB-LICENSEWorker limb: a journeyman plumber works under a master (§34-37-6 experience = 2 years).
- May require PLB-MST — Master Plumber confirmed S-AL-PGFB-LAW rule AL-PLUMB-LICENSEPlumbing portion: a certified master/journeyman plumber performs it; the master certificate is the business-holding credential (§34-37-1).
- Component basis ELEC-JRN — Journeyman Electrician confirmed S-AL-AECB-LAW rule AL-ELEC-LICENSEWorker limb: a journeyman electrician holds the individual certificate (§34-36-1).
- May require ELEC-CON — Electrical Contractor confirmed S-AL-AECB-LAW rule AL-ELEC-LICENSEElectrical portion: an AECB electrical contractor licence is required (§34-36-13); the qualifying individual is a master electrician.
04 Scope
What the official sources say about the work involved — typed assertions, never a boolean "covers". Interpretations are marked as such.
- Officially included ELEC-CON Engaging In The Electrical Contracting Business (may_perform) Code of Alabama §34-36-13 S-AL-AECB-LAW Alabama licenses the electrical contractor business; the qualifying individual is a master electrician and journeymen hold individual certificates.
- Officially excluded ELEC-CON Requiring A Separate Local Electrical Contractor License For The Same Purpose (may_not_perform) Code of Alabama chapter 36, Title 34 S-AL-AECB-LAW CERTAINTY NOTE: the exclusivity clause was not fully extracted from the binary PDF — recorded as reported, not confirmed.
- Officially included PLB-MST Engaging In The Business Of Plumbing And Or Gas Fitting (may_perform) Code of Alabama §34-37-1; Administrative Code 720-X-17-.01 S-AL-PGFB-LAW Alabama certifies the individual plumber/gas fitter; there is no plumbing-contractor business licence.
05 Requirements
| Requirement | Kind | Statement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, gas fitters and medical gas piping fitters must be certified by the PGFB PGFB chapter 37 law PDF (§34-37-1) + Administrative Code 720-X-17-.01 — read 2026-10-05 | license | §34-37-1: the board 'shall examine, certify, and regulate plumbers, gas fitters, and medical gas piping fitters'. Certificates are individual (master, journeyman and apprentice). A person engaging in the business of plumbing and/or gas fitting within Alabama must register ANNUALLY on board forms (Administrative Code 720-X-17-.01). A master certificate is the business-holding credential; a journeyman works under a master; an apprentice works under supervision. | S-AL-PGFB-LAWSource S-AL-PGFB-LAW — Alabama State Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (PGFB)Alabama State Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board — chapter 37, Title 34 (official law PDF) — PGFB chapter 37 law PDF (§34-37-1) + Administrative Code 720-X-17-.01 — read 2026-10-05 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Official board-published PDF of chapter 37 (read 2026-10-05 via official-domain metadata/snippet). §34-37-1 definitions: 'The board shall examine, certify, and regulate plumbers, gas fitters, and medical gas piping fitters…'; an APPRENTICE GAS FITTER OR PLUMBER is a person other than a master or journeyman holding a current annual certificate. §34-37-6: a journeyman applicant shows two years of current work experience. §34-37-9 sets the board's fees. RETRIEVAL LIMITATION: binary PDF — the certifications and the annual certificate are corroborated by the board home and forms pages. |
| No person may engage in electrical contracting or work as a master/journeyman electrician without an AECB license AECB chapter 36 law PDF (§34-36-12/13, §34-36-7) — read 2026-10-05 | license | §34-36-13 'License required; exemptions': no person shall engage in the electrical contracting business or perform work as a master or journeyman electrician without a licence from the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors, subject to the section's exemptions. §34-36-7 requires every applicant for an electrical contractor or journeyman electrician licence to submit a completed application, application fee and supportive documentation of qualifications before taking the examination. A licence must be displayed (§34-36-12). | S-AL-AECB-LAWSource S-AL-AECB-LAW — Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors (AECB)Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors — chapter 36, Title 34 (official full-text law PDF) — AECB chapter 36 law PDF (§34-36-12/13, §34-36-7) — read 2026-10-05 https://aecb.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Section34LAW.pdf Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Official board-published PDF of chapter 36 (read 2026-10-05 via official-domain metadata/snippet — the PDF is binary and not fully extractable by this harness, so facts are limited to what the board publishes in text elsewhere). Defines 'electrical contracting' and the JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN ('A person who possesses necessary qualifications, training, and technical knowledge to install electrical wiring, apparatus, or equipment…'). §34-36-13 is the licence-required/exemptions section; §34-36-7 examinations with reciprocity; §34-36-12 display of licences. RETRIEVAL LIMITATION: binary PDF — the operative licence-required text is corroborated through the official Administrative Code filing (S-AL-ADMINCODE-303) and the board home (S-AL-AECB). |
| A residential home builders license is required when the cost exceeds $10,000 HBLB law page verbatim (§34-14A-2(12), §34-14A-5) — read 2026-10-05 | license | §34-14A-2(12): a 'residential home builder' is a person who constructs a residence or structure for sale or, for a fixed price, undertakes the construction or superintending of any residence or structure not over three floors in height and with not more than four residential units, or the repair, improvement or reimprovement thereof, to be used by another as a residence 'when the cost of the undertaking exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000)'. §34-14A-5: 'All residential home builders shall be required to be licensed by the Home Builders Licensure Board annually.' Entities licence through a qualifying representative (§34-14A-2(10)). | S-AL-HBLB-LAWSource S-AL-HBLB-LAW — Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board (HBLB)Home Builders Licensure Board — Home Builders Licensure Law (chapter 14A, Title 34) — HBLB law page verbatim (§34-14A-2(12), §34-14A-5) — read 2026-10-05 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Read in full 2026-10-05 (§§34-14A-1 through -5 verbatim). §34-14A-2(12): 'residential home builder' = one who constructs … 'any residence or structure that is not over three floors in height and that does not have more than four residential units, or the repair, improvement, or reimprovement thereof, to be used by another as a residence when the cost of the undertaking exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Notwithstanding … the term includes a residential roofer when the cost of the undertaking exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).' Own-residence/own-real-estate acts are excluded. §34-14A-2(13) residential roofer; (10) qualifying representative. §34-14A-5: 'All residential home builders shall be required to be licensed … annually'; the annual fee runs a 12-month period beginning January 1. §34-14A-15 Homeowners' Recovery Fund; §34-14A-19 liability insurance (see the separate rows below). |
| Municipal building permits and city/county business licences are a separate LOCAL layer ALBGC law page (§34-8-8/§34-8-9) + board home — read 2026-10-05; local fees LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED | permit | State licensing (ALBGC / HBLB / AECB / PGFB / HACR) decides WHO may contract for the work; the municipal building department issues the BUILDING PERMIT and the city/county issues a BUSINESS LICENCE, each on its own rules and fees. §34-8-9 makes the building-permit issuance subject to the state licensure framework for covered work, and a city may not impose a further contractor licence where state law preempts it — but permit scope, inspection and fees are set locally. | S-AL-GC-LAWSource S-AL-GC-LAW — Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (ALBGC)Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors — Contractor Licensing Law (chapter 8, Title 34) — ALBGC law page (§34-8-8/§34-8-9) + board home — read 2026-10-05; local fees LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED https://genconbd.alabama.gov/about/law/ Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Read in full 2026-10-05. Verbatim: a 'general contractor' is one who undertakes construction '…in the State of Alabama where the cost of the undertaking including labor and materials is $100,000 or more. Swimming Pool construction of $5,000 or more.' 'Subcontractors performing minimum contracts including labor and materials of $100,000 ($5,000 swimming pools) under contract to a licensed prime contractor must be licensed by the board.' Awarding authorities must ascertain licensure before bids (§34-8-8); a prime awarding a ≥$100,000 subcontract becomes an awarding authority; §34-8-9 issuance of building permits. Section list includes 34-8-1 definition, 34-8-2 licensure/classification, 34-8-3 examination, 34-8-5 effect, 34-8-6 prohibited acts/penalties, 34-8-7 exemptions/subcontractors, 34-8-8 awarding authorities, 34-8-9 building permits. NOTE: the section list contains NO bond section (CONFLICT-AL-001). |
06 Rule: AL-PLUMB-LICENSE
§34-37-1: the PGFB shall examine, certify and regulate plumbers, gas fitters and medical gas piping fitters. Certificates are individual (master/journeyman/apprentice). A person engaging in the business of plumbing and/or gas fitting must register annually (Administrative Code 720-X-17-.01). Missing facts yield NOT_DETERMINED.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| certification-required | plumbing_certification_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-AL-PGFB-LAWS-AL-ADMINCODE-720
07 Rule: AL-ELEC-LICENSE
§34-36-13: no person shall engage in the electrical contracting business or perform work as a master or journeyman electrician without a licence from the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors, subject to the section's exemptions. The business credential is the electrical contractor licence (with a qualifying master electrician); a journeyman holds an individual certificate. Missing facts yield NOT_DETERMINED.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| license-required | electrical_contractor_license_required |
|
| exception | electrical_license_exception |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-AL-AECB-LAWS-AL-ADMINCODE-303
08 Rule: AL-HB-LICENSE
Chapter 14A, Title 34: a residential home builder licence is required to construct/improve a residence 'when the cost of the undertaking exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000)'; §34-14A-5 requires annual licensing; entities licence through a qualifying representative. Test AL-HB-EXEMPTIONS first. Missing facts yield NOT_DETERMINED.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| license-required | home_builder_license_required |
|
| below-threshold | below_home_builder_threshold |
|
| exception | home_builder_exception |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-AL-HBLB-LAW
09 Rule: AL-LOCAL-PERMIT
State licensing decides WHO may contract; the municipal building department issues the BUILDING PERMIT and the city/county issues a BUSINESS LICENCE on their own rules and fees. §34-8-9 ties building-permit issuance for covered work to the state licensure framework. Missing facts yield NOT_DETERMINED.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| local-permit | local_permit_and_business_license_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-AL-GC-LAW
10 The plumbing and electrical limbs
| Portion | Alabama answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | a certified master/journeyman plumber performs it; the master certificate is the business-holding credential (§34-37-1) | S-AL-PGFB-LAW |
| Electrical | an AECB electrical contractor licence (§34-36-13); a journeyman electrician holds the individual certificate | S-AL-AECB-LAW |
| General / prime scope over $10,000 | an HBLB residential home builders licence — rule AL-HB-LICENSE | S-AL-HBLB-LAW |
| Home builder liability insurance | §34-14A-19 requires proof of liability insurance before construction (amount not board-published) | S-AL-HBLB-LAW |
| Building permit | municipal — issued and inspected locally (rule AL-LOCAL-PERMIT) | S-AL-GC-LAW |
11 Permit and verification layer
Alabama separates the credential from the permit: the STATE boards decide who may work (the ALBGC / HBLB / AECB / PGFB / HACR licences and certificates), while the municipal building department issues the building permit and the city/county issues a business licence. §34-8-9 ties building-permit issuance for covered work to the state licensure framework. Permit and business-licence fees are set locally and were not read — LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED. S-AL-GC-LAW
Verify the credential that actually applies on the official lookup before relying on any outcome here. S-AL-CODE-34-8-2
Source S-AL-HACR-BOND — Alabama Legislature — Code of Alabama 1975 (ALISON) & Alabama Administrative Code
Alabama Administrative Code rule 440-X-3-.04 — Forms of licensing (HACR performance bond) — Administrative Code 440-X-3-.04(5) — read 2026-10-05
https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/administrative-code/440-X-3-.04
Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05
Read 2026-10-05 (Administrative Code chapter 440-X, Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors). Rule 440-X-3-.04(5): 'All new heating and air conditioning, or refrigeration contractor applicants must provide a performance bond in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000).' Also defines the forms of licensing (business licence + qualifying individual). NOTE: some commercial surety pages circulate a $15,000 figure — the official rule states $20,000 (CONFLICT-AL-002).