Alaska Contractor Registration Categories

AS 08.18.011(a) verbatim: 'A person may not submit a bid or work as a contractor until that person has been issued a certificate of registration as a contractor by the department.' § 08.18.171(4) defines 'contractor' as a person who in the pursuit of an independent business undertakes, offers to perform, claims capacity to perform, or SUBMITS A BID for a project to construct, alter, repair, move or demolish a building, highway, road, railroad or any type of fixed structure, including excavation and site development — 'contractor' includes a general contractor, builder, mechanical contractor, specialty contractor and subcontractor. No examination is required for the base registration; fees $100 application + $250 initial biennial certificate (12 AAC 02.180); bond $25,000 (§ 08.18.071(b)(1)); two-year term expiring December 31 of even-numbered years.

AS 08.18.011(a); AS 08.18.013; 12 AAC 21 S-AK-AS-0818

AS 08.18.025(a) verbatim: 'A general contractor may not undertake the construction or alteration, or submit a bid to undertake the construction or alteration of a privately-owned residential structure of one to four units or advertise or publicly represent that the general contractor may undertake work of this type in the state without a residential contractor endorsement issued under this section. In this subsection, "alteration" means changes that have a value greater than 25 percent of the value of the structure being altered.' Issuance (§ 08.18.025(b)): hold a general contractor registration; pass the residential contractor examination ('offered by the department at least once each year in each judicial district … may be written or practical, may test competence in relation to arctic structural and thermal construction techniques'); apply within 12 months of passing; within the two years preceding application complete 'either the Alaska craftsman home program sponsored by the department, or its equivalent, or a postsecondary course in arctic engineering, or its equivalent'; 7-year screen for forgery, theft, extortion, conspiracy to defraud creditors or a felony involving dishonesty; pay the fees ($100 application + $250 initial biennial endorsement, $250 renewal — 12 AAC 02.180(a)(1),(7),(8)).

AS 08.18.025; 12 AAC 21.650–.695 S-AK-AS-0818

AS 08.18.013: 'The department may adopt regulations establishing categories of contractors and the registration or endorsement requirements for persons in those categories.' The regulations define the specialty trades (access flooring, acoustical/insulation, asbestos abatement, carpentry finish and rough, communications, concrete and paving, demolition, drilling, drywall, electrical, elevator, excavation, fence and guardrail, floor covering, glazing, landscaping … roofing, and the rest of 12 AAC 21.200–.570). AS 08.18.024(b) verbatim: 'a specialty contractor may perform work that requires the use of not more than three trades'; § 08.18.024(a) allows a licensed specialty to use defined techniques of another trade when they are 'a small but inseparable part' of its own work. Bond $10,000 (§ 08.18.071(b)(3)); no base exam.

AS 08.18.013; AS 08.18.024; 12 AAC 21.200–.570 S-AK-AS-0818

AS 08.18.171(13) verbatim: 'mechanical contractor' means a contractor whose business operations involve 'plumbing, pipe fitting, sheet metal, heating, air conditioning, ventilating, or sprinkler and dry chemical fire protection trades in order to install or modify mechanical piping and systems, devices, fixtures, and equipment' subject to the Uniform Plumbing Code, Uniform Swimming Pool/Spa/Hot Tub Code, Uniform Solar Energy Code and Uniform Mechanical Code. AS 08.18.028(a): 'The department may not issue a certificate of registration as a mechanical contractor to an applicant unless the applicant is, or employs, a person currently licensed as a mechanical administrator under AS 08.40.' 12 AAC 21.600(a): 'The mechanical contractor may only submit bids for, or work on, projects for which the contractor has a licensed mechanical administrator assigned to the contractor registration. The mechanical administrator must be licensed under 12 AAC 39 in the category for which the contractor submits bids for, or works on projects.' (b) a mechanical contractor may not function as a general contractor unless separately registered, except contracting with another licensed mechanical contractor or an electrical contractor on the related electrical work. § 08.18.028(c): the registration is void 30 days after the next regularly scheduled administrator examination if the only administrator leaves. Bond $10,000 (§ 08.18.071(b)(3)); 12 AAC 21.420 also lets the division register a 'mechanical, exempt' specialty for work exempt from administrator supervision.

AS 08.18.028; AS 08.18.171(13); 12 AAC 21.600 S-AK-AS-0818

AS 08.18.026(a) verbatim: 'The department may not issue a certificate of registration as an electrical contractor to an applicant unless the applicant is, or employs, a person currently licensed as an electrical administrator under AS 08.40.' (b) more than one administrator may be employed; (c) 'If the relationship of the only electrical administrator with a registered electrical contractor is terminated, the registration is void 30 days after the next regularly scheduled examination unless the electrical contractor has hired a licensed electrical administrator in the interim.' 12 AAC 21.310: 'An electrical contractor, unless specifically exempted in AS 08.40.190' performs the electrical work of the trade — the exemptions live in AS 08.40.190, not in this chapter.

AS 08.18.026; 12 AAC 21.310; AS 08.40 S-AK-AS-0818

12 AAC 21.700 verbatim: 'A contractor doing business as described in AS 08.18.071(b)(4), may apply for registration as a handyman contractor. A holder of a handyman contractor registration may (1) only submit bids for or work on projects within the scope of a contractor; (2) not perform or employ a person to perform activities requiring an electrical or mechanical administrator under AS 08.40; and (3) not perform or employ a person to perform activities requiring a residential contractor endorsement under AS 08.18.025.' § 08.18.071(b)(4) fixes the qualifying work: 'one project with an aggregate contract price of $10,000 or less, including all labor, materials, and other items, when the work is not part of a larger or major operation or otherwise divided into contracts of less than $10,000 to evade a higher bonding requirement.' FAQ verbatim: 'Starting January 1, 2015, a professional "General Contractor - Handyman" license is required. If someone is doing business under this license, the aggregate total of the project must not exceed $10,000 and they must carry public liability and property damage insurance as required by AS 08.18.101.' Bond $5,000; fees $100 + $250 = $350 (form 08-4816).

AS 08.18.071(b)(4); 12 AAC 21.700 S-AK-CON4816