Alaska home addition: an addition is construction or alteration of a privately owned one-to-four-unit residential structure, so a GENERAL contractor needs the residential contractor endorsement — PSI exam ≥ 70% within 12 months, Alaska Craftsman Home Program within 24 months, $100 + $250, 16 contact hours to renew — and the bond drops to $20,000 for exclusively residential work. The handyman tier is barred twice over ($10,000 cap + 12 AAC 21.700(3)); the owner-builder exemption allows ONE home/duplex/triplex/four-plex every two years with a notice if sold. Every claim sourced and dated.
Residential contractor endorsement required for one-to-four-unit residential work — 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)): 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 and other matters'); 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 (forgery, theft 1st/2nd degree, extortion, conspiracy to defraud creditors, felony involving dishonesty); pay the fees. S-AK-AS-0818
Surety bond by category: $25,000 / $20,000 / $10,000 / $5,000 — AS 08.18.071(b) verbatim: the bond amount for '(1) a general contractor shall be $25,000; (2) general contractor with a residential contractor endorsement under AS 08.18.025 who performs exclusively residential work shall be $20,000; (3) mechanical or specialty contractor or home inspector shall be $10,000; or (4) contractor whose work on 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, shall be $5,000.' § 08.18.071(a): the bond runs to the state conditioned on paying taxes and contributions due, persons furnishing labor/material/equipment, and amounts adjudged for negligent or improper work or breach of contract or damage to public facilities. § 08.18.071(c): the bond remains in effect until cancelled by surety, principal or commissioner; suit may not be commenced later than three years after cancellation; a cash deposit or other negotiable security may be filed in lieu (12 AAC 21.090–.120; Quick Facts: a CD is not released until 3 years after ceasing business or 3 years from the deposit's effective date). S-AK-AS-0818
Handyman category: one project with aggregate contract price ≤ $10,000 — AS 08.18.071(b)(4) verbatim: the $5,000 bond covers a 'contractor whose work on 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.' 12 AAC 21.700: a handyman registrant '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.' 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.' S-AK-CON4816
Twelve statutory exemptions — including the one-structure-per-two-years owner-builder — AS 08.18.161 verbatim (abridged list): the chapter does not apply to '(1) an authorized representative of the United States government, the state, or a political subdivision or agency of the state; (2) an officer of a court when acting within the scope of office; (3) a public utility operating under the regulations of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska in construction, maintenance, or development work incidental to its own business; (4) a construction, repair, or operation incidental to the discovering or producing of petroleum or gas … or a surface or underground mine … when performed by an owner or lessee; (5) the sale or installation of finished products, materials, or articles of merchandise that are not actually fabricated into and do not become a permanent, fixed part of a structure; (6) construction, alteration, or repair of personal property; (7) a person who only furnished materials, supplies, or equipment …; (8) an owner who contracts for a project with a registered contractor; (9) a person working on an existing structure on that person's own property … and a person working on that person's own existing residence …; (10) an owner or tenant of commercial property who uses the owner's or tenant's own employees to do maintenance, repair, and alteration work on that property; (11) an owner who acts as the owner's own contractor … in this case, the owner shall be limited to construction of one home, duplex, triplex, four-plex, or commercial building every two years; an owner who advertises the structure under construction for sale or sells the structure during the period of construction or within two years after the period of construction begins shall file … a notice …; (12) a person performing construction work incidental to farming, dairying, agriculture, horticulture, stock or poultry raising, mining, logging, fishing, clearing, or other work on the land in rural districts for fire prevention purposes, or access road building, unless the person is a licensee.' S-AK-AS-0818
02 Which credentials this project can touch
Project
Credential
Relation
Rule
Source
home-addition
Residential Contractor Endorsement (on a general contractor registration)
Bonds are priced separately — $25,000 general / $20,000 exclusively-residential endorsed / $10,000 mechanical or specialty / $5,000 handyman (AS 08.18.071(b)). Municipal permit fees are LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED and are not published here.