Alaska kitchen remodel splits three ways: at or below $10,000 with no permitted electrical or plumbing changes the handyman tier can carry it ($5,000 bond, insurance per § 08.18.101); with trades involved the mechanical/electrical registrations (AS 08.40 administrator pinned) or a specialty trade take over; and a GENERAL contractor's work on a one-to-four-unit residence needs the residential contractor endorsement once the renovation clears the 25%-of-value 'alteration' line. Registration has no threshold and no exam. Every claim sourced and dated.
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
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
Mechanical contractor registration requires an AS 08.40 mechanical administrator — AS 08.18.028 verbatim: '(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. (b) Each applicant for a mechanical contractor's certificate of registration may employ more than one mechanical administrator. (c) If the relationship of the only mechanical administrator with a registered mechanical contractor is terminated, the registration is void 30 days after the next regularly scheduled mechanical administrator's examination unless the mechanical contractor has hired a licensed mechanical administrator in the interim.' 12 AAC 21.420 adds the 'mechanical, exempt' specialty for work exempt from administrator supervision. S-AK-AS-0818
Certificate of registration required before ANY bid or work (no dollar threshold) — 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.' AS 08.18.171(4) defines contractor to reach any person who undertakes, offers to perform, claims capacity to perform or SUBMITS A BID for construction, alteration, repair, moving or demolition of a building or fixed structure — there is NO dollar threshold anywhere in the chapter (the $10,000 figure is the handyman bond tier, not an exemption). § 08.18.011(b): a general contractor may not 'use a bid or proposal from, award a bid or proposal to, contract with, or allow a person required to be registered under this chapter to work for the general contractor as a specialty contractor unless the person is registered as a specialty contractor under this chapter.' S-AK-AS-0818
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.