Kitchen Remodel — Michigan license requirements
01 The project
The starting point is the work itself — Kitchen Remodel in Michigan. The job determines which trades are involved, and the trades determine which license classifications may be required.
No project components are seeded for this project — we do not invent component lists without evidence.
02 Jurisdiction
This project is evaluated for Michigan — the no-GC-licence state. There is no statewide general-contractor licence: the individual Residential Builder and Maintenance & Alteration Contractor licences (Article 24, MCL 339.2401 et seq.) cover the residential structure — a detached 1- or 2-family dwelling or a townhouse of not more than 3 stories — and the skilled trades run on their own articles of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (electrical Art. 7, mechanical Art. 8, plumbing Art. 11). The statute's only dollar figure is the $600 anti-splitting exemption, and permits come from the local building department. Michigan jurisdiction page.
Local building and permit fees were not read — LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED — and the RB/M&A PSI examination fee plus the initial master-plumber and plumbing-contractor licence amounts are unpublished (NOT_VERIFIED). Michigan imposes no surety bond and no state general-liability minimum on these credentials (verified absences), but the WDCA workers' compensation rule bites at 3+ employees (or 1+ at 35+ hours/week for 13+ weeks). Inside the City of Detroit the electrical credential is issued locally. State requirements are not the complete story for any city or township.
03 Trade → license
Relations below are recorded per state — only this jurisdiction's classifications are shown.
Trades involved: no seeded components — trade resolution follows from the classification relations below.
- May require MA-CONTRACTOR — Residential Maintenance & Alteration (M&A) Contractor confirmed S-MI-MCL-2404 rule MI-RB-LICENSECabinet, carpentry, concrete and tile work on an existing residential structure falls in the M&A statutory craft list (carpentry; concrete; tile and marble …). A job priced under $600 aggregate lands in the MCL 339.2403(f) exemption instead — the anti-splitting rule prevents dividing a kitchen job into sub-$600 contracts.
- Component basis ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR — Electrical Contractor License confirmed S-MI-LARA-ELEC rule MI-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTORCircuit additions and appliance wiring are electrical work under the Electrical Contractor licence (with master electrician); MCL 339.2403(g) exempts that licensee from Article 24 for the electrical scope only — the remodel itself stays with the M&A contractor.
- Component basis PLUMBING-CONTRACTOR — Plumbing Contractor License confirmed S-MI-MCL-6111 rule MI-PLUMBING-CONTRACTORSink/cooler relocations are plumbing installation under the Plumbing Contractor licence with master plumber representation; joint and several supervision responsibility attaches to contractor and master together.
- Component basis RB-SALESPERSON — Residential Builder Salesperson confirmed S-MI-MCL-2401 rule MI-SALESPERSONA designer or salesperson who obtains the remodel contract for the licensed firm needs the salesperson licence linked to that employer (MCL 339.2401(d)).
04 Scope
What the official sources say about the work involved — typed assertions, never a boolean "covers". Interpretations are marked as such.
- Officially included ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR Electrical Installation Maintenance And Repair As A Business With An Associated Master Electrician (may_perform) Skilled Trades Reg. Act Art. 7; MCL 339.5707 S-MI-LARA-ELEC MCL 339.2403(g) exempts this licensee from Article 24 for electrical work only — see SCOPE-MI-TRADE-CONTRACTORS-NON-TRADE-WORK.
- Requires another classification ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR Article 24 Licence For The Non Electrical Scope Of A Residential Project (requires) MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) S-MI-MCL-2403 The same B_requires_other_class determination applies to michigan:plumbing-contractor (for (h)) and michigan:mechanical-contractor (for (i)) — one row per trade pair would duplicate the verbatim text, so the single row carries all three citations.
- Officially included RB-SALESPERSON Sell Negotiate Solicit And Obtain Contracts For A Licensed Rb Or Ma Employer (may_perform) MCL 339.2401(d) S-MI-MCL-2401 The complementary exclusion: a QUALIFYING OFFICER is definitionally outside the salesperson licence — they hold the individual licence and supervise instead.
- Officially excluded ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR State Article 7 Licensing Authority Inside The City Of Detroit (may_not_perform) LARA electrical page (official local carve-out) S-MI-LARA-ELEC The one verified local licensing carve-out read this phase; every other locality remains LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED (research §I item 5).
- Officially included MA-CONTRACTOR Repair Alteration Addition Improvement Wrecking Or Demolition Of A Residential Structure Plus Garage Building And Residential Concrete (may_perform) MCL 339.2404(3); MCL 339.2401(b) S-MI-MCL-2404 The M&A licence carries the twelve statutory crafts and the garage/concrete activities; roof, siding, masonry and carpentry work on a residential structure sits here rather than under the RB licence when the contract is repair/alteration.
- Officially included PLUMBING-CONTRACTOR Plumbing Installation Maintenance And Repair As A Business Under Master Plumber Representation (may_perform) MCL 339.6111(1)-(7) S-MI-MCL-6111 MCL 339.2403(h) exempts this licensee from Article 24 for plumbing work only.
- Not determined ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR Examination Status CONFLICT-MI-001 Preserved From Two Official Sources (requires) MCL 339.5707(1); LARA electrical page; form BCC-974 S-MI-LARA-ELEC Both sides are official — CONFLICT-MI-001 is preserved UNRESOLVED.
05 Requirements
| Requirement | Kind | Statement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acting as a residential builder or M&A contractor in Michigan requires an Article 24 licence unless an exemption applies MCL 339.2403 opening paragraph verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | license | MCL 339.2403 (read verbatim 2026-10-05): 'Notwithstanding article 6, a person may engage in the business of or act in the capacity of a residential builder or a residential maintenance and alteration contractor or salesperson in this state without a license under this article, IF the person is 1 of the following' — the nine enumerated exemptions (a)–(i). Every person outside those nine exemptions needs the licence, which LARA issues only after the 60-hour prelicensure education, the PSI examination and the $195 application (MCL 339.2404; LARA prelicensure page). | S-MI-MCL-2403Source S-MI-MCL-2403 — Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws (legislature.mi.gov)MCL 339.2403 — Acting as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a license (the exemptions, incl. the $600 anti-splitting rule) — MCL 339.2403 opening paragraph verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-339-2403 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim exemptions (a)-(i): authorized representatives of government; an owner of property as to a structure for the owner's own use and occupancy; an owner of rental property as to maintenance and alteration of that rental property; an officer of a court within scope; a person (other than a salesperson) working solely under contract with a licensed RB or M&A contractor; 'a person that is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00' — void where the work is part of a larger or major operation or the operation is divided into sub-$600 contracts 'to evade this act'; licensed electrical contractors (Art. 7) for electrical work only; licensed plumbing contractors (Art. 11) for plumbing work only; licensed mechanical contractors (Art. 8) for mechanical work only. Amended 2016 PA 412, effective 2017-04-04. |
| Project under $600 aggregate contract price — licence not required, with the anti-splitting rule MCL 339.2403(f) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | exemption | MCL 339.2403(f) verbatim: a person may work without an Article 24 licence if 'the person is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00. The exemption described in this subdivision does not apply if the work of a construction is only a part of a larger or major operation, whether undertaken by the same or a different residential builder or residential maintenance and alteration contractor, or in which a division of the operation is made in contracts of amounts less than $600.00, to evade this act.' | S-MI-MCL-2403Source S-MI-MCL-2403 — Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws (legislature.mi.gov)MCL 339.2403 — Acting as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a license (the exemptions, incl. the $600 anti-splitting rule) — MCL 339.2403(f) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-339-2403 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim exemptions (a)-(i): authorized representatives of government; an owner of property as to a structure for the owner's own use and occupancy; an owner of rental property as to maintenance and alteration of that rental property; an officer of a court within scope; a person (other than a salesperson) working solely under contract with a licensed RB or M&A contractor; 'a person that is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00' — void where the work is part of a larger or major operation or the operation is divided into sub-$600 contracts 'to evade this act'; licensed electrical contractors (Art. 7) for electrical work only; licensed plumbing contractors (Art. 11) for plumbing work only; licensed mechanical contractors (Art. 8) for mechanical work only. Amended 2016 PA 412, effective 2017-04-04. |
| An Electrical Contractor licence (with an associated Master Electrician) is required to do electrical business LARA electrical page verbatim + MCL 339.5707(7) (read 2026-10-05) | license | LARA verbatim: 'Electrical Contractor License — This is required if you want to do business as an electrician.' 'You need to either hold a Master Electrician license or hire someone who holds a Master Electrician license … A Master Electrician can only associate with one Electrical Contractor at a time. Without a Master Electrician, an Electrical Contractor's license is put on hold.' MCL 339.5707(7): the licence 'expires December 31 of every third year' with a $300.00 three-year renewal fee. | S-MI-LARA-ELECSource S-MI-LARA-ELEC — Electrical Administrative Board (Article 7, Skilled Trades Regulation Act)Electrical Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information (LARA BCC) — LARA electrical page verbatim + MCL 339.5707(7) (read 2026-10-05) Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim: 'Electrical Contractor License — This is required if you want to do business as an electrician'; requires an associated Master Electrician (a master may associate with only one contractor; without a master the contractor license 'is put on hold'); 'There is no test required to be an Electrical Contractor, but you still have to apply for the license'; header note 'we no longer require an examination for Electrical Contractor, Fire Alarm Contractor, or Sign Contractor license. Examinations are conducted by PSI' — while the linked application is titled 'Application for Electrical/Fire Alarm/Sign Contractor Examination and License' and MCL 339.5707(1) prices a $100 examination fee (CONFLICT-MI-001). 'Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state/country.' 'If you live in the City of Detroit, they issue their own licenses and registrations locally.' Exams based on the 2023 National Electrical Code / 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. |
| Plumbing contractor licence — hold or employ a master plumber, pass the examination, supervise jointly MCL 339.6111(1)-(7) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | license | MCL 339.6111 verbatim: 'To qualify for a plumbing contractor license, the applicant must either hold a master plumber license or employ the holder of a master plumber license as his or her representative'; 'Only an individual who is a sole proprietor, a partner in a partnership, an officer of a corporation, or a member of a limited liability company, may apply'; the application lists the representing master's 'name, residence address, and license number'; the applicant 'pays the applicable examination fee established under section 207 and passes an examination provided for by the board and the department.' LARA adds: 'The contractor license will not be issued without master plumber representation.' | S-MI-MCL-6111Source S-MI-MCL-6111 — Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws (legislature.mi.gov)MCL 339.6111 — Plumbing contractor license; master plumber representation; branch offices — MCL 339.6111(1)-(7) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-339-6111 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim: 'To qualify for a plumbing contractor license, the applicant must either hold a master plumber license or employ the holder of a master plumber license as his or her representative'; only a sole proprietor, partner, corporate officer or LLC member may apply; the application lists the representing master plumber's name, residence address and license number; the applicant 'pays the applicable examination fee established under section 207 and passes an examination provided for by the board and the department' and pays the license fee 'described in article 4'; branch offices allowed with a licensed master plumber in charge of each; contractor and master are jointly and severally responsible for supervision; if the representing master leaves, the contractor has 30 days to designate another master plumber and notify the department in writing. |
| Licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors are exempt from Article 24 only for their own trade MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | exemption | MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) verbatim: an electrical contractor licensed under Article 7 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act is exempt, and 'The exemption … applies only to the electrical installation, electrical maintenance, or electrical repair work that is performed by the electrical contractor'; a plumbing contractor licensed under Article 11 is exempt 'only [for] the plumbing installation, plumbing maintenance, or plumbing repair work'; a mechanical contractor licensed under Article 8 is exempt 'only [for] the mechanical installation, mechanical maintenance, or mechanical repair work.' | S-MI-MCL-2403Source S-MI-MCL-2403 — Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws (legislature.mi.gov)MCL 339.2403 — Acting as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a license (the exemptions, incl. the $600 anti-splitting rule) — MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-339-2403 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim exemptions (a)-(i): authorized representatives of government; an owner of property as to a structure for the owner's own use and occupancy; an owner of rental property as to maintenance and alteration of that rental property; an officer of a court within scope; a person (other than a salesperson) working solely under contract with a licensed RB or M&A contractor; 'a person that is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00' — void where the work is part of a larger or major operation or the operation is divided into sub-$600 contracts 'to evade this act'; licensed electrical contractors (Art. 7) for electrical work only; licensed plumbing contractors (Art. 11) for plumbing work only; licensed mechanical contractors (Art. 8) for mechanical work only. Amended 2016 PA 412, effective 2017-04-04. |
| Salespersons who obtain contracts for a licensee need their own licence — occasional incidental sales do not MCL 339.2401(d) + 339.2403 opening (read 2026-10-05) | license | MCL 339.2401(d) defines a salesperson as an employee or agent, other than a qualifying officer, of a licensed residential builder or M&A contractor who sells, negotiates, solicits or obtains contracts or commitments for the licensee's goods and services — excluding 'an individual working for a licensed residential builder or residential maintenance and alteration contractor who makes sales that are occasional and incidental to the individual's principal employment.' MCL 339.2403 lists the salesperson inside the exemption provision, so an unlicensed salesperson acting for a licensee falls under Article 24's salesperson licensing. | S-MI-MCL-2401Source S-MI-MCL-2401 — Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws (legislature.mi.gov)MCL 339.2401 — Definitions (residential builder, residential maintenance and alteration contractor, residential structure, salesperson, wages) — MCL 339.2401(d) + 339.2403 opening (read 2026-10-05) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-339-2401 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim: 'residential builder' covers a person who for compensation 'other than wages for personal labor only' undertakes the erection, construction, replacement, repair, alteration, or addition to, subtraction from, improvement, wrecking of, or demolition of a residential structure (plus prefab/shell housing dealers and erecters other than for own use); 'residential maintenance and alteration contractor' covers repair/alteration/improvement/wrecking/demolition, building a garage, laying of concrete on residential property, and the serial-flipper rule (same structure resold more than twice in one calendar year); 'residential structure' = detached 1- or 2-family dwelling with appurtenant facilities OR a townhouse of not more than 3 stories above the grade plane with separate means of egress; 'salesperson' = employee/agent of a licensed RB or M&A except occasional and incidental sales. Act 341 of 2020 applies the section retroactively to 2019-01-01. |
06 Rule: MI-RB-LICENSE
Article 24 licensing: a person may act as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a licence ONLY inside MCL 339.2403's nine exemptions (MI-EXEMPTIONS). RB covers the erection, construction, repair, alteration or addition of a residential structure for compensation other than wages for personal labor only; M&A covers repair, alteration or improvement, building a garage, laying concrete on residential property and serial flipping, carrying the twelve statutory crafts.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| construction-new-or-whole | residential_builder_license_required |
|
| repair-alteration | ma_license_required |
|
| labor-only-wages | outside_license_scope |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-2403S-MI-MCL-2401S-MI-MCL-2404
07 Rule: MI-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR
LARA verbatim: 'Electrical Contractor License — This is required if you want to do business as an electrician.' The licence needs an associated Master Electrician (one master per contractor; without one the licence is on hold), costs $300 for the three-year cycle expiring December 31 of every third year (MCL 339.5707(7)), and is the licence MCL 339.2403(g) exempts from Article 24 for electrical work only.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| electrical-business | electrical_contractor_license_required |
|
| master-not-associated | license_on_hold |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-LARA-ELECS-MI-MCL-5707
08 Rule: MI-PLUMBING-CONTRACTOR
MCL 339.6111 verbatim: 'To qualify for a plumbing contractor license, the applicant must either hold a master plumber license or employ the holder of a master plumber license as his or her representative' — only a sole proprietor, partner, corporate officer or LLC member may apply, the application names the representing master, the examination is passed and the licence fee paid; LARA: 'The contractor license will not be issued without master plumber representation.' Renewal: three years by 4/30 at $300 (+$100 late).
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| plumbing-business | plumbing_contractor_license_required |
|
| master-leaves | redesignate_master_within_30_days |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-6111S-MI-LARA-RENEWALS
09 Rule: MI-SALESPERSON
MCL 339.2401(d): a salesperson is an employee or agent (other than a qualifying officer) of a licensed RB or M&A contractor who sells, negotiates, solicits or obtains contracts for the licensee — except occasional and incidental sales by a person whose principal employment lies elsewhere. $195 application / $150 renewal every three years by 5/31, no CE, licence linked to an employer to renew.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| salesperson-needs-license | salesperson_license_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-2401S-MI-LARA-FEES
10 Rule: MI-600-EXEMPTION
MCL 339.2403(f) verbatim: no licence needed when 'the person is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00' — and the exemption 'does not apply if the work of a construction is only a part of a larger or major operation … or in which a division of the operation is made in contracts of amounts less than $600.00, to evade this act.'
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| under-600 | license_not_required |
|
| at-or-over-600 | license_required_analysis_needed |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-2403
11 Rule: MI-EXEMPTIONS
MCL 339.2403(a)-(i), verbatim: a person may act as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a licence if they are (a) an authorized government representative; (b) an owner acting on a structure for the owner's own use and occupancy; (c) an owner of rental property for maintenance and alteration of that rental property; (d) a court officer within scope; (e) a person working solely under contract with a licensed RB or M&A contractor; (f) on an undertaking with aggregate contract price under $600.00 (anti-splitting); (g) a licensed electrical contractor — electrical work only; (h) a licensed plumbing contractor — plumbing work only; (i) a licensed mechanical contractor — mechanical work only.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| enumerated-exemption | license_not_required |
|
| no-exemption | license_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-2403
12 Who holds what on a kitchen remodel
| Portion of the job | Michigan credential | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets, carpentry, concrete, tile | M&A licence — statutory crafts 'carpentry; concrete; tile and marble …' (rule MI-RB-LICENSE) | S-MI-MCL-2403 |
| Whole job under $600 aggregate? | exempt — MCL 339.2403(f); splitting the kitchen into sub-$600 contracts voids the exemption | S-MI-MCL-2403 |
| Circuits & appliance wiring | Electrical Contractor licence with an associated Master Electrician (one master per contractor) | S-MI-LARA-ELEC |
| Sink / cooler relocation | Plumbing Contractor licence — master plumber representation, joint and several supervision | S-MI-MCL-6111 |
| The trade exemption's limit | MCL 339.2403(g)-(h) exempts each trade contractor only for its own work — the remodel itself stays with the M&A contractor | S-MI-MCL-2403 |
| Designer / salesperson | salesperson licence linked to the licensed employer | S-MI-MCL-2401 |
Note: the $600 anti-splitting exemption (Project under $600 aggregate contract price — licence not required, with the anti-splitting rule)and the local permit layer (Building permits are local, under the Michigan Residential Code) are stated in full on the Michigan jurisdiction page.