Minnesota home addition: an addition is MULTI-SKILL work on an owner's property — carpentry plus concrete, exterior finishing and often excavation — so it needs a residential building contractor or remodeler license under § 326B.805, and because an addition is a NEW structure only the BC license covers it (remodelers 'cannot build new homes or detached garages'). No dollar threshold exists; the $15,000 certificate of exemption is the only ceiling. Expect the $180 base fee plus the Recovery Fund tier, the § 326B.86 insurance, workers' compensation and an active Secretary of State filing.
Residential building contractor / remodeler license required for multi-skill work with owners of 1–4 units — DLI verbatim: 'Any individual or company that contracts directly with an owner of residential real estate (one to four units) to provide work in more than one special skill must have a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license' and 'An owner of residential real estate who builds or improves homes for resale or speculation must have a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license.' Minn. Stat. § 326B.805 subd. 1 makes the license mandatory for anyone meeting the § 326B.802 subd. 11/12 definitions; subd. 3 prohibits acting or holding out as one without a license. The eight special-skill areas are excavation; masonry/concrete; carpentry; interior finishing; exterior finishing; drywall and plaster; roofing; and general installation specialties. S-MN-DLI-RBC-LICENSE
Owner building for resale or speculation must be licensed; the more-than-one-property rule is the presumption — Minn. Stat. § 326B.805 subd. 6(3) verbatim: the exemption covers 'an owner of residential real estate who builds or improves residential real estate if the owner occupies or will occupy the residential real estate for residential purposes, or will retain ownership for rental purposes upon completion' — and 'This exemption does not apply to an owner who constructs or improves residential real estate for purposes of resale or speculation. An owner of residential real estate will be presumed to be building or improving for purposes of speculation if the owner constructs or improves more than one property within any 24-month period, unless the properties will be retained by the owner for rental purposes.' S-MN-MCL-326B-805
No dollar threshold triggers a Minnesota contractor license — the trigger is MULTI-SKILL work (verified absence) — No Minnesota statute or DLI page read 2026-10-05 imposes a project-value minimum for residential contractor licensing: § 326B.805 keys the license to contracting 'to provide work in more than one special skill' on residential real estate of one to four units, not to a dollar amount. The only statewide dollar figures are the $15,000 EXEMPTION CEILING of § 326B.805 subd. 6(5) (a ceiling on gross receipts, never a floor), the fee schedules and the bond/insurance minimums. Commercial claims of a 'Minnesota general contractor license by project value' have no official source. S-MN-MCL-326B-805
Commercial general liability insurance for every residential licensee: $100,000/$300,000 + $25,000 PD (or $300,000/$300,000 single) — Minn. Stat. § 326B.86 subd. 2 verbatim: 'Each licensee shall have and maintain in effect commercial general liability insurance, which includes premises and operations insurance and products and completed operations insurance, with limits of at least $100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate limit for bodily injury, and property damage insurance with limits of at least $25,000 or a policy with a single limit for bodily injury and property damage of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate limits. The insurance must be written by an insurer licensed to do business in this state. Each licensee shall maintain on file with the commissioner a certificate evidencing the insurance.' Cancellation notice flows to the commissioner; 'The commissioner may increase the minimum amount of insurance.' DLI's licensing page publishes the same figures and requires DLI as certificate holder with the business name EXACTLY as filed with the Secretary of State. S-MN-MCL-326B-86
Initial license cost: $180 base + Recovery Fund tier (+ $50 exam) — $500 / $600 / $700 total — DLI verbatim: 'The base license fee is $180. An additional fee is required for the Contractor Recovery Fund based on your gross annual receipts: $320 if gross annual receipts are under $1 million, $420 if gross annual receipts are between $1 and 5 million, $520 if gross annual receipts are over $5 million.' Statutory base: § 326B.092 subd. 7(d) Business = $180; the $50 application/examination fee (subd. 1) is separate; initial totals: $550/$650/$750 including the exam fee, or $500/$600/$700 of license + fund only. Roofers pay $180 with NO fund surcharge (§ 326B.81, DLI roofer page). S-MN-DLI-RBC-LICENSE
02 Which credentials this project can touch
Credential
Relation
Rule
Source
Residential Building Contractor (business license)