Water Heater Replacement Requirements in Mississippi
Mississippi water heater replacement: the $10,000 line runs straight through a typical swap, making this the CONFLICT-MS-001 project — § 73-59-3(1)(d) licenses plumbing (and mechanical/HVAC) subcontractors 'no matter the dollar amount', while MSBOC's How-Do-I says residential electrical, plumbing or HVAC work 'less than $10,000' needs no state license and points to the local building official. Gas-fired units on commercial jobs over $50,000 fall under the COR's Mechanical Work major (equipment installation included). Whoever holds the job proves general liability insurance — there is no bond.
Residential sub-trades — electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC — licensed at ANY dollar amount (statutory reading; conflicting) — § 73-59-3(1)(d) verbatim: '[a]ny subcontractor, of any tier, performing the following work or within the following trade, on any residential construction or residential improvement project, no matter the dollar amount of the construction or improvements: (i) Electrical; (ii) Plumbing; (iii) Mechanical; and/or (iv) Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning.' MSBOC's own How-Do-I page countermands the low end: 'If you are performing residential electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work less than $10,000, a state license is not required' (mechanical omitted even there). Both sources are official and live — CONFLICT-MS-001 preserved unresolved; this row seeds the STATUTORY reading with confidence=conflicting and sub-threshold scope answers stay NOT_DETERMINED where it matters. S-MS-CODE-73-59-3
Certificate of Responsibility required to bid or contract on commercial work over $50,000 — Miss. Code § 31-3-21(1) verbatim: 'It shall be unlawful for any person who does not hold a certificate of responsibility issued under this chapter to submit a bid, enter into a contract, or otherwise engage in or continue in this state in the business of a contractor.' MSBOC FAQ #1: 'All contractors and subcontractors performing work on commercial jobs over $50,000, including equipment installation, are required to have a commercial license issued by MSBOC.' A COR is 'the official name for a commercial license' (How-Do-I). Fire sprinkler carve-out: commercial license required on public projects over $5,000 and private projects over $10,000. S-MS-CODE-31-3-21
General liability insurance — commercial $300,000/$600,000; residential proof of coverage, no dollar minimum — FAQ #4 verbatim: 'All applicants for a license or renewal must provide proof of general liability insurance coverage. MSBOC must be listed on the policy to receive notification in the event of cancellation. … Commercial applicants must provide a certificate of insurance showing minimum coverage of $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate.' Application video: 'There is no minimum coverage amount required for residential applicants, just proof of coverage.' § 73-59-3(3) is the statutory hook for residential ('The board may require liability insurance … and it shall be reflected on the certificate of licensure'). Every ACTIVE license holder must maintain proof to stay in good standing; inactive licensees are exempt from the insurance requirement. S-MS-BOC-FAQ
No surety bond is required for any Mississippi contractor credential (verified absence) — Mississippi requires NO surety bond for the commercial Certificate of Responsibility or the residential license. The statutory scheme corroborates the insurance model and forbids the board from even setting bonding capacity: Miss. Code § 31-3-13(h) verbatim — 'the powers of the State Board of Contractors shall not extend to fixing a maximum limit in the bid amount of any contractor, or the bonding capacity … and the Board of Contractors shall not have jurisdiction or the power or authority to determine the maximum bond a contractor may be capable of obtaining.' No bond appears on MSBOC's application checklist, FAQ, How-Do-I or classification pages (read 2026-10-06). What exists instead: general liability insurance — commercial $300,000/occurrence + $600,000 aggregate, residential proof of coverage with no dollar minimum stated. S-MS-CODE-31-3-13
No statewide registration or license below the dollar thresholds — local requirements govern (verified absence) — Mississippi has no below-threshold statewide credential of any kind — no registration, no exemption certificate, no handyman license. MSBOC's How-Do-I verbatim: 'For anything that falls below that amount you need to contact the city or county where the job is located to inquire about the local requirements'; for residential sub-trades: 'you must contact the local building official or permit office regarding their requirements' (the conflicted sentence, CONFLICT-MS-001). Contrast Minnesota's universal § 326B.701 registration: Mississippi simply has nothing statewide under the line (read 2026-10-06). S-MS-BOC-HOW-DOI