Bathroom Remodel Requirements in New Jersey
Four answers in one bathroom: the HIC registration covering the remodel contract at any price ($110/$90, tiered security, the $500 written-contract trigger with the registration number on it and the three-business-day cancellation notice), the plumbing half under the Board of Master Plumbers (four-year apprenticeship plus one New Jersey journeyman year of 1,200+ hands-on hours — and every permit 'shall be signed by a licensed master plumber' in all circumstances, with the journeyman and apprentice as registrations under the master), the electrical half under the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (five years for the contractor, Class A journeyman at 8,000 practical + 576 classroom hours — no 'submaster' exists), and the construction official's building/plumbing permit under the UCC. Every credential and figure machine-read 2026-10-12.
01 The requirements, sourced
- Home improvement businesses must register with the Division of Consumer Affairs (annual, $110/$90) — A business selling or making home improvements for residential property in New Jersey must hold the HIC REGISTRATION under the Contractors' Registration Act (N.J.S.A. 56:8-136 et seq.; N.J.A.C. 13:45A-17), regardless of where the business is located (out-of-state answer, DCA FAQ — `reported`). 'Home improvement' is defined at 13:45A-17.2 as 'the remodeling, altering, painting, repairing, renovating, restoring, moving, demolishing, or modernizing of residential or non-commercial property or the making of additions thereto' with the listed examples, EXCLUDING 'the construction of a new residence' and 'any work required to be performed by a licensed master plumber, licensed master heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration contractor, or licensed electrical contractor' (Cornell, verbatim). Registration fees: initial $110, annual renewal $90 (13:45A-17.14). No dollar floor triggers registration — the $500 line is the written-CONTRACT threshold (REQ-NJ-HIC-CONTRACT-001), not a registration gate. S-NJ-AC-1345A-17
- Written contract required over $500, with the statutory contents and the registration number on it — N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2(a)(12) (Cornell, verbatim): 'All home improvement contracts for a purchase price in excess of $500.00, and all changes in the terms and conditions thereof, shall be in writing', signed by all parties, clearly and accurately stating their terms. Mandatory content: the seller's legal name and business address (plus the soliciting/negotiating sales representative's), the description of work and principal products/materials with identifying specifications, the total price including finance charges (time-and-materials: labour hourly rate and other price terms), start and completion dates or time period, any mortgage or security interest, and any guarantee or warranty. N.J.S.A. 56:8-151(a) (FindLaw mirror) adds the contractor-business identifiers, the HIC REGISTRATION NUMBER, the applicable trade-licence number, and a copy of the liability-insurance certificate with the insurer's phone number. S-NJ-AC-1345A-16
- Master plumber: four-year apprenticeship + one NJ journeyman year of ≥1,200 hands-on hours (or the degree route), $160 biennial — N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 (Cornell): to qualify for the master-plumber examination, complete a U.S. Department of Labor-approved four-year apprenticeship and then 'one year of practical hands-on experience as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, consisting of at least 1,200 hours of practical hands-on experience' (13:32-2.2(b), verbatim) — or the specified mechanical/plumbing/sanitary-engineering degree route with the same post-degree NJ journeyman year. Both routes include propane-services education. Fees (13:32-5.1): $100 application ($50 with prior registration), $160/$80 initial licence by biennial year, $160 biennial renewal, $50 late within 30 days, $150 reinstatement, $25 pressure seal, $25 duplicate, $40 wall certificate. CE (13:32-6.1): five approved credits per biennium, first renewal exempt. Renewal (13:32-2.6): within 30 days on fee + $50 late, then suspension WITHOUT A HEARING; practising after suspension is unlicensed practice. S-NJ-AC-13-32
- Every plumbing permit must be signed by a licensed master plumber ('in all circumstances') — N.J.A.C. 13:32-3.3(a)(2) (Cornell, verbatim): the plumbing business's bona fide representative — or an authorized employee or eligible independent contractor acting with authorization — may secure the necessary permits, but 'in all circumstances, the permit shall be signed by a licensed master plumber'. 13:32-3.3(a)(3): apprentices require 'constant on-site supervision by a New Jersey licensed master plumber or supervisory journeyman'. The UCC side (5:23-2.15(b)(2), Cornell): plumbing work 'shall not be undertaken except by persons licensed to perform it … except in the case of a single-family homeowner on his or her own dwelling', and the licensed plumbing contractor's name, licence number, seal and signature go on the subcode application. S-NJ-AC-13-32
- Electrical contractor: five years in electrical construction and installation, $225 triennial, separate business permit, 34 CE credits — N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3(b)(1) (Cornell, verbatim): the applicant must have 'been, for a period of at least five years immediately preceding the submission of the application, employed or engaged in the business of electrical construction and installation' — a four-year DOL-accredited apprenticeship followed by at least one year of journeyman experience, defined as 2,000 hours. Fees (13:31-1.6): $100 application for all licences, $225/$150/$75 initial licence by year of the triennial, $225 triennial renewal, PLUS the separate electrical BUSINESS PERMIT at $150/$100/$50 with $150 renewal and $25 late; $50 late renewal within 30 days, $100 reinstatement, suspension thereafter. CE (13:31-1.7): 34 credits per triennial including a 10-hour in-person NEC course (nine hours code + one hour NJ statutes and rules), first triennium exempt. Supervision (13:31-3.4): the qualifying licensee takes 'full responsibility for the inspection and supervision'; constant on-site supervision below 3½ years' experience; breach is 'occupational misconduct'. S-NJ-AC-13-31
- Statewide UCC permit mandate: no regulated work without an application to the construction official (municipalities issue) — N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14(a) (Cornell, verbatim): 'It shall be unlawful to construct, enlarge, repair, renovate, alter, reconstruct or demolish a structure, or change the use of a building or structure, or portion thereof, or to install or alter any equipment for which provision is made or the installation of which is regulated by this chapter without first filing an application with the construction official, or the appropriate subcode official where the construction involves only one subcode, in writing and obtaining the required permit therefor.' Exceptions include ordinary maintenance and the listed minor-work items, so the mandate is not literally universal. Subcodes run building / electrical / plumbing / fire protection (+ mechanical, fuel gas, energy, one- and two-family dwelling, elevator components — DCA's current-code index, S-NJ-DCA-CODES). The STATE reviews construction documents where applicable; the MUNICIPALITY issues the permits and performs the inspections (DCA BCPR, S-NJ-DCA-BCPR), and a registered HIC's registration number goes on the permit application (5:23-2.15). S-NJ-AC-5-23-2-14
02 Which credentials this project can touch
| Credential | Relation | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Plumber (Board of Master Plumbers) | may require | NJ-MASTER-PLUMBER | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Electrical Contractor (Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors) | may require | NJ-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Registered Home Improvement Contractor (Division of Consumer Affairs) | may require | NJ-HIC-REGISTRATION | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
Each row is one (project, classification, relation) triple the research record can source — the rendered sections and the seeded evidence can never disagree.
03 Deterministic rules applied
- NJ-HIC-REGISTRATION
- NJ-HIC-CONTRACT
- NJ-MASTER-PLUMBER
- NJ-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR
- NJ-UCC-PERMIT
New Jersey carries 1 conflict row — CONFLICT-NJ-001, the withheld HVACR $7,500 threshold — published beside every answer rather than resolved by guesswork; the fees page carries the by-name withheld list.
04 What it costs
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Home improvement contractor registration — initial 13:45A-17.14 verbatim (Cornell): 'Initial registration fee $110.00'. | $110 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Home improvement contractor registration — ANNUAL renewal (April 1 – March 31) 13:45A-17.14: 'Renewal registration fee $90.00'; the ANNUAL period is 13:45A-17.5 (April 1 – March 31) — New Jersey's HIC renewal is annual, not biennial (research §D). Late $25, reinstatement $50, duplicate certificate $20 on the same schedule. | $90 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Master plumber — late renewal (within 30 days) 13:32-5.1 late fee; 13:32-2.6 sets the 30-day window (licence stays valid inside it) and the suspension-without-hearing consequence after it. Reinstatement $150 (see FEE-NJ-PLUMB-REINSTATEMENT-001). | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Master plumber — reinstatement 13:32-5.1: reinstatement $150; initial/replacement pressure seal $25, duplicate licence $25, replacement wall certificate $40 on the same schedule. | $150 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Electrical — application fee, ALL licences 13:31-1.6 (Cornell): 'application fee for all licenses' — $100. | $100 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical contractor — initial licence ($225 / $150 / $75 by triennial year) 13:31-1.6: $225 first year, $150 second, $75 third of the triennial (proration by year paid). | $225 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical contractor — triennial renewal (34 CE credits incl. 10-h in-person NEC) 13:31-1.6 renewal $225 triennial; CE 34 credits per triennial incl. the 10-hour in-person NEC course, first triennium exempt (13:31-1.7). $50 late within 30 days, $100 reinstatement. | $225 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical BUSINESS PERMIT — separate triennial ($150 / $100 / $50; $150 renewal) 13:31-1.6 lists the business permit SEPARATELY from the contractor licence: $150/$100/$50 initial by triennial year, $150 renewal, $25 late — a New Jersey quirk: the electrical business owes two triennial payments, the licence and the permit. | $150 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Class A journeyman electrician — initial licence ($150 / $100 / $50; $150 renewal) 13:31-1.6: $150/$100/$50 initial by triennial year; $150 renewal; 15 CE credits per triennial (13:31-5.5). | $150 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical — late renewal (within 30 days) $50; reinstatement $100 13:31-1.6 / 13:31-2.4: $50 late within the 30-day window (licence stays valid inside it), suspension without hearing after; reinstatement $100. | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Master HVACR contractor — application 13:32A-6.1 (Cornell): application $100. | $100 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| Master HVACR contractor — initial licence ($160 first biennial year / $80 second) 13:32A-6.1: $160 first year, $80 second year of the biennium (proration). | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| Master HVACR contractor — biennial renewal (five CE credits per period) 13:32A-6.1 renewal $160 biennial; CE five credits per biennium, first renewal exempt (13:32A-4.1); renewal within 30 days on fee + $50 late, then suspension without hearing (13:32A-3.1). | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| Master HVACR contractor — late renewal (within 30 days) $50; reinstatement $150; pressure seal $25 13:32A-6.1: $50 late, $150 reinstatement, $25 initial/replacement pressure seal, $25 duplicate licence, $40 replacement wall certificate. | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| HIC registration — replacement/duplicate certificate 13:45A-17.14: 'Replacement or duplicate certificate fee $20.00'. | $20 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Master plumber — application ($50 with prior registration) 13:32-5.1 (Cornell): $100 without prior registration; $50 with prior registration. The EXAMINATION fee is not on this schedule (research §O.4) — no second amount is asserted. | $100 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Master plumber — initial licence ($160 in the first biennial year / $80 in the second) 13:32-5.1: $160 first year, $80 second year of the biennium (proration). | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Master plumber — biennial renewal (five CE credits per period) 13:32-5.1 renewal $160 biennial; CE five credits per biennium, first renewal exempt (13:32-6.1); renewal within 30 days on fee + $50 late, then suspension without hearing (13:32-2.6). The fixed calendar expiry date is search-level only (§O.7) and is NOT seeded. | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Journeyman plumber — registration ($50 with prior registration) 13:32-5.1: $75 without prior registration; $50 with prior registration. | $75 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Apprentice plumber — registration 13:32-5.1: 'registration as an apprentice plumber', $50. | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| HIC registration — late fee 13:45A-17.14: 'Late fee $25.00'. | $25 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| HIC registration — reinstatement 13:45A-17.14: 'Reinstatement fee $50.00'. On lapse/revocation/nonrenewal the contractor must return the certificate and remove the registration number from vehicles, advertising and displays (13:45A-17.11). | $50 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Newark Building Contractor licence (local) — 'Price: $200+' + $20 police-record check newarknj.gov prints 'Price: $200+' as a FLOOR, not a fixed figure (machine-read 2026-10-12), plus a separate '$20' police-record-check fee; the amount here records the published floor and this note keeps the exact wording. New Jersey has NO statewide general contractor licence — this is the local layer (REQ-NJ-LOCAL-LAYER-001). Jersey City and Passaic figures did not extract (research §O.9) and are NOT seeded. | $200 | S-NJ-NEWARK-BC |