Minor Work / Handyman Requirements in Tennessee
Tennessee minor work: below $25,000 NO state general-contractor credential exists to hold (verified absence REQ-TN-NO-LICENSE-BELOW-25000-001) — the answer is whichever layer fits: the Home Improvement licence at $3,000–$24,999 in the nine adopting counties, the Limited Licensed Electrician or Limited Licensed Plumber below $25,000 in Fire Prevention localities (the LLP's $500 maintenance carve-out included), or the local building department everywhere else. The owner's own-property exemption (§ 62-6-103(a)(2)) sits behind it, § 62-6-137's registration and permit bonds still apply, and the local rate stays LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED. Every claim sourced and dated.
01 The requirements, sourced
- No state contractor or handyman credential exists below $25,000 (verified absence — the threshold's flip side) — Below the $25,000 line Tennessee has NO state credential for general construction work — no handyman licence, no small-works registration. The Board's own consumer guidance routes sub-threshold work to local codes departments ('check local for work below $25,000' framing on the application/support pages). Two narrow state layers live inside that gap: the Home Improvement licence ($3,000–$24,999, only nine adopting counties) and the LLE/LLP trade licences (< $25,000, only localities using the Division of Fire Prevention). The word 'handyman' appears in Tennessee law ONLY as the workers'-compensation registry carve-out for sole proprietors/partners/LLCs without employees or subs working directly for a residential owner — it is an insurance status, not a licence. S-TN-BLC-CONTRACTOR
- Home Improvement licence for residential remodeling $3,000–$24,999 in the nine adopting counties — 'A Home Improvement license is required for residential remodeling projects from $3,000 to $24,999; however, this only applies to the counties adopting the law. Currently, this applies to the following counties: Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford, and Shelby' (licence page verbatim). Statutory floor: home improvement 'excludes … any home improvement for which the contract price is three thousand dollars ($3,000) or less' (§ 62-6-501(4)(A)). Requirements: a $10,000 surety bond (or cash/property bond or irrevocable letter of credit), photo ID + SSN, general liability and workers' compensation, SOS corporate registration if applicable, and remodeling experience; $250 initial via CORE. S-TN-BLC-HIC
- Limited Licensed Electrician for electrical work under $25,000 — only in Fire Prevention localities — 'The Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license is only required by electricians performing work in a municipality utilizing the Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections and covers work less than $25,000 per project. Always first check with your local government … The LLE license is issued to individuals passing the LLE trade exam' (licence page verbatim). Statutory hooks: § 62-6-102(d) (definition), § 68-102-150 (registration with the state fire marshal). § 62-6-130: an LLE 'is not a contractor'. Initial fee $50; exam via Prov. S-TN-BLC-LLE
- Limited Licensed Plumber for plumbing work under $25,000 — $500 maintenance carve-out, Fire Prevention localities — 'The Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) license is only required by plumbers performing work in a municipality utilizing the Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections and covers work less than $25,000 per project. Note that general maintenance work that is less than $500 is exempt from the LLP license. Always first check with your local government …' (licence page verbatim). § 62-6-403 is the authorising section; § 62-6-406 adds: if not engaged in plumbing before 2006-01-01, the applicant needs one (1) year of plumbing experience satisfactory to the Board, and its heading preserves municipal and county plumbing licences. Initial fee $75; exam via Prov; § 62-6-409/412 discipline incl. civil penalty for faulty workmanship. S-TN-BLC-LLP
- Below $25,000 — and for every municipal rate — the local building department is the authority — Sub-threshold work, building permits, local electrical/plumbing/mechanical licensing and inspection fees are governed by city/county codes departments. Three official surfaces fix the boundary: the Board's guidance to 'Always first check with your local government' on the LLE and LLP pages; § 62-6-406 preserving 'Municipal and county licenses' for plumbing; and the nine-county adoption structure of the Home Improvement law (§ 62-6-501 et seq.). No municipal code or fee schedule was opened, so every city/county fact stays LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED (research §O/§P). S-TN-BLC-LLE
02 Which credentials this project can touch
| Credential | Relation | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Improvement Contractor | may require | TN-HIC | S-TN-BLC-HIC |
| Limited Licensed Electrician | alternative | TN-LLE | S-TN-BLC-LLE |
| Limited Licensed Plumber | alternative | TN-LLP | S-TN-BLC-LLP |
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
- TN-NO-LICENSE-BELOW-25K
- TN-HIC
- TN-LLE
- TN-LLP
- TN-LOCAL
04 What it costs
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Home Improvement licence — duplicate Fees page verbatim: 'Duplicate license — $10'. | $10 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Contractor licence — initial, reinstatement or ownership change Fees page table row verbatim: 'Initial / Reinstatement / Ownership Change — $250' (machine-read 2026-10-10 with the Contractor accordion open). The contractor page separately states 'Application fee: $250' and points at CORE (core.tn.gov); the fee is non-refundable. Majority ownership change, merger or reorganisation requires this fresh application (renewal page). | $250 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Contractor licence — biennial renewal Fees page verbatim: 'Renewal — $200'. Renewal documents: financial statement (Compiled by a licensed CPA above $1.5M, self-prepared balance sheet below), GL certificate, WC proof or CSP/handyman, SOS active status (renewal page). Coming out of retirement also costs this $200 plus full documents. | $200 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Contractor licence — late renewal penalty, per month Fees page verbatim: 'Late renewal penalty, per month — $20 (maximum of 12 months)'. Renewal page verbatim: 'The grace period for renewal is 12 months. A $20/month late fee will be applied' — after the grace, full re-application at $250. | $20 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Contractor licence — mode of operation change Fees page verbatim: 'Mode of Operation Change — $100'. Renewal page: the change must be filed within 90 days, no new bidding until the revised licence issues, existing contracts may continue (Rule 0680-01-.02). | $100 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Contractor licence — retirement, per year of renewal Fees page verbatim: 'Retirement, per year of renewal — $25 (maximum of 7 years)'; renewal page adds the '$200 renewal fee every seven (7) years' RESET and that exiting retirement costs the $200 renewal plus full documents. | $25 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Contractor licence — duplicate Fees page verbatim: 'Duplicate license — $25'. | $25 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Home Improvement licence — initial, reinstatement or ownership change Fees page (Home Improvement table) verbatim: 'Initial / Reinstatement / Ownership Change — $250'; the HIC licence page repeats 'initial fee of $250' applied for at core.tn.gov. | $250 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Home Improvement licence — renewal Fees page verbatim: 'Renewal — $200'. Renewal adds current bond/GL/WC/SOS evidence (renewal page). The renewal TERM length was not published on any page read — withheld by name (research §O). | $200 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Home Improvement licence — late renewal penalty, per month Fees page verbatim: 'Late renewal penalty, per month — $10 (maximum of 3 months)'. | $10 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Electrician — late renewal penalty, per month Fees page verbatim: 'Late renewal penalty, per month — $10 (maximum of 3 months)'. | $10 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Electrician — duplicate Fees page verbatim: 'Duplicate license — $5'. | $5 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Plumber — initial or reinstatement Fees page (LLP table) verbatim: 'Initial / Reinstatement — $75'; the LLP licence page repeats 'initial license fee of $75'. Exam fee payable to Prov is withheld by name (§O). | $75 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Plumber — renewal Fees page verbatim: 'Renewal — $50'; 3-month grace at $10/month. Cycle not published on any page read (§O). | $50 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Plumber — late renewal penalty, per month Fees page verbatim: 'Late renewal penalty, per month — $10 (maximum of 3 months)'. | $10 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Plumber — duplicate Fees page verbatim: 'Duplicate license — $5'. | $5 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Pre-license Course Provider — initial licence Fees page (Course Provider table) verbatim: 'Initial — $1,500'. One of the Board's five regulated professions; providers also carry a $50,000 surety bond (Insurance Resources matrix). | $1,500 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Pre-license Course Provider — renewal Fees page verbatim: 'Renewal — $1,000'. | $1,000 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| CMC / CMC-A exam pre-approval — Board fee Exam page verbatim: 'Pre-approval is required by the Board to take the plumbing CMC-A or full mechanical CMC exam … $50 fee'. The ONLY exam-related amount Tennessee publishes — actual Prov/PSI exam fees are withheld by name (§O). | $50 | S-TN-BLC-EXAM |
| Limited Licensed Electrician — renewal Fees page verbatim: 'Renewal — $50'; 3-month grace at $10/month. Cycle not published on any page read (§O). | $50 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Electrician — reinstatement Fees page verbatim: 'Reinstatement — $80' — the ONE profession where the Board's table prices reinstatement ABOVE its initial fee (LLP's table combines initial/reinstatement at $75). | $80 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |
| Limited Licensed Electrician — initial licence Fees page (LLE table) verbatim: 'Initial — $50'; the LLE licence page repeats the $50 initial fee. Exam fee payable to Prov is withheld by name (§O) — the $50 here is the BOARD's licence fee, not the exam. | $50 | S-TN-BLC-FEES |