Moving to Iowa as a general contractor: every state's rule

1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Registration fee of $50 for one year, or $150 for a three-year registration, non-refundable, paid online or by check or money order with a mailed application. Credit card and ACH payments are not accepted over the phone. A self-employed contractor who pays no more than $2,000 a year to employ others and never works with or for other contractors in the same phase of construction may file a signed and notarized fee exemption form instead of paying. DIAL's application form describes the exemption as open to sole proprietors and to single-member LLCs that attach proof of single-member status, and a new exemption form is filed at each renewal..
2. 2Business license. Obtain a business license. An Iowa unemployment insurance employer account number from Iowa Workforce Development (myiowaui.org), obtained before applying. Every contractor needs one, including businesses based outside Iowa and businesses with no employees. The application also asks for the business's federal employer identification number, or the owner's Social Security number, and the NAICS code for its main construction activity..
3. 3Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation. A contractor with employees files a certificate of insurance showing the effective date of coverage and naming the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing as certificate holder; a self-insured employer files its certificate of relief from the Iowa Insurance Division instead. A contractor with no employees states on the application that coverage is not required. Proof is given every year, and a lapse in required coverage is grounds to revoke the registration..
4. 4Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($25,000). Out-of-state contractors only: a $25,000 surety bond on DIAL's Out-of-State Contractor Bond form, issued by a surety licensed to do business in Iowa, bearing the surety's seal and two original signatures with its power of attorney attached. A branch office in Iowa does not remove the requirement, and each out-of-state subcontractor files its own bond. The bond guarantees Iowa taxes and unemployment contributions owed from the work, not the quality of the work, and it stays in force until the surety cancels it, so it is not refiled at renewal. A contractor prequalified to bid on Iowa Department of Transportation projects may file the DOT prequalification letter instead..
5. 5Other. The Contractor Registration Application/Renewal form, filed online or by mail, giving the business and owner names, any trade name, address, county, phone and email, the entity type, every additional owner, officer, partner or member, and whether the business is an out-of-state contractor. Supplying false information can bring a $500 civil penalty and criminal prosecution..

Published fees on this path total $50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.