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

How the two layers fit together. Hold the Nebraska Department of Labor registration first - it is required statewide before any construction work and it is cheap and quick - then deal with the city, which is where any examination, bond or board approval lives. Nebraska cities differ so much that the only safe approach is to ask the building department with jurisdiction over the site what it licenses before bidding.

Omaha. Permits and Inspections licenses building contractors under Chapter 43, Article IX of the Municipal Code. The largest tiers are Class A and Class B, which cost $300.00 plus a $24.00 technology fee and require an examination, drawn from the National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin published with the licensing page; Class C is $200.00 plus a $16.00 technology fee with an examination, Class E is $100.00 plus an $8.00 technology fee with no examination, and Class D is a renewal-only class that the city describes as requiring an 'Equivalent License From Another Jurisdiction... The Exam is No Longer Available, Renewal License Only.' Every class needs a bond of at least $10,000.00 and liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.00 for Classes A and B, $500,000.00 for Class C and $300,000.00 for Classes D and E; the bond and insurance go to [email protected]. Renewal requires nine contact hours of continuing education a year, from construction-related college courses, from education outreach work with school or university students, or from courses through agencies certified by the International Code Council, the American Institute of Architects, the National Association of Home Builders or the Associated General Contractors of America. Applications and renewals are filed through the Accela portal at OmahaPermits.com. The class scopes themselves sit in the building code rather than on the licensing page, so confirm which class covers your work with Permits and Inspections on 402-444-5350 or [email protected].

Omaha's reciprocal license. Omaha is the only Nebraska jurisdiction found to publish a route that credits a contractor license held elsewhere, and it is a municipal route decided case by case rather than a state-to-state agreement. Its published requirements are: 'Must hold a valid contractor's license from another jurisdiction'; 'Proof of examination required'; 'Approval by the Building Board of Review'; and 'Payment of required fee - $100.00 + $8.00 Tech Fee.' Apply online at OmahaPermits.com for Building Board of Review approval of reciprocation of a building contractor's license. The board is a seven-member body which also hears building code waivers and appeals from the Superintendent of Permits and Inspections; reciprocal license applications are heard quarterly, so confirm the next hearing date and the filing deadline with Permits and Inspections. No list of accepted jurisdictions is published and approval is not automatic, so allow for a full quarter in the schedule and be ready to document the examination behind your existing license.

Lincoln. Building and Safety licenses contractors by trade and specialty - demolition, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, signs, street use and fire - and certifies master and journeyman tradespeople. There is no Lincoln general or commercial building contractor license, so a commercial builder works from the state registration and city permits while the trades hold their own licenses. Insurance must be at least $500,000 each occurrence for demolition, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, sign, street use and fire alarm work, or $1,000,000 for fire sprinkler and chemical extinguishing work, with 'City of Lincoln as an additional insured' by endorsement, a policy number rather than a binder number and the agent's signature; plumbing, HVAC, electrical and fire contractors must list a master's name on the certificate as an insured. A bond is needed only for work in the city right-of-way, where sign, street use and excavation contractors post a $5,000 license and permit bond or an equivalent cashier's check. Documents go to [email protected].

Everywhere else, and what does travel. Bellevue, Grand Island, Kearney, Papillion, La Vista and the other Nebraska cities run their own building departments, and several license only the trades. An out-of-state general contractor license and a NASCLA Accredited Examination carry no weight in the state registration and no weight in Lincoln; the one place either might help is an Omaha reciprocal license application, where the board wants proof of the examination behind the license you already hold. What always matters is the Department of Labor registration, workers' compensation coverage that stays in force, and the correct trade licenses for any electrical, plumbing or mechanical scope.