Moving to Alabama as a residential contractor: every state's rule

Alabama licenses residential builders statewide through the Home Builders Licensure Board in Montgomery, which is a different agency from the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors that handles commercial work. A license is required to construct, remodel, repair or improve a residential structure where the cost of the undertaking including labor and materials exceeds $10,000. There are three tiers: a license without limitation (unlimited), which covers whole houses, work involving more than one trade and residential roofing; a license with limitation (limited), for single-trade work that is not a whole residence; and a license limited to residential roofing. The license is held by the business, not the person: an individual may be licensed personally, but a partnership, corporation, LLC or non-profit must name a designated qualifying representative who is a general partner, officer, member or manager and who personally meets the experience and examination requirements, so an inbound builder applies as or for the entity that will sign contracts. An unlimited license is earned by passing the Alabama Home Builders Skill exam and the Business and Law exam through Prov and by showing business-related financial responsibility through a credit report; Alabama sets no minimum years of experience. The Board publishes one reciprocity rule, naming five states whose residential licensees may skip the Skill exam.