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

Louisiana licenses homebuilders statewide through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, which calls the credential a Residential Building Contractor license and carries it on the license as the Residential Construction classification. It is required for the construction of a residential structure of not more than three floors, and for home improvement work on an existing residence, once the project value including labor and materials exceeds $50,000; below that, home improvement work between $7,500 and $50,000 needs a Home Improvement registration instead, which is a consumer-protection filing with a $25,000 net-worth test and insurance but no examination, and residential swimming pool work above $7,500 needs the Residential Swimming Pools subclassification. The license belongs to the business rather than the person: an individual, corporation, LLC or partnership applies, and it designates a qualifying party, a sole proprietor, partner, member, manager, stockholder, officer or full-time employee, who personally sits the trade examination and completes the Louisiana Business and Law course, so a builder moving to Louisiana applies as or for the entity that will sign contracts. Every applicant files a financial statement showing at least $50,000 net worth, prepared by an accountant, and residential licensees must also carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation and take six hours of continuing education a year. Louisiana sets no minimum experience or apprenticeship for a contractor license, so out-of-state years do not shorten any step, and La. R.S. 37:2160(D) preempts any municipal or parish examination authority, which makes the state license the only competency credential a builder needs.