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

How the two layers fit together. The Nebraska Department of Labor registration is required everywhere in the state and is the first thing to get - a city will expect you to have it, and a contractor may not perform construction work in Nebraska without it. It does not entitle you to pull a permit or to hold yourself out as qualified; that comes from the city. Because cities differ sharply, identify the building department with jurisdiction over the address and ask what it licenses before you bid.

Omaha. Permits and Inspections licenses building contractors under Chapter 43, Article IX of the Municipal Code in Classes A, B, C, D and E, plus Master and Journeyman Sign Erector. Classes A and B cost $300.00 plus a $24.00 technology fee and require an examination; Class C costs $200.00 plus a $16.00 technology fee and requires an examination; Class E costs $100.00 plus an $8.00 technology fee and does not require an examination. Class D is now a renewal-only class - the city's own note is that it requires an 'Equivalent License From Another Jurisdiction... The Exam is No Longer Available, Renewal License Only.' The building examinations are published in the National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin linked from the licensing page. Every license type needs a bond of at least $10,000.00, emailed with the insurance certificate to [email protected], 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. Renewal requires proof of nine contact hours of continuing education, which may come from construction-related college courses, from taking part in construction education outreach 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 run through the Accela portal at OmahaPermits.com. Because the class scopes and the level that fits a given job are set by the building code rather than the licensing page, confirm the class with Permits and Inspections on 402-444-5350 or [email protected] before applying.

Omaha's reciprocal license. This is the one route in Nebraska where holding a contractor license somewhere else is worth something, and it is a city route rather than a state agreement. The requirements as Omaha publishes them 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.' Applications are filed 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 that also hears building code waivers, appeals from the Superintendent of Permits and Inspections and property maintenance code appeals; reciprocal license applications are heard on a quarterly cycle, so ask Permits and Inspections for the next hearing date and the filing deadline before you plan around it. The board decides case by case and publishes no list of jurisdictions it accepts, so nothing is automatic.

Lincoln. Building and Safety licenses trades and specialties - demolition, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, signs, street use and fire - and certifies master and journeyman tradespeople; there is no Lincoln general building contractor or remodeler license. What a residential builder does need is the state registration, the right permits, and insurance where a licensed trade is involved: liability of 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, on a certificate that names 'City of Lincoln as an additional insured' by endorsement, carries a policy number rather than a binder number and is signed by the agent. Plumbing, HVAC, electrical and fire contractors must also list a master's name on the certificate as an insured. No bond is required unless you work in the city right-of-way; sign, street use and excavation contractors post a $5,000 license and permit bond or a cashier's check for the same amount. Documents go to [email protected]; Planning and Development Services is at 555 S 10th Street.

Everywhere else. Bellevue, Grand Island, Kearney, Papillion, La Vista and the rest each run their own building departments, and several license only the trades. None of them treats a license from another state as a qualification. Ask the city which licenses it issues, what insurance it wants and whether it registers contractors at all, and in every case hold the Nebraska Department of Labor registration first.