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

Washington does not license residential building contractors. It registers every construction contractor with the Department of Labor & Industries, and registration is the only credential a homebuilder or remodeler needs: there is no trade examination, no business-and-law examination, no experience or apprenticeship requirement, no financial statement and no named qualifying party anywhere in chapter 18.27 RCW or chapter 296-200A WAC. The same registration covers houses and commercial buildings, because Washington's two classifications divide work by the number of trades rather than by market. A General contractor registration is for a business whose work uses more than one building trade on a single job or under a single building permit, and it covers residential and commercial work alike; a Specialty contractor registration limits the business to one of 63 named trades such as roofing, framing and rough carpentry, siding, drywall or HVAC. L&I's own application makes the point explicitly: it asks whether you will do commercial, residential or both, then says the question is 'for statistical reasons and you will not be held to the type you choose.' A developer who subdivides land for residential purposes or builds one or more residential units needs the general registration, and there is no separate homebuilder, residential builder or home improvement credential above or below it. The registration belongs to the business rather than to a person, so a builder moving to Washington registers the sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or LLC that will sign contracts; every owner, member, partner and corporate officer signs the application before a notary and provides a Social Security number or ITIN, and each must be at least 18. What Washington requires instead of qualifications is financial protection for the customer: a Uniform Business Identifier from the Department of Revenue, a continuous $30,000 surety bond for a general registration or $15,000 for a specialty registration, general liability insurance of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage or $250,000 combined single limit, and a $150.20 fee for a two-year registration.