Do you need a general contractor license in Michigan?

Yes, a license. In Michigan, a residential builder, or a residential maintenance and alteration contractor who repairs, alters, adds to or improves a home for pay, must hold a state license under the Occupational Code. The license covers work on detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses of not more than 3 stories. It is not required of an owner working on a structure for the owner’s own use and occupancy, an owner maintaining or altering the owner’s rental property, a project whose total contract price is under $600, or a licensed electrical, plumbing or mechanical contractor doing work in that trade. Unlicensed practice is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Cities and counties can add their own licensing on top of the state’s. This is MCL 339.601, 339.2401, 339.2403.

WhatMichigan
General contractorsState residential builder or M&A contractor license

Source

MCL 339.601, 339.2401, 339.2403

Read the statute in the Michigan Compiled Laws (Michigan Legislature): legislature.mi.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

A contractor on Seayora keeps each license with its issuing state, its expiry date and the last four digits of its number, and the business is warned before one lapses — on the website and both phone apps. A customer finding a pro on Seayora sees whether a license is on file.

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