Louisiana: under $7,500 a job without a contractor license

The limit in Louisiana

Not fully confirmed. For Louisiana, electrical work and HVAC could not be checked on the state's own pages: each says so below.

The limit: Under $7,500 per job (an existing home). In short: under $7,500 per project (labor + materials) on an existing home; commercial work under $50,000; electrical, mechanical (HVAC) or plumbing jobs under $10,000.

What counts: Per project, labor and materials combined: "the law requires that the cost of labor and materials be combined to assess the total project amount, no matter who supplies the materials." A home improvement registration is needed when "the project value is at least seven thousand five hundred dollars but less than fifty thousand dollars." Materials count toward the limit, not just your labor.

Conditions: Plumbing and gas fitting need a State Plumbing Board license or apprentice registration at any job size; Residential roofing of $7,500 or more needs the Residential Roofing or Residential Construction classification; A home improvement registrant may not do structural work (footings, foundations, load-bearing walls, roofing systems); Hazardous materials work (asbestos, lead paint) needs a license from $1.

Louisiana sets several floors by job type: a home improvement registration from $7,500 to under $50,000 on an existing home, a residential license from $50,000, a commercial license from $50,000, and an electrical, mechanical or plumbing contractor license from $10,000.

Licenses in Louisiana

General contractors: State license. Commercial license from $50,000 (any building/construction undertaking for commercial use). Residential license for new homes from $50,000 and home improvements of $50,000 or more; home improvement registration (not a license) for $7,500 to under $50,000. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractor licenses from $10,000 on any residential, commercial or other project. Mold remediation license from $7,500.

Plumbing: State license. State Plumbing Board of Louisiana licenses every plumber and gas fitter (unlicensed workers must register as apprentices). Plumbing work of $10,000 or more also needs an LSLBC plumbing contractor license. Act 908 of the 2026 session transfers plumbing licensing from the State Plumbing Board to the LSLBC (transition meetings Oct-Nov 2026).

Electrical: State license for jobs of $10,000 or more · not fully confirmed. LSLBC electrical contractor license required for electrical work with a project value of $10,000 or more (residential, commercial or other). No statewide license found for individual electricians or for jobs under $10,000. Below $10,000, whether a parish or city licenses electricians and HVAC workers was not checked.

HVAC: State license for jobs of $10,000 or more · not fully confirmed. HVAC falls under the LSLBC mechanical contractor license, required for air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and related work with a project value of $10,000 or more. No statewide license found for jobs under $10,000. Below $10,000, whether a parish or city licenses electricians and HVAC workers was not checked.

Your license number in Louisiana

Your license number: Contractors who need a state license or registration must show the number on contracts. Bidders on public works must show the number on bid envelopes. Plumbing and gas fitting businesses must show the number on customer invoices, advertising, solicitations, business correspondence, vehicles and job-site signs.

In the rule's words: “R.S. 37:2159: "Every agreement to perform contracting services that requires licensure or registration as defined by this Chapter shall include all of the following documents and information: ... (2) The full names, addresses, and the license number of the contractor." | State Plumbing Board: "All public advertising, solicitations, customer invoices and business correspondence issued by or on behalf of an employing entity shall set forth ... the employing entity's Louisiana Licensed Master Plumber Number."” (La. R.S. 37:2159(A)(2); La. R.S. 37:2163 (bid envelopes); State Plumbing Board signage rule (rule citation not shown on page))

Where Louisiana's own pages disagree

The law says a license or registration is needed at "$7,500 or more" and "$10,000 or more", while some of the board's pages say "exceeding". Going by the law, a job of exactly $7,500 needs the home improvement registration, and a trade job of exactly $10,000 needs the license.

Louisiana's board, and when this was checked

The board: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC). As of November 6, 2026. Dates on the state's pages: R.S. 37:2150.1 amended through Acts 2025, No. 422, LSLBC law & rules book effective 2026-08-01 and SPBLA notice: Act 908 of 2026 transition meetings 2026-10-27 and 2026-11-24.

This is a summary of each state's own pages as of November 6, 2026, not legal advice. Rules change, and cities and counties add licenses of their own. Check with your state's board, linked on this page, before you rely on it.

Compare Louisiana with every state's limit.

Next door to Louisiana

• Arkansas: up to $2,000 per job
• Mississippi: up to $10,000 per job
• Texas: no statewide license found

Official sources for Louisiana

15 of Louisiana's own pages, each quoted with its link:

• La. R.S. 37:2150.1 - Definitions (Louisiana State Legislature) (La. R.S. 37:2150.1(4)(a)(iii)): “(iii) Any improvements or repairs to an existing residential structure for which the project value is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more.”
• La. R.S. 37:2150.1 - Definitions (La. R.S. 37:2150.1(4)(a)(i)-(ii)): “(i) Any building, highway, road, ... or any other construction undertaking for which the project value is fifty thousand dollars or more when the property is to be used for commercial purposes. (ii) Any new residential structure for which the project value is fifty thousand dollars or more when the property is used for residential purposes.”
• La. R.S. 37:2150.1 - Definitions (La. R.S. 37:2150.1(11)): “"Home improvement contractor" means any person who ... assume charge of a home improvement project for which the project value is at least seven thousand five hundred dollars but less than fifty thousand dollars. A home improvement contractor shall not perform any structural work ...”
• La. R.S. 37:2150.1 - Definitions (La. R.S. 37:2150.1(6)): “"Electrical contractor" means any person who ... installing the same for the wiring, fixtures, or appliances for the supply of electricity to any residential, commercial, or other project, for which the project value is ten thousand dollars or more.”
• La. R.S. 37:2150.1 - Definitions (La. R.S. 37:2150.1(13)): “"Mechanical contractor" means any person who ... installing the same for the construction, installation, maintenance, testing, and repair of air conditioning, refrigeration, heating systems, and plumbing ... for which the project value is ten thousand dollars or more.”
• La. R.S. 37:2150.1 - Definitions (La. R.S. 37:2150.1(16)): “"Plumbing contractor" means any person who installs, maintains, and repairs potable and nonpotable tap water or sewer systems within a building structure or residential structure for which the project value is ten thousand dollars or more.”
• LSLBC - FAQ: “Total project value = the law requires that the cost of labor and materials be combined to assess the total project amount, no matter who supplies the materials. ... For home improvement projects, if the total project amount exceeds $7,500 but not exceeding $50,000, a home improvement registration is required.”
• LSLBC - FAQ: “If you are performing plumbing work valued at $10,000 or more including labor and materials, the law requires that you also hold a commercial plumbing license with the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors.”
• LSLBC - Types of Licenses: “Commercial projects with a value of $50,000 or more (including labor and materials) ... Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing projects exceeding $10,000 including labor and materials.”
• LSLBC - Contractors Licensing Law (La. R.S. 37) and Rules, effective August 1, 2026 (La. R.S. 37:2159): “§2159. Written contract required ... A. Every agreement to perform contracting services that requires licensure or registration as defined by this Chapter shall include ... (2) The full names, addresses, and the license number of the contractor.”
• LSLBC - Contractors Licensing Law (La. R.S. 37) and Rules, effective August 1, 2026 (La. R.S. 37:2156.4): “§2156.4 Residential Roofing A. On and after January 1, 2026, any person who ... perform any construction, modification, repair, or maintenance of any portion of a roofing system on a residential structure for which the project value is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more shall hold the classification of Residential Roofing or Residential Construction.”
• LSLBC - Contractors Licensing Law (La. R.S. 37) and Rules, effective August 1, 2026 (La. R.S. 37:2163): “... certify that he holds an active license ... by displaying his license number on the bid envelope. ... If the bid does not display the contractor's license number on the bid envelope, the bid shall be automatically rejected”
• State Plumbing Board of Louisiana - Signage and Insurance: “All public advertising, solicitations, customer invoices and business correspondence issued by or on behalf of an employing entity shall set forth the information described herein: the employing entity's full name, physical address, telephone number, and the employing entity's Louisiana Licensed Master Plumber Number.”
• State Plumbing Board of Louisiana - Licenses: “ALL PERSONS PERFORMING THE ART OF PLUMBING AND/OR GAS FITTING IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA MUST FIRST REGISTER AS AN APPRENTICE , BE IN THE EMPLOY OF A MASTER COMPANY AND PERFORM ALL WORK UNDER THE DIRECT, ON-THE-JOB SUPERVISION OF A JOURNEYMAN OR MASTER.”
• State Plumbing Board of Louisiana - home page notice (Act 908 of 2026): “The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors(LSLBC) will host an open discussion regarding the transfer of licensing and regulatory authority for the plumbing trade from the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana, pursuant to Act 908 of the 2026 Legislative Session.”

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