Mississippi: up to $10,000 a job without a contractor license

The limit in Mississippi

The limit: Up to $10,000 per job (an existing home). In short: Residential remodeling/repair up to $10,000 total cost per job needs no state remodeler license; but residential electrical, plumbing, HVAC and mechanical subcontractor work needs a license at any dollar amount.

What counts: "undertakes or offers to undertake the construction, or superintending of the construction, of improvements to an existing residence when the total cost of the improvements exceeds Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00)" The state's words do not say whether materials count toward the limit.

Conditions: license needed once the total cost of the improvements exceeds $10,000; residential roofing over $10,000 also needs a license; residential electrical, plumbing, mechanical or HVAC subcontractors need a license no matter the dollar amount.

Residential remodeler license (Miss. Code § 73-59-1(c), § 73-59-3). Commercial work needs a commercial license over $50,000.

Licenses in Mississippi

General contractors: State license. Commercial: license for commercial jobs over $50,000 (incl. subcontractors). Residential builder: new residential construction over $50,000. Residential remodeler: improvements to an existing residence over $10,000. Residential roofing over $10,000.

Plumbing: State license (as a subcontractor, any amount) · not fully confirmed. Residential plumbing subcontractors must hold a state residential license at any dollar amount (§ 73-59-3(1)(d)); commercial plumbing jobs over $50,000 need a commercial license. Cities may also license. The law names plumbing, electrical and HVAC subcontractors; whether a tradesperson hired directly by the homeowner for a job of $10,000 or less needs the license is not settled.

Electrical: State license (as a subcontractor, any amount) · not fully confirmed. Residential electrical subcontractors must hold a state residential license at any dollar amount (§ 73-59-3(1)(d)); commercial jobs over $50,000 need a commercial license. The law names plumbing, electrical and HVAC subcontractors; whether a tradesperson hired directly by the homeowner for a job of $10,000 or less needs the license is not settled.

HVAC: State license (as a subcontractor, any amount) · not fully confirmed. Residential HVAC / mechanical subcontractors need a state residential license at any dollar amount (Residential HVAC and Residential Mechanical classifications); commercial jobs over $50,000 need a commercial license. The law names plumbing, electrical and HVAC subcontractors; whether a tradesperson hired directly by the homeowner for a job of $10,000 or less needs the license is not settled.

Your license number in Mississippi

Your license number: Residential builders and remodelers must show the number on a sign at the permitted job site. None of these rules names invoices.

In the rule's words: “such licensed residential builder or residential remodeler or holder of a certificate of responsibility shall exhibit a sign at the permitted job site which shall include, prominently displayed in lettering at least two (2) inches high and twelve (12) inches wide, the license or certificate of responsibility number” (MSBOC Residential Rule 1.2 (Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-11(f)))

Mississippi's board, and when this was checked

The board: Mississippi State Board of Contractors. As of November 6, 2026. Dates on the state's pages: Residential Laws and Rules revised 2022 (file uploaded 2024-06) and Commercial Laws and Rules revised 2022.

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 Mississippi with every state's limit.

Next door to Mississippi

• Alabama: up to $10,000 per job (roofing: $2,500)
• Arkansas: up to $2,000 per job
• Louisiana: under $7,500 per job
• Tennessee: under $25,000 per job ($3,000 in 9 counties)

Official sources for Mississippi

8 of Mississippi's own pages, each quoted with its link:

• MSBOC Residential Builders Law and Rules, revised 2022 (Miss. Code Title 73 Ch. 59) (Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-1(c)): “undertakes or offers to undertake the construction, or superintending of the construction, of improvements to an existing residence when the total cost of the improvements exceeds Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00).”
• MSBOC Residential Builders Law and Rules, revised 2022 (Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-3(1)(d)): “Any subcontractor, of any tier, performing the following work or within the following trade, on any residential construction or residential improvement project, no matter the dollar amount of the construction or improvements: (i) Electrical; (ii) Plumbing; (iii) Mechanical; and/or (iv) Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning”
• MSBOC Residential Builders Law and Rules, revised 2022 (Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-1(b)): “to be used by another as a residence, when the total cost of the undertaking exceeds Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00).”
• MSBOC Residential Rule 1.2 Display of Building Permit (Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-11(f)): “shall exhibit a sign at the permitted job site which shall include, prominently displayed in lettering at least two (2) inches high and twelve (12) inches wide, the license or certificate of responsibility number”
• MSBOC Frequently Asked Questions: “All contractors and subcontractors performing work on commercial jobs over $50,000, including equipment installation, are required to have a commercial license.”
• MSBOC Frequently Asked Questions: “All contractors performing new residential construction over $50,000, residential remodeling or additions over $10,000, or residential roofing over $10,000, are required to have a license.”
• MSBOC Frequently Asked Questions: “Subcontractors performing residential electrical, mechanical, HVAC, or plumbing work on a residential construction or residential improvement project are required to be licensed.”
• MSBOC Classifications: “Residential Electrical / Residential Plumbing / Residential HVAC / Residential Mechanical classifications (each requires a test); holders "are limited to residential [trade] work only"”

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