Checking a license before you hire
Search the company name or license number in the license lookup. There are three things worth checking, and most people only check the first.
- The license exists. This directory holds 10,225 licenses — 4,797 based in Alabama and 5,428 out-of-state companies licensed to work here.
- It has not expired. Alabama licenses lapse at the end of a month, and about a thousand expire in most months. A license that was current when you got the quote may not be current when work starts.
- It covers the work you are hiring for. A license lists specific trade classifications. One covering site work and utilities does not mean the holder is licensed to roof your house.
What the bonded bid limit means
Every license carries a bid limit — the maximum value of work the contractor is bonded to take on. It is the single most useful number on a license and almost no directory shows it.
Of the 10,225 licenses here, 5,323 carry an unlimited bid limit and 3,775 have no bid limit recorded at all. The rest sit in bands from $100,000 to $3 million. If you are putting a $2 million project out to bid, a contractor bonded to $500,000 cannot legitimately take it — and that is visible before you ever pick up the phone.
Reading the license number
The prefix tells you what kind of license it is.
- Numeric — general contractor
- 6,439 licenses. The prime contractor on a project.
- S- — subcontractor
- 3,694 licenses. Licensed for specific trades, typically working under a general contractor.
- IA- — inactive
- 92 licenses. Not currently active. A company with only an IA- license should not be doing licensed work.
Which board licenses which trade
This is the most common reason someone cannot find a contractor here. Alabama does not license everyone through one body, and the boards are invisible to most people hiring.
This directory covers the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (opens in new tab). Residential home builders are licensed by the Home Builders Licensure Board, and electrical, plumbing and gas fitting, and HVAC each have their own boards. A residential-only electrician may hold a valid license and still not appear here.
Getting a license as a contractor
Applications, exam requirements, fees, and the value threshold above which a license is required are all set by the board and change from time to time. Rather than repeat numbers that may be out of date, we point you at the source: gencon.alabama.gov (opens in new tab) has the current application and requirements.
Already licensed? Your company is almost certainly already listed here — find it. The state register carries no email address or website for anyone, so most listings show a phone number and nothing else.
Common questions
How do I check if a contractor is licensed in Alabama?
Search their company name or license number in this directory, or use the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors’ own search. Check three things: that the license exists, that it has not expired, and that the trades it covers actually include the work you are hiring for.
What does the bonded bid limit mean?
It is the maximum value of work the contractor is bonded to take on. A contractor bonded to $100,000 cannot legitimately bid a $2 million job. It is recorded on the license and shown on every listing here.
Why can I not find my electrician or home builder here?
Alabama licenses several trades through separate boards. This directory covers the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. Residential home builders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters, and HVAC contractors are each licensed by different boards and will not appear here.
What does an S- prefix on a license number mean?
It marks a subcontractor license rather than a general contractor license. Numeric license numbers are general contractors. A third prefix, IA-, marks an inactive license.
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