Georgia Handyman License Requirements
Georgia's small-job figure is $2,500. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
License required where 'the total value of the work or activity or of the compensation to be received by the contractor for such activity or work, whichever is the higher, exceeds $2,500.00' (O.C.G.A. 43-41-2(9)). So $2,500.00 exactly is NOT over the line; $2,500.01+ requires a license. Separate 'repair' exception (O.C.G.A. 43-41-17(g); Board Rule 553-8-.01) with no dollar cap: written disclosure to owner of unlicensed status; no subcontracting/delegation of supervision (employees OK); no life-safety or structural work (no load-bearing walls/beams); must obtain local permits and inspections; does not cover Chapter 14 trade work.
What counts toward it: other: the higher of total value of the work/activity OR the contractor's compensation (effectively labor+materials value)
"where the total value of the work or activity or of the compensation to be received by the contractor for such activity or work, whichever is the higher, exceeds $2,500.00."
Source: sos.ga.gov · rules.sos.ga.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Who regulates this
State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (Residential Contractor Division and General Contractor Division), Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division. Trades: State Construction Industry Licensing Board (O.C.G.A. Ch. 14 of Title 43) - board name from leads.
Source: sos.ga.gov · rules.sos.ga.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Does Georgia license general and residential work?
Georgia licenses residential (Residential-Basic, Residential-Light Commercial) and general contractors under O.C.G.A. Title 43 Ch. 41 when the value of the work or compensation, whichever is higher, exceeds $2,500. No separate handyman license.
Source: sos.ga.gov · checked November 2, 2026
When a permit changes the answer
No - needing a permit does not void the repair exception; Rule 553-8-.01(4) requires the repairer to obtain permits and inspections required by the local authority. The $2,500 threshold statute text fetched does not mention permits.
Source: rules.sos.ga.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Registration
No state handyman registration.
Source: sos.ga.gov · rules.sos.ga.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Trade work
Electrical, plumbing, conditioned air (HVAC), low-voltage and utility contracting are licensed under O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 14 (Construction Industry Licensing Board). Residential/general contractors may contract for such work but it must be performed by a Chapter 14 licensee. The repair exception expressly does NOT diminish Chapter 14 licensing - no handyman carve-out for trade work.
Source: sos.ga.gov · rules.sos.ga.gov · checked November 2, 2026
City and county rules
Contractor licensing is state-level; cities/counties require business licenses/occupation tax certificates and issue permits (not verified this run).
Source: rules.sos.ga.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What a handyman should charge in Georgia
Statewide planning estimate: $71 to $99 an hour. It's an estimate from public data, not the market rate. City pages use local wages when we can match them.
| Step | Low end | High end |
|---|---|---|
| Your pay (employee wage for this work in Georgia) | $47,680 median | $60,010 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 96.3) | $31,919 | $31,919 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $111,439 | $128,701 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $71 | $99 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Georgia (statewide figure, because we could not match a metro for this place). The top-quarter figure is in the BLS data file.
- Local prices: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, Georgia, all items index 96.3 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
Georgia places we cover (40)
- Acworth
- Albany
- Athens
- Atlanta
- Augusta
- Blue Ridge
- Buford
- Calhoun
- Carrollton
- Cartersville
- Cherokee County
- Clayton
- Cobb County
- Columbus
- Covington
- Dade County
- Dawson
- Dawsonville
- Gordon
- Hoschton
- Jackson
- Jones County
- Lumpkin
- Macon
- McDuffie County
- Milner
- Muscogee
- Nashville
- Peachtree Corners
- Perry
- Rossville
- Roswell
- Sandy Springs
- Savannah
- Screven
- Thomas County
- Valdosta
- Warner Robins
- Wayne County
- Woodstock
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.