Idaho Handyman License Requirements
Idaho's small-job figure is $2,000. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
Idaho Code 54-5205(2)(f): work on one undertaking or project considered casual, minor, or inconsequential, whether by one or more contracts, 'the aggregate contract price of which, for labor and materials and all other items, is less than two thousand dollars ($2,000)' (strictly UNDER $2,000). This does not apply when the work is part of a larger project, or when the work is split into contracts under $2,000 to evade the chapter. The exemption is lost if the person holds himself out as a registered contractor.
What counts toward it: labor+materials
"A person performing work on one (1) undertaking or project considered casual, minor, or inconsequential, whether by one (1) or more contracts, the aggregate contract price of which, for labor and materials and all other items, is less than two thousand dollars ($2,000)."
Source: legislature.idaho.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Who regulates this
Idaho Contractors Board, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL)
Source: legislature.idaho.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Does Idaho license general and residential work?
Idaho has no exam-based license for general or residential contractors. It does require statewide REGISTRATION under the Idaho Contractor Registration Act (Idaho Code Title 54, ch. 52), administered by the Idaho Contractors Board within DOPL. Registration requires an application, proof of insurance and a fee; there is no competency test.
Source: legislature.idaho.gov · legislature.idaho.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Registration
Registration is required to engage in business as a contractor (54-5204). Statutory fee cap is $150/yr (54-5210(2)). The DOPL fee table lists $120 for individuals and $120 for businesses, with a $60 entry in each row (column labels not captured), plus a $40 reinstatement fee. Since October 14, 2025 the board has been moving to biennial registration. Applicants must show workers' comp coverage or a statement of why it is not required, plus general liability insurance.
Source: legislature.idaho.gov · legislature.idaho.gov · dopl.idaho.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Insurance and bond
Idaho Code 54-5210(1)(e): general liability insurance, including products and completed operations, of not less than $300,000 single limit. 54-5210(1)(d): a workers' compensation certificate, or a statement of why it is not required. No bond requirement found.
Source: legislature.idaho.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What a handyman should charge in Idaho
Statewide planning estimate: $72 to $100 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 Idaho) | $48,190 median | $60,790 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 95.5) | $31,655 | $31,655 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $111,782 | $129,422 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $72 | $100 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Idaho (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, Idaho, all items index 95.5 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
Idaho places we cover (24)
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.