Indiana Handyman License Requirements
Indiana has no statewide general contractor license for this work, so local and trade rules decide.
No license threshold. A real property (home) improvement contract is one whose contract price 'exceeds one hundred fifty dollars ($150)'. Contracts above $150 must be in writing (AG: 'Indiana law requires home improvement contracts exceeding $150 to be in writing'). At exactly $150 or below, the writing rule does not apply.
What counts toward it: other: no licensing threshold. IC 24-5-11 written-contract rule applies when the contract price exceeds $150.
"Check with your city or county building department to determine the licensing requirements for your area and if the contractor you are considering is properly licensed, bonded and insured. Get a written contract. Indiana law requires home improvement contracts exceeding $150 to be in writing."
Who regulates this
None for general contracting (local). Plumbing: Indiana Plumbing Commission / Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA). Consumer protection under IC 24-5-11: Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division.
Registration
No state GC registration. Plumbing contractors (including corporations) must hold a plumbing contractor license from the Plumbing Commission.
Source: in.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Trade work
Plumbing: state-licensed by the Indiana Plumbing Commission (PLA), IC 25-28.5.
Source: in.gov · checked November 2, 2026
City and county rules
Yes. Contractor licensing is set by cities/counties (e.g., Indianapolis/Marion County). The Indiana AG directs consumers to check with the city or county building department for licensing requirements.
Source: in.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What a handyman should charge in Indiana
Statewide planning estimate: $73 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 Indiana) | $49,890 median | $61,980 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 93.3) | $30,937 | $30,937 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $113,158 | $130,084 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $73 | $100 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Indiana (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, Indiana, all items index 93.3 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
Indiana places we cover (43)
- Allen
- Avon
- Bloomington
- Bristol
- Brownsburg
- Carmel
- Crawfordsville
- Crown Point
- Delaware County
- Elkhart
- Evansville
- Fishers
- Fort Wayne
- Goshen
- Granger
- Greensburg
- Hamilton
- Hammond
- Hendricks County
- Indianapolis
- Indianapolis city
- Jefferson
- Johnson County
- Kokomo
- Kosciusko County
- Lafayette
- Lake County
- Lawrence
- Marion
- Merrillville
- Middlebury
- Mishawaka
- Monroe County
- Nappanee
- Noblesville
- Plainfield
- Saint Joseph County
- Shelbyville
- Shipshewana
- South Bend
- Speedway
- Warsaw
- West Lafayette
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.