BULLETPROOF HANDYMAN

Missouri Handyman License Requirements

By Ray Duke, Founder of Bulletproof Handyman · Missouri rules checked November 2, 2026

Missouri has no statewide general contractor license for this work, so local and trade rules decide.

No statewide general license

Missouri

No state licensing threshold for general or handyman work. Any dollar thresholds are set by cities and counties.

What counts toward it: other: no state threshold

"The statewide electrical contractor license holder must have liability insurance in the amount of $500,000."

Source: pr.mo.gov · sos.mo.gov · checked November 2, 2026

Who regulates this

None for general contracting (local). Electrical (optional statewide license): Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors, Missouri Division of Professional Registration (Dept. of Commerce and Insurance).

Source: pr.mo.gov · checked November 2, 2026

When a permit changes the answer

n/a at state level. Permits are issued locally; the state does not issue electrical permits or inspect work (RSMo 324.925.3, per OSEC FAQ).

Source: pr.mo.gov · checked November 2, 2026

Registration

No state contractor registration. Optional statewide electrical contractor license requires $500,000 liability insurance and proof of any bond a city or county requires (RSMo 324.920.1(1)). Statewide license is held by a qualifier employed at a supervisory level by the business (324.920.3).

Source: pr.mo.gov · checked November 2, 2026

Trade work

Electrical: optional statewide electrical contractor license (OSEC). Under RSMo 324.920.4 a contractor working where no local license is required, or holding the required local license, does not need the statewide license. Cities may still require a business license but cannot require proficiency exams from statewide holders (324.925.1). Plumbing/HVAC/mechanical: no state license found; licensed locally. The 'no state plumbing/HVAC license' point is from third-party leads only and not confirmed on an official page.

Source: pr.mo.gov · checked November 2, 2026

Insurance and bond

No state GC insurance or bond. Statewide electrical contractor license: $500,000 liability insurance; bonds stay with the city/county.

Source: pr.mo.gov · checked November 2, 2026

City and county rules

Yes. General contractor, home improvement, handyman, plumbing, mechanical and (unless the optional statewide license is held) electrical licensing is done by cities and counties (e.g., Kansas City, St. Louis City/County, Springfield). The OSEC FAQ confirms local licensing and local permits continue.

Source: pr.mo.gov · checked November 2, 2026

What a handyman should charge in Missouri

Statewide planning estimate: $70 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 Missouri)	$48,370 median	$61,440 top quarter starts here
Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 90.8)	$30,104	$30,104
Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12%	+40%	+40%
Yearly total to cover	$109,864	$128,162
Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52)	30 × 52 = 1,560	25 × 52 = 1,300
Hourly rate	$70	$99

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Missouri (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, Missouri, all items index 90.8 (US = 100).
Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.

Run your own numbers in the free calculator.

Missouri places we cover (39)

Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.