Oregon Handyman License Requirements
Oregon's small-job figure is $1,000. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
ORS 701.010(4): a person working on one structure or project, under one or more contracts, when the aggregate price of all that person's contracts for labor, materials and all other items is LESS THAN $1,000 (so $1,000 exactly requires a license) AND the work is casual, minor or inconsequential. Does not apply to anyone who advertises or puts out any sign or card or other device indicating to the public that they are a contractor.
What counts toward it: labor+materials
"A person working on one structure or project, under one or more contracts, when the aggregate price of all of that person's contracts for labor, materials and all other items is less than $1,000 and such work is of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature."
Source: oregonlegislature.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Who regulates this
Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB).
Source: oregonlegislature.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Does Oregon license general and residential work?
Yes. Oregon requires a Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license for anyone performing construction work for compensation, including handyman work, residential or commercial. The only small-job exemption is casual, minor or inconsequential work under $1,000 per structure/project, and it is lost if the person advertises as a contractor.
Source: oregonlegislature.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Registration
A CCB license with an endorsement is required (no separate registration). Residential endorsements under ORS 701.081: Residential General Contractor (bond $25,000, CGL at least $500,000); Residential Specialty Contractor (bond $20,000, CGL at least $300,000); Residential Limited Contractor (bond $15,000, CGL at least $100,000).
Source: oregonlegislature.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Insurance and bond
ORS 701.081 (as amended 2023 c.254): residential general $25,000 bond / $500,000 CGL; residential specialty $20,000 / $300,000; residential limited $15,000 / $100,000; residential developer $25,000 / $500,000; residential locksmith $15,000 / $100,000. Commercial endorsements have higher amounts under ORS 701.084 (not extracted).
Source: oregonlegislature.gov · oregon.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What a handyman should charge in Oregon
Statewide planning estimate: $80 to $105 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 Oregon) | $54,350 median | $63,560 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 103.4) | $34,262 | $34,262 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $124,057 | $136,951 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $80 | $105 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Oregon (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, Oregon, all items index 103.4 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
Oregon places we cover (18)
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.