Vermont Handyman License Requirements
Vermont's small-job figure is $10,000. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
26 V.S.A. 5501(a): registration required 'prior to contracting with a homeowner to perform residential construction in exchange for consideration of more than $10,000.00, including labor and materials.' So $10,000.00 or less = no registration ('at or below'); more than $10,000 = registration. Applies to dwellings with four or fewer units; 'residential construction' includes repair, painting, roofing, weatherization, and heating/plumbing/electrical systems. Other exemptions (5502): employees of a registered business; DPS-licensed tradespeople within scope; appliance/AV/telephone/network equipment delivery/installation; landscaping; work on detached structures; emergency work (register within reasonable time).
What counts toward it: labor+materials
"A person shall register with the Office of Professional Regulation prior to contracting with a homeowner to perform residential construction in exchange for consideration of more than $10,000.00, including labor and materials."
Source: legislature.vermont.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Who regulates this
Vermont Secretary of State - Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) (residential contractor registration); Department of Public Safety (licensed tradespeople)
Source: legislature.vermont.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Registration
OPR registration for residential contracts over $10,000 (individual and business-organization registrations). Registrants must carry liability insurance $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate (5509(a)) and execute a written contract before deposit or starting work when estimated labor+materials exceeds $10,000 (5509(b)), specifying price, dates, scope, change-order provisions, etc.
Source: legislature.vermont.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Trade work
Electricians and plumbers are licensed/certified statewide by the Department of Public Safety (Division of Fire Safety); 5502(2) exempts DPS-licensed tradespeople from contractor registration within scope.
Source: legislature.vermont.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Insurance and bond
Registrants: liability insurance minimum $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate (26 V.S.A. 5509(a)). No bond requirement found in ch. 106.
Source: legislature.vermont.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What a handyman should charge in Vermont
Statewide planning estimate: $79 to $102 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 Vermont) | $55,510 median | $62,400 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 98.0) | $32,471 | $32,471 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $123,174 | $132,820 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $79 | $102 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Vermont (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, Vermont, all items index 98.0 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
Vermont places we cover (12)
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.