Washington Handyman License Requirements
Washington's small-job figure is $500. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
RCW 18.27.090(9): exempt is work on one undertaking/project 'the aggregate contract price of which for labor and materials and all other items is less than five hundred dollars' - i.e., UNDER $500 (not 'at or below'). The exemption is lost if the work is part of a larger operation, if a job is split into sub-$500 contracts to evade, or if the person advertises or puts out any sign/card indicating to the public that he or she is a contractor.
What counts toward it: labor+materials
"Any work or operation on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts, the aggregate contract price of which for labor and materials and all other items is less than five hundred dollars, such work or operations being considered as of a casual, minor, or inconsequential nature."
Source: app.leg.wa.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Who regulates this
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Contractor Registration; L&I Electrical Program (RCW 19.28) and Plumbing Certification (RCW 18.106)
Source: lni.wa.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Does Washington license general and residential work?
Washington does not competency-license general/residential contractors, but requires ALL construction contractors (general or one of 63 specialties) to register with the Department of Labor & Industries, with a surety bond and general liability insurance (RCW 18.27). Registration, not a license.
Source: lni.wa.gov · checked November 2, 2026
When a permit changes the answer
The statutory $500 exemption text contains no permit condition; it is voided by being part of a larger operation, contract-splitting, or advertising as a contractor. Note the RCW 18.27.010 contractor definition covers a person who employs members of more than one trade 'under a single building permit'.
Source: app.leg.wa.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Registration
Registration with L&I required for all contractors not exempt: register business with Dept. of Revenue (UBI), surety bond or assignment of savings ($30,000 general contractor / $15,000 specialty contractor, raised July 1, 2024), general liability insurance, notarized Application for Contractor Registration (F625-001-000), application/renewal fee $150.20. No minimum dollar threshold for registration other than the under-$500 casual/minor exemption.
Source: app.leg.wa.gov · lni.wa.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Trade work
State-level via L&I. Electrical (RCW 19.28.161): no person may engage in the electrical construction trade without a master/journey level or (master) specialty electrician certificate of competency (specialties include residential, appliance repair, limited energy, etc.); electrical contractors also need an electrical contractor license (not reviewed). Plumbing (RCW 18.106.020): no person may engage in or offer to engage in the trade of plumbing without a journey level, specialty, residential service, temporary permit or trainee certificate. HVAC: no standalone state HVAC license found
Source: app.leg.wa.gov · app.leg.wa.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Insurance and bond
Surety bond $30,000 (general) / $15,000 (specialty) per RCW 18.27.040(1); general liability insurance $200,000 public liability + $50,000 property damage, or $250,000 combined single limit (L&I), with L&I listed as certificate holder.
Source: app.leg.wa.gov · lni.wa.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What a handyman should charge in Washington
Statewide planning estimate: $85 to $116 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 Washington) | $59,160 median | $72,330 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 107.0) | $35,473 | $35,473 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $132,486 | $150,924 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $85 | $116 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Washington (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, Washington, all items index 107.0 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
Washington places we cover (33)
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.