Handyman License Requirements in Birmingham, AL
City of Birmingham business license from the Finance Department's Tax and License Administration Division, required for any business located in or conducting business in Birmingham before starting work (contractors pay on gross receipts of in-city work). Portal: https://birminghamal.hdlgov.com/Home/Home/BusinessLicense. Permits via PEP require a licensed contractor.
Birmingham requirements
City of Birmingham business license from the Finance Department's Tax and License Administration Division, required for any business located in or conducting business in Birmingham before starting work (contractors pay on gross receipts of in-city work). Portal: https://birminghamal.hdlgov.com/Home/Home/BusinessLicense. Permits via PEP require a licensed contractor.
Source link: birminghamal.gov · birminghamal.gov · birminghamal.hdlgov.com · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Required
- Name: City of Birmingham Business License (register via Application for Tax Certificate)
- Office: City of Birmingham Finance Department, Tax and License Administration Division; online portal birminghamal.hdlgov.com
- Fee: Gross-receipts based per city business license code schedule; calendar-year license (Jan 1-Dec 31)
"The City of Birmingham, under state law, has the authority to license all businesses conducting trade or providing services within its city limits. ... Any person whose business is in or conducts business in the City of Birmingham must obtain a Business License before the business commences."
Source: birminghamal.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Local contractor or handyman license
Our check could not confirm this from an official page, so we don't state it. Ask the city or county office.
County: Jefferson County
The Alabama rule
Regulator: Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board (residential); Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (commercial/public, pools); Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors; Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board; Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
Ala. Code 34-14A-2(16): a residential home builder license is required 'when the cost of the undertaking exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000)' - i.e., $10,000.00 or less is exempt; over $10,000 requires a license. Residential roofers: license required when cost of the undertaking exceeds $2,500. Owners working on their own residence/real estate are exempt.
What counts toward it: labor+materials (statute: 'total cost of the materials, labor, supervision, overhead, and profit')
"or the repair, improvement, or reimprovement thereof, to be used by another as a residence when the cost of the undertaking exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term includes a residential roofer when the cost of the undertaking exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500)."
Source: hblb.alabama.gov · hblb.alabama.gov · checked November 6, 2026
State registration
No separate state handyman registration found. Residential roofer licensees must submit a $10,000 license/permit bond naming the Board as obligee (HBLB FAQ).
Source: hblb.alabama.gov · checked November 6, 2026
Insurance and bond
HBLB law does not require insurance to get a license, but Ala. Code 34-14A-19 requires a residential home builder to tell the homeowner in writing, before work starts, whether it carries liability insurance. If insured, builder and homeowner may sign or initial with no witness; if not insured, both sign and one witness chosen by the homeowner attests (as amended by Act 2026-320). Roofers: $10,000 license/permit bond.
Source: alison.legislature.state.al.us · checked November 12, 2026
Forming an LLC in Alabama
State filing fee: $200.
Source: sos.alabama.gov · checked November 6, 2026
What to do, in order
- Read the Alabama rule and confirm with Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board (residential); Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (commercial/public, pools); Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors; Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board; Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors.
- Line up the Birmingham items listed on this page.
- Get your insurance and rate in place before the first paid job.
Nearby places
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.
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