What can a handyman do in Baldwin County, AL?
Alabama's small-job figure is $10,000. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
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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
What Baldwin County adds
Baldwin is a county (Bay Minette is the seat). Unincorporated work: State of Alabama/County business license from Baldwin County Probate Office ((251) 937-0260); cities (Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, etc.) issue their own. To pull county permits, register in the Baldwin County Building Department CitizenServe portal with a State of Alabama business license and any state trade/contractor card.
Source link: baldwincountyal.gov · baldwincountyal.gov · baldwincountyal.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Required
- Name: State of Alabama / Baldwin County business license (unincorporated; businesses inside a municipality also license with that city's clerk)
- Office: Baldwin County Probate Office, Bay Minette (251) 937-0260
- Fee: Per state/county schedule by business class (not stated on pages reviewed)
"If your business is located inside the city limits of a Municipality, you need to contact the City Clerk of that Municipality."
Source: baldwincountyal.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Local contractor or handyman license
Required
- Name: Baldwin County Building Department CitizenServe contractor portal registration (to pull permits)
- Trigger: Pulling a building permit in the county permit jurisdiction (unincorporated county plus Towns of Elberta, Magnolia Springs, Perdido Beach); requires State of Alabama business license (city licenses not accepted) and any applicable state contractor board card
"The contractor must be registered in the Baldwin County CitizenServe Portal... All contractors working in the Baldwin County building permit jurisdiction are required to hold an active State of Alabama business license that is issued through any county in the state. ... We DO NOT accept city/municipality issued licenses."
Source: baldwincountyal.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Jobs a handyman usually takes
Examples of everyday jobs that stay inside a small-job rule when the whole job fits the wording above. This is an example list, not a legal one:
- Mounting TVs, shelves, mirrors and pictures
- Assembling furniture and flat-pack cabinets
- Patching drywall and interior painting
- Caulking, weatherstripping and sealing
- Repairing doors, locks, screens and windows
- Basic carpentry, trim and small repairs
- Pressure washing and gutter cleaning
Trade work in Alabama
Electrical: Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors licenses electrical contractors and journeyman electricians. Plumbing and gas: Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board. HVAC and refrigeration: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors.
Source: aecb.alabama.gov · checked November 12, 2026
When a permit changes the answer
No - the exemption is based on cost of the undertaking only. Code 34-14A-13 directs building officials to refuse a permit 'for any undertaking which would require a license' unless the applicant shows it is licensed or exempt, so an exempt (<=$10,000) job can still be permitted locally. Permits themselves are issued by municipalities/counties.
Source: hblb.alabama.gov · checked November 6, 2026
Nearby places
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice, so confirm with the office named before you take the job.
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