What can a handyman do in Fentress County, TN?
Tennessee's small-job figure is $25,000. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
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Contractor license required prior to contracting/bidding 'projects $25,000 or more' (i.e., under $25,000 = no state contractor license; $25,000 is NOT exempt). Masonry: $100,000 or more. Home Improvement license (in the 9 adopting counties only): residential remodeling 'from $3,000 to $24,999' / '$3,000 to less than $25,000'. Outside those counties, residential work under $25,000 needs no state general license. Subcontractors bidding to a contractor (not owner) for painting, drywall, carpentry, landscaping need no contractor license; electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing subs need one over $25,000.
What counts toward it: labor+materials (Board: home improvement range is 'total cost or contract, including materials and labor'; LLP projects 'including materials and labor'; contractor monetary limit/permit value includes cost of land and profit for BC-A/r)
"A Home Improvement license is required for residential remodeling projects from $3,000 to $24,999; however, this only applies to the counties adopting the law. Currently, this applies to the following counties: Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford, and Shelby."
What Fentress County adds
Local license: Fentress County Business Tax License or Minimal Activity License (gross <= $100,000), $15, County Clerk, 101 Main St South, Jamestown (931-879-8014), for businesses located in the county; official site fentresscountytn.gov. Drop the City of Fentress license.
Source link: fentresscountytn.gov · fentresscountytn.gov · secure.tncountyclerk.com · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Depends
- Name: Fentress County Business Tax License / Minimal Activity License
- Applies when: CONDITIONAL
- Office: Fentress County Clerk, 101 Main St South, Jamestown TN 38556, 931-879-8014
- Fee: $15
"The license fee will be $15 if your business is located within Fentress County in order to obtain your business license or minimal activity license. ... A minimal activity business license is any business that has a gross income of $100,000 or less each year."
Source: fentresscountytn.gov · checked November 2, 2026
See the license and registration details for Fentress County
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 Tennessee
Electrical: Electrical (CE) contractor license for $25,000+; Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) for work under $25,000 per project, only required in municipalities/counties using the State Division of Fire Prevention for permits/inspections (T.C.A. 62-6-102(d), 68-102-150); otherwise local licensing. Plumbing: CMC-A contractor license for $25,000+; Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) for projects under $25,000 including materials and labor where state Fire Marshal inspects (T.C.A. 62-6-401). HVAC: CMC-C contractor for $25,000+; under $25,000 local. No handyman carve-out beyond these thresholds.
When a permit changes the answer
No rule found saying a permit by itself voids the dollar exemption. Board application package: contracting, bidding, or obtaining a permit without a license with proper classification and monetary limit violates T.C.A. 62-6-120 (applies where a license is required). Electrical/plumbing permits under $25,000 may require LLE/LLP or a local license depending on who issues permits.
Source: tn.gov · checked November 2, 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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