What can a handyman do in Knoxville, TN?
Tennessee's small-job figure is $25,000. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
Free · No strings attached
Get your full Knoxville, TN handyman report, free
For free site members only. Joining is free: just your email, no card, no password, no paywall.
Get my free Knoxville reportWhat comes to your inbox:
- Your Knoxville, TN city reports: what a handyman can do there, what to charge, with sources
- Your Tennessee licensing guide
- My first steps, in order, and how to get your first 10 customers
- Google Business Profile setup, my tools list and my software stack
- A sample client onboarding package, estimate and invoice (PDF)
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 Knoxville adds
Business located in Knoxville: City of Knoxville business license (Business Tax Office, 400 Main St Ste 453, 865-215-2083) + Knox County business license (County Clerk, 865-215-2392), $15 each; minimal activity license if gross < $100,000. To pull permits: register with City Plans Review & Inspections (permits.knoxvilletn.gov/Register-To-Pull-A-Permit); electrical/gas/mechanical/plumbing work needs a City trade license.
Source link: cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com · knoxcounty.org · knoxcounty.org · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Required
- Name: City of Knoxville business license (standard or minimal activity) AND Knox County business tax license
- Office: City of Knoxville Business Tax Office, 400 Main St Ste 453, (865) 215-2083; Knox County Clerk Business Tax Division, (865) 215-2392
- Fee: $15 application fee each (city and county); minimal activity license if sales < $100,000/yr ($15 renewal)
"A business located inside the city limits will require both a City of Knoxville and a Knox County business license. Based on your expected yearly gross receipts, either a standard business license or a minimum activity license should be obtained. The application fee for each is $15.00."
Source: cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com · checked November 2, 2026
Local contractor or handyman license
Required
- Name: City of Knoxville permit registration / City trade license (Plans Review & Inspections)
- Trigger: Anyone applying for a permit in the City must be associated with a registration; sub-trade permits (electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, low-voltage) require a City trade license first
"The City of Knoxville requires anyone who applies for a permit to be associated with a registration based on their qualifications. Different types of work will require particular registration types, occasionally in conjunction with a State of Tennessee license. ... In order to obtain sub-trade permits for properties located within the City of Knoxville, you must first obtain a City trade license."
Source: permits.knoxvilletn.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 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.
Free site members only
Your full Knoxville, TN report: free, no strings attached
Fill this in to join free and your package comes to your inbox. One-click unsubscribe in every email.