What can a handyman do in Saginaw, MI?
Michigan's small-job figure is $600. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
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MCL 339.2403(f): no license needed for 'A person that is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00.' Strictly LESS THAN $600 (so $600.00 exactly requires a license). Exemption void if the work is part of a larger operation or split into contracts under $600 to evade the act. Other exemptions: owner for own use/occupancy; rental-property owner for maintenance/alteration of own rental; subs working solely under contract with a licensed builder/M&A contractor; licensed electrical/plumbing/mechanical contractors within their trade.
What counts toward it: labor+materials
"A person that is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00."
Source: legislature.mi.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What Saginaw adds
Saginaw requires a City General Business License (Code § 110.37) from the City Clerk for all businesses doing business in the city; get it within 15 days of starting (50% late charge). Nonresident contractors owe Saginaw city income tax on earnings over $750 from work in the city. Building/mechanical permits from the Inspections Division, 1315 S.
Source link: cityofsaginawmi.gov · codelibrary.amlegal.com · saginaw-mi.com · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Depends
- Name: City of Saginaw General Business License (Code of Ordinances § 110.37)
- Applies when: CONDITIONAL
- Office: City Clerk's Office, Saginaw City Hall, 1315 S. Washington Ave (fee paid to Finance Director); fee schedule on file with City Clerk
- Fee: Not stated online (schedule 'on file in the Office of the City Clerk'); 50% late charge if not obtained within 15 days of commencing business; license year June 1 - May 30
"If doing business in the City of Saginaw, all businesses are required to have a City business license. Contact the City Clerk's office for application."
Source: cityofsaginawmi.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 Michigan
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical (HVAC) contractors/journeymen licensed by LARA Bureau of Construction Codes under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (MCL 339.5101 et seq.); licensed electrical/plumbing/mechanical contractors are exempt from builder license for their own trade work (MCL 339.2403(g)-(i)).
Source: legislature.mi.gov · checked November 2, 2026
When a permit changes the answer
No - the statutory $600 exemption is based on aggregate contract price only; MCL 339.2403 contains no permit condition. (Separate permit/licensed-trade rules apply to electrical, plumbing, mechanical work.)
Source: legislature.mi.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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