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Which Contractors Need a License in New Hampshire?

Updated 2026-10-10 · 5 min read

NH has no state general contractor license, but electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, well drillers and asbestos contractors need one. Here's how to check.

The short answer

New Hampshire does not have a state license for general contractors. The NH Insurance Department says so directly in its advice to homeowners, and a 2015 Attorney General's office release said that NH does not license home contractors. That generally means remodelers, roofers, painters, carpenters and most other home improvement trades don't hold a state license for that work. Anyone can call themselves a builder.

Some trades are licensed by the state because the work is a safety risk. Most of them are overseen by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), and a few by the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). If your project includes any of the work below, the person doing it generally needs the right state license or permit. The laws do have exceptions, including limited ones for homeowners working on their own homes, which are covered below.

Electrical work: licensed electricians (OPLC Electricians' Board)
Plumbing: licensed plumbers (OPLC Mechanical Licensing Board)
Gas piping and gas appliances: licensed fuel gas fitters (OPLC Mechanical Licensing Board)
Drilling or digging a well, or installing a well pump: licensed water well contractors and pump installers (NH Water Well Board, through NHDES)
Removing asbestos: licensed asbestos abatement contractors (NHDES)
Septic systems: designers and installers who hold NHDES permits (see our septic system guide)
Paid work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 homes: generally an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm (a federal rule, not a state license; see our lead paint guide)

Electricians

Under RSA 319-C, electrical work generally has to be done by a licensed electrician. The law lists exceptions in RSA 319-C:3, mostly for utilities, industrial plants and similar settings, plus the homeowner exception described below. The law defines electrical installations broadly: installing, repairing, altering or maintaining wiring, devices and fixtures for heating, lighting or power. Plugging a portable appliance into an outlet doesn't count. OPLC's Electricians' Board page says a license is required to work with 30 volts or higher.

The Electricians' Board licenses apprentice, journeyman, master and high/medium voltage electricians, and apprentices must register with OPLC. Under the law, apprentices work under the direct supervision of a master or journeyman electrician, and journeymen must be employed by a licensed master electrician or a licensed electrical business.

Homeowner exception: RSA 319-C:15 says the law doesn't prevent a homeowner from doing electrical work in or about a single-family home they own and live in, or will live in as their own residence. The work still has to meet code, and your town may require a permit and inspection. Manchester, for example, says the resident homeowner must do the work personally and get an electrical permit. The exception is written for a single-family home you own and occupy, so it doesn't cover work on someone else's property. If your situation is different, such as a house with a rental unit, check with OPLC and your town first.

Plumbers and gas fitters

Plumbers and fuel gas fitters are licensed by the Mechanical Licensing Board. Plumbing licenses come in trainee, journeyman and master levels. Gas fitter licenses include a trainee level and are split by type of work: installation, service, piping, domestic appliance, and hearth system installation and service. Oil heating technician licensing is voluntary.

Homeowner exceptions are in RSA 153:36. Under that section, a property owner can do plumbing in their own single-family detached home or townhouse without a plumbing license, and can make minor installations, repairs or replacements on their own property, as long as the work meets the state plumbing code. Gas work is stricter. The gas fitting exception covers only an existing single-family, stand-alone home that the person doing the work owns, lives in and uses as their primary residence. That work must still follow the applicable technical standards and any code, permit and inspection requirements.

If you're unsure, it's wise to hire a licensed pro for anything involving gas. Find one in our plumbers and HVAC listings.

Wells, asbestos and other specialty work

Well drilling and pump installation: anyone in the business of building wells or installing water well pumps must be licensed by the NH Water Well Board. The board notes that licensed plumbers and electricians can repair and service well pumps, but need a pump installer license to install or replace one. NHDES has an online search for licensed well and pump contractors.

Asbestos: according to NHDES, the state requires a certified asbestos inspector to inspect a property before a renovation or demolition project begins. If the project will disturb asbestos, the property owner must hire a state-licensed asbestos contractor. NHDES also says homeowners who live in a single-family home can do asbestos abatement in their own home. They are exempt from many of the state rules but still have to wet the material, keep disturbance to a minimum, and properly package, label, document, transport and dispose of the waste.

Design professionals: OPLC also licenses architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects, home inspectors and septic system evaluators. You may need one of them for structural work, additions, property line questions or a home purchase. See the full OPLC board list.

How to check a contractor's license

OPLC has a free online license lookup. Search by profession, license type, name or license number and confirm three things: the license is active, it's the right type for the job (a journeyman electrician, for example, should be employed by a master electrician or a licensed electrical business), and the name matches the person or company you're hiring.

For well and pump contractors and asbestos contractors, use the NHDES search tools linked from the Water Well Board and asbestos pages. For lead-safe renovation firms, use EPA's search linked from its RRP program page.

No license? Check insurance, references and permits instead

For unlicensed trades like general contracting, roofing, painting and carpentry, insurance and a track record matter most. The NH Insurance Department advises getting a certificate of liability insurance issued directly by the contractor's insurance company or agent, and points out that being licensed and being insured are separate things. It also notes that NH law requires contractors with one or more employees to carry workers' compensation insurance.

Be wary of any contractor who asks you to pull the permit in your own name. The Insurance Department lists this among the situations that may point to gaps in coverage or added risk. Our contractor hiring checklist covers contracts, deposits and red flags, and our building permit guide explains how permits work in NH towns.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Licensing laws change, so confirm current requirements with OPLC or the agency involved.