Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Commercial) Licensing

States Licensed

26

of 50 states and D.C.

×

Burden Rank

20th

for average burdens 1st is worst

=

Combined Rank

51st

for states licensed x average burdens 1st is worst

VT NH MA CT RI NJ DE DC MD
Change from 2017 to 2022, if any:
↑
Burden increased
↓
Burden decreased
↕
Mixed burden change
N
New license
E
Eliminated license
2022 Licensing Burden Rank
Lower Burden Rank
Higher Burden Rank
No state license

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Definition

Non-HVAC sheet metal contractors contract with clients to fabricate, assemble, install and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as kitchen equipment, drainpipes, gutters, cornices and flashings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks or forms using a hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; and inspecting, assembling and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. 1 See Appendix B for details on how we observed contractor occupations.

2022 Snapshot

  • 25 unlicensed states
  • Days lost range from 0 (11 states) to 1,825 (Massachusetts)
  • Fees range from $0 (Nebraska) to $1,040 (Nevada)
  • 17 states require 1+ exam
  • 12 states set minimum age
  • 1 state sets minimum grade

Changes Since 2017

  • No licenses created or removed
  • Fees changed most often and usually increased; Arkansas and Utah decreased days lost to education and experience, while Louisiana raised them
  • Burden rank stayed the same, largely because of burden changes in similarly ranked occupations; combined rank improved 2 spots, driven by substantial education and experience reductions

2022 Licensing Burden in Detail

N New License
E Eliminated License
Increase
Decrease

Data Notes: 2022 data collected between February 3, 2020, and March 18, 2022. Fees include charges for application review and license issuance; exams; background checks, credit reports and fingerprinting; recovery fund contributions; third-party certification; and certain fees for training courses. Calendar days lost were estimated based on required education and experience; except for amounts smaller than one day, days lost are rounded to whole days and thus may not reflect very small changes between 2017 and 2022. Appendix A details methods for estimating days lost and calculating burden ranks. Complete data, including revised 2017 data, are available at https://ij.org/report/license-to-work-3/ltw3-data/.

Additional Resources