Drywall Installation Contractor (Commercial)
License required by 25 states
25th most burdensome licensing requirements.
58th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
Drywall installation contractors, also known as hanger contractors, contract with clients to apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings and apply or mount acoustical tiles or blocks, strips or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings and walls of buildings to reduce or reflect sound. The materials may be of decorative quality. The category includes lathers who fasten wooden, metal or rockboard lath to walls, ceilings or partitions of buildings to provide a support base for plaster, fireproofing or acoustical material.
Typically, only contractors require licenses, not the drywall installers who work for them. In some states, licensing requirements differ based on the setting. Those with a residential license may work only on residential properties, while those with a commercial license may work on commercial properties. Other states require the same license regardless of the setting, and this report records that license in both settings. Many states have contract minimums before the contractor’s license applies. See Appendix B for details.
Twenty-five states license drywall installation contractors working on commercial properties. Eleven states require between two and five years of experience working under a licensed contractor. Alabama and Mississippi require completion of three contracted jobs. Twelve states require no experience. On average, states require 517 days of education and experience, $365 in fees ($983 in Nevada), and one exam. These high barriers give commercial drywall installation contractors the 25th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
States With Licenses
| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 25 | $180 | 1825 | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | California | 25 | $579 | 1460 | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | Nevada | 25 | $983 | 1460 | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | Hawaii | 25 | $615 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Florida | 25 | $364 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Oregon | 25 | $410 | 1463 | 16 clock hours | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Arizona | 25 | $906 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | New Mexico | 25 | $318 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 9 | Utah | 25 | $549 * | 733 * | 20 clock hours * | 2 years * | 2 * | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Virginia | 25 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 25 | $250 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Mississippi | 25 | $640 | 67 | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Alabama | 25 | $492 | 67 | 3 Jobs, Contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Louisiana | 25 | $460 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | Rhode Island | 25 | $200 | 1 | 5 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 16 | D C | 25 | $655 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | North Dakota | 25 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 18 | Tennessee | 25 | $305 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | North Carolina | 25 | $145 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | West Virginia | 25 | $132 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Alaska | 25 | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | Washington | 25 | $113 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Iowa | 25 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Idaho | 25 | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Nebraska | 25 | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
