Mason Contractor (Residential)
License required by 31 states
39th most burdensome licensing requirements.
35th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
Mason contractors contract with clients to lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, sewers and other structures.
Typically, only contractors require licenses, not the masons 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.
Thirty-one states license mason contractors working on residential properties. On average, states require over a year (380 days) of education and experience, $319 in fees, and about one exam. All in all, 18 states require at least one exam (California requires three). These requirements rank as the 39th most burdensome.
States With Licenses
| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 31 | $1,078 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 2 | Arizona | 31 | $956 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | California | 31 | $579 | 1460 | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | Hawaii | 31 | $615 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Florida | 31 | $364 | 1460 | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 31 | $500 | 1095 | 3 years | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 7 | New Mexico | 31 | $318 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | Maryland | 31 | $433 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 9 | Utah | 31 | $549 * | 733 * | 20 clock hours * | 2 years * | 2 * | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Virginia | 31 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 31 | $50 | 365 | 1 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Michigan | 31 | $286 | 14 | 60 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 13 | Mississippi | 31 | $290 | 67 | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Oregon | 31 | $385 | 3 | 16 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 15 | Louisiana | 31 | $460 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | West Virginia | 31 | $174 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | Rhode Island | 31 | $200 | 1 | 5 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 18 | Alabama | 31 | $403 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | North Dakota | 31 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 20 | Tennessee | 31 | $305 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | D C | 31 | $442 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | North Carolina | 31 | $145 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Alaska | 31 | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Connecticut | 31 | $220 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Washington | 31 | $113 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | New Jersey | 31 | $110 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Arkansas | 31 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Iowa | 31 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Pennsylvania | 31 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Idaho | 31 | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | Nebraska | 31 | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
