2nd Edition

By Dick M. Carpenter II, Ph.D., Lisa Knepper, Kyle Sweetland and Jennifer McDonald

Paving Contractor (Commercial)

License required by 24 states

28th most burdensome licensing requirements.

66th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.

Paving contractors contract with clients to apply concrete, asphalt or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways, or to tamp gravel, dirt or other materials.

Typically, only contractors require licenses, not the paving equipment operators 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-four states license paving contractors working on commercial properties. Ten 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 508 days of education and experience, $365 in fees ($1,078 in Nevada), and one exam. These high barriers give commercial paving contractors the 28th 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 24 $180 1825 5 years 1 0 0
2 Nevada 24 $1,078 1460 4 years 2 0 18
3 California 24 $579 1460 4 years 3 0 18
4 Hawaii 24 $615 1460 4 years 2 0 18
5 Arizona 24 $836 1460 4 years 1 0 18
6 Oregon 24 $385 1463 16 clock hours 4 years 1 0 18
7 New Mexico 24 $318 730 2 years 2 0 18
8 Virginia 24 $320 731 8 clock hours 2 years 1 0 18
9 South Carolina 24 $310 730 2 years 2 0 0
10 Utah 24 $477 * 733 * 20 clock hours * 2 years * 1 * 0 0
11 Mississippi 24 $640 67 3 jobs, contractors 2 0 0
12 Alabama 24 $502 67 3 jobs, contractors 2 0 0
13 Louisiana 24 $460 0 2 0 0
14 Rhode Island 24 $200 1 5 clock hours 0 0 18
15 North Dakota 24 $125 0 0 0 18
16 D C 24 $655 0 0 0 0
17 Tennessee 24 $305 0 1 0 0
18 North Carolina 24 $145 0 1 0 0
19 West Virginia 24 $132 0 1 0 0
20 Alaska 24 $300 0 0 0 0
21 Washington 24 $113 0 0 0 0
22 Iowa 24 $50 0 0 0 0
23 Idaho 24 $35 0 0 0 0
24 Nebraska 24 $0 0 0 0 0

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