2nd Edition

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

Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Residential)

License required by 31 states

43rd most burdensome licensing requirements.

36th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.

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

Typically, only contractors require licenses, not sheet metal workers 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 non-HVAC sheet metal contractors working on residential properties. On average, states require nearly a year (356 days) of education and experience, $302 in fees, and about one exam. All in all, 17 states require at least one exam (California requires three). These requirements rank as the 43rd 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 California 31 $579 1460 4 years 3 0 18
3 Hawaii 31 $615 1460 4 years 2 0 18
4 Florida 31 $364 1460 4 years 2 0 18
5 Massachusetts 31 $370 1095 3 years 1 12 17
6 Arizona 31 $906 730 2 years 1 0 18
7 Maryland 31 $433 730 2 years 1 0 18
8 Virginia 31 $320 731 8 clock hours 2 years 1 0 18
9 New Mexico 31 $249 730 2 years 1 0 18
10 Utah 31 $354 * 733 * 20 clock hours * 2 years * 2 * 0 0
11 South Carolina 31 $50 365 1 years 0 0 0
12 Mississippi 31 $290 67 3 jobs, contractors 2 0 0
13 Michigan 31 $286 14 60 clock hours 2 0 18
14 Oregon 31 $385 3 16 clock hours 1 0 18
15 Louisiana 31 $460 0 1 0 0
16 Rhode Island 31 $200 1 5 clock hours 0 0 18
17 North Dakota 31 $125 0 0 0 18
18 Tennessee 31 $305 0 1 0 0
19 D C 31 $442 0 0 0 0
20 North Carolina 31 $145 0 1 0 0
21 West Virginia 31 $132 0 1 0 0
22 Alabama 31 $350 0 0 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

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