Nevada contractor licenses: which trades are licensed, and the $1,000 line

Nevada runs contractor licensing from a single place. If your work builds, repairs or installs something permanent on a customer's property, the State Contractors Board is almost always the office that decides whether you need a license. A few trades that touch chemicals, inspections or sewage sit with other agencies, and the rest, such as mowing and cleaning, have no state contractor license at all. This page walks through each group so you know which door to knock on first. The facts below were read from Nevada's statutes and agency documents in October 2026, and the list at the bottom links each one.

One board licenses construction, including plumbing and electrical

Many states split electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors into their own boards. Nevada does not. Under NRS 624.700, it is unlawful to act as a contractor or to submit a bid on a Nevada job without an active license, unless an exemption applies. The Contractors Board issues the license for the whole range of trades.

The Board sorts licenses into three branches under NRS 624.215: general engineering (class A), general building (class B) and specialty (class C). A single license can also be held as class AB. The trade lists sit in the Nevada Administrative Code. The ones that matter most to a home-service owner are below.

The Board's own page puts the C group at 42 specialty subclassifications, and the code text is on the Legislature's NAC 624 page. A residential remodeler who wants to do kitchens and baths needs to read the B-7 limits and then check which C trades the job pulls in, because a plumbing or electrical task inside a remodel still sits under its own classification.

What does the $1,000 exemption cover?

Handymen ask about this one most. NRS 624.031 exempts repair or maintenance work on property when the value is less than $1,000, labor and materials together. The exemption disappears when any of these is true:

• a building permit is required for the work,
• the work is the kind a plumbing, electrical, refrigeration, heating or air-conditioning contractor does,
• the work is in a classification the Board has marked as significantly affecting public health, safety and welfare,
• the job is part of a larger project worth $500 or more, or smaller contracts were split up to dodge the law, or
• the worker is a licensee or a licensee's employee.

The same section exempts a property owner who builds or improves a home for their own use, provided it is not meant for sale or lease. Selling or leasing the home within one year of completion creates a presumption that the owner built it to sell. Owners who want the exemption apply to the Board for it.

There is a quieter rule in NRS 624.720. Even an exempt person may not advertise as a contractor without a license. Anyone unlicensed who advertises construction work must say in the ad that they are not licensed under the chapter. A handyman ad with no such statement is a problem even if every job stays under $1,000.

What happens if you work without a license

Nevada's consequences are written into the statute, and they are not small.

• The contract is void. Under NRS 624.700, a bid or contract made in violation is void from the start. That puts your ability to collect on the job at risk.
• Fines. NRS 624.710 lets the Board fine $1,000 to $50,000 for each violation, in addition to other penalties, and the fines go to the Construction Education Account.
• Prosecution and costs. A conviction can carry court costs, the Board's investigation costs, and damages up to the amount of your gain.
• Phone numbers. If the Board holds a hearing and finds unlawful advertising, it can order the phone number in the ad disconnected. If you fail to comply within 5 days, it can ask the Public Utilities Commission to order the carrier to disconnect it. This matters if you run ads that print a tracking number.

The route to a Nevada contractor license

For a full license, NRS 624.260 requires at least 4 years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the classification you want, within the 15 years before you apply. Training at an accredited college or equivalent program can cover up to 3 of those years. The Board also looks at financial responsibility, good character and background, and the work is capped by a monetary limit on your license that you can ask the Board to raise.

The state also created a lighter route in NRS 624.244: a restricted license for work within the scope and monetary limit set on that license. An applicant needs at least 2 years of trade experience and a business counseling course completed within the prior year, and must file a surety bond or cash deposit. Ask the Board whether your classification qualifies, because the restricted license is new enough that its details can change.

Nevada homeowners also have a safety net. Licensed residential contractors pay into a Residential Recovery Fund, described on the Board's page. For a deeper look at how experience, exams and bonds usually work across states, read our guide to getting a contractor license.

Pest control and lawn spraying: the Department of Agriculture

Applying pesticides for hire is not a Contractors Board matter. NRS 555.280 bars a person from engaging in pest control for hire or profit without an applicator license, and bars a person or business from operating a pest control business without a business license. Both come from the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

The Department's commercial pest control licensing guide says licensing runs through three fields: aerial, agricultural ground, and urban and structural. The most common categories are Limited Landscape (C1) and Industrial and Institutional (C2), both in the urban and structural field. Its other points that matter to a new company:

• Each category needs a designated Primary Principal, who needs either 2 years of verified experience in the category or 6 months plus 16 college credits in biological sciences, with at least 9 on pest control.
• The Department lists a business license fee of $250 and $50 each for principal, operator and agent licenses, and a $50 fee per exam, as the guide read in October 2026.
• The Department does not waive testing for operators licensed in other states.
• Your insurer must send a Nevada certificate of insurance before the business license is issued.
• Principals are fingerprinted, and the background check is valid for 90 days.

Our national piece on the pest control license path explains the general pattern.

Home inspection and septic pumping

Home inspectors are certified by the Real Estate Division under NRS and NAC chapter 645D. For a residential inspector certificate, NAC 645D.210 asks for 40 hours of approved classroom instruction in structural inspection, a Division-approved exam, observation of at least 25 inspections, a high school diploma or equivalent, and a sample inspection report that meets the code's standards. An inspector from another state who held an equivalent certificate can submit 25 reports completed in the prior 2 years in place of the observations, if the Division finds them complete. NRS 645D.200 also requires proof of an insurance policy for the inspector or the employer.

Septic tank pumping is a health permit, not a contractor license. NAC 444.823 makes the permit valid for 1 year, and NAC 444.822 says you must amend the permit before using a vehicle or tank that is not listed on it. Building or installing a septic system is construction work, and the Board's C-27 individual sewerage classification is the place to check.

Trades with no state contractor license

NAC 624 has no classification named for mowing, house cleaning, pressure washing or junk removal, so a company that only does those jobs does not appear to need a Contractors Board license. Two cautions apply. First, a job that grows into repair or construction, such as replacing fence boards or rebuilding a deck, can cross into licensed work. Second, you still need the ordinary business paperwork. The Department of Taxation covers sales tax, and the Secretary of State covers the state business license, which the Secretary of State lists at $200 for most entities other than corporations and $500 for corporations (see our Nevada startup page for fees, workers' comp and tax). Also remember NRS 624.035: any county or incorporated city may require an additional contractor license within its borders, so confirm with your city before you hang a sign.

What this means for your website and ads

Because NRS 624.720 requires licensed contractors to include the company name and license number in all advertising, your website header, footer, Business Profile and yard signs need that number if you hold a license. If you do not, any page that advertises construction work must state that you are not licensed. We cover the wider set of state rules for web, phone and email on our Nevada website, phone and email rules page.

Nothing here is legal advice, and it reflects the sources as read in October 2026. Fees, thresholds and classifications change. Confirm with the State Contractors Board before you bid, and see how other states differ in the licensing boards table.

Frequently asked questions