Rhode Island contractor registration: painters and power washers are in, and the trade licenses sit with DLT

Rhode Island runs one registration for nearly everyone who works on a building, and its statute names trades that most states leave vague. This page covers what the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB) registers, what it costs, which trades have separate licenses, and what is left out, as of October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice, so check the board and the statute before you bid.

Company formation and taxes are on our Rhode Island startup page. Compare other states in the licensing boards table, and read the basics in how to get a contractor license.

Who has to register with the CRLB?

Under R.I. Gen. Laws 5-65-3, no one may undertake, offer to undertake or bid work as a contractor on a structure without a current certificate of registration. Section 5-65-1 defines a contractor as a person who, for compensation, builds, alters, repairs, improves, moves or demolishes a structure or does work connected with it. The definition reaches appurtenances: garages, carports, porches, patios, decks, docks, sheds, walkways, fencing, driveways, retaining walls, swimming pools, sidewalks, masonry walls and parking lots. A structure means any commercial building or any building with one or more residences.

Subsection (i) of that section lists subcontractors who must hold their own registration when they are not employees of a registered contractor: carpenters, siding installers, roofers, foundation installers, drywall, plaster, insulation and tile installers, flooring, pool installers, masons, hardscape installers, power washers who perform work on structures, and painters. The list says it is not all inclusive.

A corporation or LLC registers as an entity, and the law requires an individual to be designated as responsible for the entity's work. Each business entity needs its own certificate, even if one person owns several.

What is exempt from registration?

Section 5-65-2 lists the exemptions. The ones that matter to a small service company:

• Casual, minor work on one structure where all contracts total less than $500 for labor, materials and everything else. This is lost if you advertise or put out a sign or card suggesting you are a contractor.
• An employee doing work for a registered contractor.
• Work on your own single-dwelling property or on your own residence.
• A person who only furnishes materials and does not fabricate or install them.
• A person licensed by another state agency who works within that license, such as an electrician or plumber, who stays exempt from the chapter except for its insurance requirement.

Lawn mowing and house cleaning are not named in the statute's definition, so ask the board about edge cases before assuming either way. The statute does name power washers who work on structures, so a washing company should not treat itself as clearly outside the registration.

What does registration require?

The fee is $150 for original registration or renewal, under section 5-65-9. The applicant must be 18 or older and must complete 5 hours of pre-registration education for a new application, and 2.5 hours of continuing education on renewal, per section 5-65-5. Applications ask for a government ID, workers' comp account number if applicable, tax account numbers, and the owner's business and residential addresses, and a P.O. box alone is not acceptable. Falsified information is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.

Insurance under section 5-65-7 is public liability and property damage of at least $500,000 combined single limit, plus workers' compensation as required by chapter 29 of title 28. The board gets evidence at registration and renewal, and failing to maintain insurance invalidates the registration and can bring a fine. For how policies fit together see our contractor insurance guide.

What are the advertising and contract rules?

Section 5-65-3(l) requires the registration number to appear in any advertising by the contractor. It prohibits advertising of any form by an unregistered contractor, including directory listings, vehicles and business cards. It also allows a fine of $100 per offense for using the word license in advertising when you are only registered, and the board can discipline for advertising with a license number when only registered. Check your truck lettering, estimates and website for that word.

Work over $1,000 in labor and materials must have a written contract that includes the statutory Notice of Possible Mechanic's Lien. The contractor must also see that building-code permits are secured before work starts, with the registration number on the permit, and must hand the owner the board's summary of the law when work begins.

What are the penalties for working unregistered?

Under section 5-65-10, a violation of 5-65-3 by a nonregistered contractor carries a fine of up to $5,000 for a first offense and up to $10,000 for each subsequent offense. Fraudulent advertising used to entice someone to hire an unregistered contractor can draw up to $10,000. Using another contractor's registration, or letting someone use yours, can draw up to $10,000. The board can also double fines when an investigation finds serious code infractions, unsatisfied mechanic's liens, or abandoned jobs.

The board is a disciplinary body. Its own complaint guidance says it cannot order monetary damages, so a homeowner seeking money beyond what a consent agreement or board order provides generally goes to court. Confirm the current process with the board.

What can towns require?

Section 5-65-3(g) makes the chapter exclusive: no city or town may require or issue contractor registrations or licenses, or charge a fee for regulatory registration of a contractor registered with the board. A town can still levy a general, nondiscriminatory business license fee on all businesses. A town that issues a business license for a regulated business must require a signed statement that you are registered. Building permits require your registration number, and a city or town may not issue a permit to someone required to be registered who is not.

Which trades have their own state licenses?

The mechanical statute also lets a master license holder do sheet metal work when air-handling equipment is 10 tons or less and heating equipment does not exceed 250,000 BTUs. Above those limits the work goes to a licensed sheet metal contractor.

The home inspector path is its own ladder. A full license needs good moral character, a high school diploma or equivalent, a board-approved exam, and either a year as an associate with 100 paid inspections or five years as a registered or licensed contractor in any state. Associates need 50 inspections assisted. The fee is $200 for two years, and the license number must appear on all advertising, proposals, contracts, reports and invoices. See our home inspection startup guide.

For pesticides, the statute caps the commercial applicator license fee at $30 and lets the director require a decal on spraying vehicles. Our pest control license guide covers the national exam picture.

What stays outside these licenses?

Landscaping, lawn care, cleaning, power washing and handyman work are not on Rhode Island's list of taxable services in R.I. Gen. Laws 44-18-7.3, so you generally do not collect sales tax on them. Pet care services are on the list, and they need a retail sales permit. The workers' compensation rule is one employee, with owners and partners exempt and a $1,000-per-day penalty for going without cover, per the Department of Labor and Training employer brochure (July 2025).

A power wash company that stays on cleaning still has a hard line to watch. Once the job touches a structure in a way the law covers, such as replacing deck boards, the registration question is live. Confirm with the board in writing when you are unsure.

Frequently asked questions