Masonry Contractor License Requirements by State (2026 Guide)

Masonry, meaning brick, block, stone, and concrete unit work, sits in a gray zone across the country when it comes to licensing. Some states issue a dedicated masonry contractor classification you apply and test for. Some only require a license once a job crosses a dollar threshold. Some leave masonry to the general contractor license or to city and county rules.

At a glance

• Dedicated classifications: California (C-29), Nevada (C-18), Arizona (C-31), Hawaii (C-31), New Mexico (GS-16) and Utah (S230)
• When it is required: The dollar lines run from $600 in Michigan to $100,000 in Alabama and Tennessee
• Tennessee: LMC license when the masonry portion of a project exceeds $100,000
• California C-29: four years of journey level masonry experience, the Law and Business and C-29 trade exams, a $450 application fee, and a $25,000 contractor bond
• No statewide license: Texas, Georgia, Florida (whose structural masonry category is voluntary) and Illinois

This guide lays out how masonry contractor licensing works state by state, what it takes to qualify, what the boards charge, and how a qualifying agent lets a masonry business operate legally where a license is required. Every figure was checked against the state board, the statute, or the administrative code on September 24, 2026. For the wider picture, see our contractor license pillar and our specialty contractor license guide.

The Big Picture: Three Models

Masonry licensing generally follows one of three patterns:

1. Dedicated specialty classification. California (C-29), Nevada (C-18), Arizona (C-31), Hawaii (C-31), New Mexico (GS-16) and Utah (S230) issue a specific masonry classification with its own scope of work and, in most of them, a trade exam.
2. Threshold based. Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina license by contract value, and masonry falls under that license once a project crosses the state's dollar line. Tennessee sets a separate, higher line for masonry.
3. Local or general contractor based. Texas, Georgia, Florida (whose structural masonry category is voluntary) and Illinois have no mandatory statewide masonry license. You follow city and county rules or work under a broader building license.

Because of this variation, the first question is always "in which state, and at what project value?" For how masonry compares to a related trade, see our concrete contractor license requirements by state guide.

Masonry License Requirements by State (2026)

Every row was checked against the board page or statute listed under Sources on September 24, 2026.

The dollar lines run from $600 in Michigan to $100,000 in Alabama and Tennessee, and even the states with no masonry license still license the company once the contract is big enough. "No masonry license" almost never means "no license."

California, C-29 Masonry License

California issues a dedicated C-29 Masonry classification through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), defined in Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, Division 8, Article 3. A C-29 contractor installs concrete units and baked clay products, concrete, glass and clay block, natural and manufactured stone, terra cotta, and fire brick or other refractory material, for load bearing and non load bearing walls and fences, with or without mortar, plus the waterproofing, cleaning and caulking incidental to masonry. A license is required for any masonry job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and for any job that needs a building permit or uses additional workers regardless of price.

To qualify, you generally need four full years of journey level masonry experience (or experience as a foreman, supervisor or contractor) within the ten years before you file. Up to three of those years can be replaced with technical training, apprenticeship training or education, but at least one year must be practical, hands on experience, and every year must be certified by someone who saw the work: an employer, contractor, foreman, fellow journeyman, union representative, building inspector, architect, engineer or homeowner. Applicants must be 18 or older.

CSLB has contracted with PSI to administer its examinations, so both the Law and Business exam and the C-29 trade exam are taken on a computer at a PSI test center, multiple choice, three and a half hours each. You schedule and pay the testing fee directly with PSI once your application is accepted.

The fees, from CSLB's published schedule: the original application for one classification is $450, the initial license fee is $200 for a sole owner and $350 for any other business type, and an active, on time renewal is $450 for a sole owner and $700 for everyone else. Adding a classification to an existing license costs $230. Before the license issues you file a $25,000 contractor's bond, and if the person qualifying the license is a responsible managing employee or officer rather than an owner, a separate $25,000 bond of qualifying individual is required (waived when the RMO holds 10 percent or more of the company). Proof of workers' compensation coverage or an exemption is required, and the license is issued for two years.

For the broader California system, including the B general building license, see our California contractor license page and our California general contractor license guide.

Tennessee, Threshold Based (LMC and BC-9)

Tennessee licenses by contract value rather than by trade. A contractor's license is required before bidding, offering to engage, or negotiating a price for projects of $25,000 or more as a prime contractor, and the same $25,000 line applies to electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing subcontractors.

The initial application fee is $250, the Business and Law exam is required, and a trade exam is required where the classification calls for one. Applicants also file a reviewed or audited financial statement less than 12 months old, and the license runs two years. Exam administration moved from PSI to Prov on July 1, 2026; PSI finishes only the exams that were already on its calendar, through September 2026, and every new exam is scheduled through Prov.

Masonry has its own, higher line. The Board's classification outline says BC-9 may be used for masonry work below $100,000, including materials and labor, and that when the masonry portion of a project exceeds $100,000 the contractor performing that work must hold the masonry license, including as a subcontractor. State law draws the same line: T.C.A. 62-6-102 requires the masonry license where the total cost of the masonry portion "exceeds one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), materials and labor." That classification is LMC, Licensed Masonry Contractor, and it requires a trade exam.

A masonry sub can install a $90,000 veneer package under a licensed prime without an LMC, but a masonry package over $100,000 needs the LMC in the sub's own name. See our Tennessee contractor license page and our Tennessee general contractor license guide.

Texas and Other States With No Statewide Masonry License

Texas does not issue a statewide general contractor or masonry trade license the way California does. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's program list covers air conditioning, electricians, elevators, industrialized housing and water well drillers, and nothing for general or masonry contractors. Masonry work is governed at the city and county level, and registration requirements can apply through state agencies for certain activities. See our Texas contractor license page.

Georgia licenses residential and general contractors, but O.C.G.A. 43-41-17(f) lets a specialty contractor perform limited, specialty or specific trade work for an owner without that license, as long as any other work is incidental and does not exceed the greater of $10,000 or 25 percent of the contract value. See our Georgia contractor license page.

Florida has no mandatory state masonry license. HB 1383 (2023) required the Construction Industry Licensing Board to create voluntary certified specialty categories, including structural masonry, by January 1, 2024, and the Board now takes applications for the Certified Structural Masonry Specialty Contractor. The same law bars counties and cities from licensing job scopes that do not correspond to a state category, naming decorative stone, tile, marble, granite and terrazzo installation, plastering, stuccoing and caulking among them. See our Florida contractor license page.

Illinois has no statewide masonry license, but Chicago issues a Mason Contractor License in three classes: Class A for all mason work, Class B for all mason work except site formed concrete, and Class C for site formed concrete only. It is issued to a business that owns or employs a supervising mason who passed the city exam, costs $150 for the exam, $150 for the initial license and $150 to renew in 2026, and is valid for one year. See our Illinois contractor license page.

The practical takeaway: never assume masonry is unregulated. Even where there is no state masonry classification, you may still need a general contractor license, a local registration, or to stay under a project value threshold. Thresholds and fees change over time, so confirm the current figure with the board before bidding.

States With a Dedicated Masonry Classification

Nevada grants C-18 Masonry under NAC 624.350: laying brick, baked clay products, stone, artificial stone, precast blocks and structural glass block, with or without mortar. The qualifying individual needs four years of journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor experience within the 15 years before filing (accredited training can cover up to three), passes the Business and Law and trade exams through PSI, pays a $300 application fee and a $600 biennial license fee, files a financial statement, and posts a bond the Board sets between $1,000 and $500,000 by monetary limit. See our Nevada contractor license page.

Arizona issues C-31 Masonry under rule R4-9-102, covering masonry, brick, concrete block, insulating concrete forms, adobe, stone, marble, slate and mortar free masonry products. Under ARS 32-1122 the qualifying party needs four years of practical or management trade experience, at least two within the last ten years, and a written exam taken within two years of applying. ARS 32-1121(A)(14) exempts casual work under $1,000 only when no building permit is required. See our Arizona contractor license page.

Hawaii issues C-31 Masonry contractor with five subclassifications: C-31a cement concrete, C-31b stone masonry, C-31c refractory, C-31d tuckpointing and caulking, and C-31e concrete cutting, drilling, sawing, coring and pressure grouting. The Board requires an applicant to be at least 18, to show four years of supervisory experience within the past ten years with at least three notarized experience certificates, to pass the classification exam, and to carry liability and workers' compensation insurance. See our Hawaii contractor license page.

Utah licenses masonry under S230 Masonry, Siding, Stucco, Glass, and Rain Gutter Contractor. DOPL charges $50 per qualifier plus $175 per classification and requires a 25 hour pre licensure course; the Business and Law exam and the two year (4,000 hour) experience requirement apply to general classifications, and a specialty only applicant skips those sections. See our Utah contractor license page.

New Mexico issues GS-16 Masonry under 14.6.6 NMAC, covering brick, stone, precast blocks, structural glass block and adobe, including building walls, freestanding walls six feet or higher and retaining walls of 36 inches or more, with two years of experience required. See our New Mexico contractor license page.

Louisiana lists Masonry, Brick, Stone as a subclassification of Building Construction. A trade exam through PSI is required, and the commercial license applies to commercial work over $50,000. See our Louisiana contractor license page.

Mississippi has a Masonry, Brick and Stone specialty classification that also covers incidental concrete flatwork. All contractors and subcontractors on commercial jobs over $50,000 need the commercial license, and residential builders need one for new construction over $50,000 or remodeling and additions over $10,000. See our Mississippi contractor license page.

Arkansas lists Masonry as a specialty under the Building classification. A commercial license is required at $50,000 or more (labor and materials) and rests on a qualifying party who passed the business and law or trade exam and must be reported to the board within 30 days if they leave, and a new qualifying party must qualify within 60 days (Rule 230-X-1-.36). Residential work that does not exceed $2,000 is exempt, and masonry is a listed residential specialty. See our Arkansas contractor license page.

North Carolina licenses general contractors at $40,000 or more under GS 87-1 and offers a Specialty classification for Masonry Construction, which the Building and Residential classifications also cover. A limited license allows single projects up to $750,000 on working capital of $17,000 or net worth of $80,000, or a $175,000 surety bond; the intermediate license allows projects up to $1,500,000. See our North Carolina contractor license page.

South Carolina requires a General or Mechanical Contractor license for commercial construction over $10,000, and Masonry is a general contractor classification with no technical exam: the Primary Qualifying Party passes only the SC Business Law and Project Management for Commercial Contractors exam and shows two years of experience within the past five. Group 1 carries a $100,000 bid limit with a $20,000 bond, Group 5 is unlimited with a $350,000 bond, the licensure fee is $350, and licenses expire October 31 in even numbered years. Residential masons register with the Residential Builders Commission for a $100 application fee. See our South Carolina contractor license page.

Virginia treats masonry contracting as a specialty under the commercial building and residential building classifications, and the license class sets the contract size: Class C for contracts over $1,000 but under $30,000, Class B from $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A for $150,000 or more per contract or $1 million or more in 12 months. See our Virginia contractor license page.

Michigan licenses residential masonry as a craft on the Maintenance and Alteration contractor license. MCL 339.2403(f) exempts an undertaking whose aggregate contract price is under $600. Applicants complete 60 hours of approved prelicensure education and pass a PSI administered exam. See our Michigan contractor license page.

Registration States: Washington and Oregon

Washington registers contractors rather than testing them. A masonry business registers as a specialty contractor with a $15,000 bond (general contractors post $30,000), carries liability insurance of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage or a $250,000 combined single limit, and pays a $150.20 application fee. A specialty contractor may work only in its registered specialty and cannot hire subcontractors. See our Washington contractor license page.

Oregon licenses through the Construction Contractors Board by endorsement, and the CCB's own chart uses masonry as its example of a specialty trade. A Residential General Contractor posts a $25,000 bond with $500,000 per occurrence insurance, a Residential Specialty Contractor (one or two unrelated trades, such as masonry and roofing) posts a $20,000 bond with $300,000 insurance, and a Commercial General Contractor Level 1 posts an $80,000 bond with $2 million aggregate insurance and eight years of experience. See our Oregon contractor license page.

Fees and Financial Requirements at a Glance

Exam fees are usually paid to the testing vendor (PSI in California, Nevada, Louisiana, Michigan and South Carolina; Prov in Tennessee since July 1, 2026) and are separate from the board's application fee.

What Masonry Contractors Need Besides a License

Where a masonry license is required, expect the same supporting requirements that apply to other trades: proof of experience, passing a trade exam and usually a business and law exam, a surety bond, and liability insurance (plus workers' compensation if you have employees). Several boards also want a financial statement or a credit report, and every board wants the qualifying individual named on the application. Operating without the required license where one is mandated can bring fines and stop work orders. See our guide on penalties for unlicensed contracting.

Step by Step: How to Get a Masonry Contractor License

1. Find your state's model. Use the table above: dedicated classification, threshold, or local. In a threshold state, add up at least labor and materials for the masonry scope: Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee all count both, and Tennessee's total cost definition since July 1, 2026 also takes in equipment, subcontracted work, overhead, and profit.
2. Confirm the local layer. Cities like Chicago add their own license. Call the building department where the work will happen.
3. Pick the qualifying individual. Every board licenses the company through a person, and that person needs the years the board wants: four in California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii, two in New Mexico and South Carolina.
4. Document the experience. Gather signed certifications from employers, contractors, inspectors or customers who watched the work. Hawaii wants three notarized certificates; California wants a certifier for every year claimed.
5. Apply and pay the application fee. California charges $450, Tennessee $250, Nevada $300, Utah $50 per qualifier plus $175 per classification.
6. Pass the exams. Business and law first, then the trade exam where required (C-29 in California, LMC in Tennessee, C-18 in Nevada, C-31 in Arizona and Hawaii). South Carolina's masonry classification has no technical exam.
7. File the bond, insurance and financials. A $25,000 bond in California, a bond by monetary limit in Nevada, a $15,000 specialty bond in Washington, a reviewed financial statement in Tennessee (or, since July 1, 2026, a continuous surety bond of at least 50 percent of the requested monetary limit under Tennessee Public Chapter 1039), workers' compensation proof nearly everywhere.
8. Renew on time and keep the qualifier in place. Most licenses run two years; Chicago's runs one. If the qualifying individual leaves, the license is at risk, and Arkansas gives you 30 days to name a replacement.

When a Masonry Business Can't Qualify on Its Own

A common situation: a masonry company has skilled crews and steady work but no individual who can personally meet the experience and exam bar for the required license, or it loses its licensed person and can no longer bid the larger jobs that cross the threshold. That is a licensing structure problem, and it has a legal solution, because every board above licenses the company on the strength of a qualifying individual: the qualifier in California, the qualifying party in Arizona and Arkansas, the Primary Qualifying Party in South Carolina.

A qualifying agent is a properly licensed professional whose credential qualifies the contracting company to hold its license. In the model The Licensing Company uses, that person is hired as a genuine W-2, full time employee with documented responsibility for the company's licensed work and real supervision of the projects, never a percentage of revenue deal or a per project arrangement. That lets a capable masonry business legally take on licensed work while the owner builds toward qualifying personally, or keeps a qualified employee in place as the company grows into a second state. Learn more about what a qualifying agent is, see how qualifying agents help contractors operate, bid, and expand legally, or hire a qualifying agent for your masonry company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license to be a masonry contractor?

It depends on the state and often on the project value. California issues a dedicated C-29 masonry license and requires it for any job of $1,000 or more. Tennessee requires the LMC masonry license once the masonry portion of a project exceeds $100,000; Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico and Utah have their own masonry classifications; and states like Texas and Georgia have no state masonry license and regulate it locally or under a general contractor license.

What is a C-29 license?

The C-29 is California's masonry contractor classification, issued by the CSLB. It requires four years of journey level masonry experience within the last ten years, passing the Law and Business and C-29 trade exams at a PSI test center, a $450 application fee, and a $25,000 contractor bond before the license issues.

At what project value does masonry need a license in Tennessee?

Masonry contractors in Tennessee need the LMC license when the total cost of the masonry portion of a project exceeds $100,000 in materials and labor (T.C.A. 62-6-102), higher than the $25,000 line that applies to prime contractors and to the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing trades. Since July 1, 2026, state law also defines total cost to take in equipment, subcontracted work, overhead, and profit, whoever pays for it and whether the work sits under one contract or several (Tennessee Public Chapter 1039, Section 23), so count the whole masonry scope against the line. Below $100,000 a licensed BC-9 building contractor may perform the masonry. Verify the current figure with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.

Does a masonry subcontractor need its own license?

In Tennessee, yes once the masonry portion exceeds $100,000. In Alabama, yes for any subcontract of $100,000 or more. In Mississippi, yes for commercial jobs over $50,000.

In California, every contractor on a job of $1,000 or more needs a license, prime or sub. Washington registers specialty contractors and does not allow them to hire subcontractors at all.

Is a general contractor license enough to do masonry?

Often, yes. Tennessee's BC-9 covers masonry below $100,000, and North Carolina's Building and Residential classifications cover masonry construction. In California a masonry only contract calls for the C-29.

How much does it cost to hire a qualifying agent for a masonry license?

It depends on the state, the classification, and the company structure, so it is quoted privately after a call. See our consultation packages or hire a qualifying agent to start.

Can I do masonry work without a license?

Only where no license is required, for example below a state's project value threshold or in a jurisdiction with no masonry license. Doing licensed level masonry work without the required license can bring fines and stop work orders.

Sources

All retrieved September 24, 2026.

• CSLB, C-29 Masonry classification detail
• CSLB, Before applying for the examination ($1,000 threshold, age, four years)
• CSLB, Qualifying experience for the examination
• CSLB, List of all fees
• CSLB, Issuing my license (bonds, workers' compensation, term)
• CSLB, Examination FAQ (PSI, format, time)
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Contractor license requirements
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Classification outline (LMC, BC-9)
• Tennessee Public Chapter 1039, total cost definition (Section 23) and surety bond alternative (Section 24), effective July 1, 2026
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Programs licensed and regulated
• Nevada Administrative Code 624.350, Classification C-18 Masonry
• Nevada State Contractors Board, General requirements FAQ
• Arizona Administrative Code R4-9-102 (C-31 Masonry)
• Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1122 (qualifying party experience and exam)
• Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1121 (exemptions)
• Hawaii Contractors License Board, Description of contractor license classifications
• Hawaii Contractors License Board, Requirements for license (sole proprietor packet)
• Utah DOPL, Contractor application, all classifications (S230, fees, course)
• New Mexico 14.6.6 NMAC (GS-16 Masonry)
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Exams and classifications
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, FAQ (over $50,000, subcontractors included)
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Classifications
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Frequently asked questions (thresholds)
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Changes to the Code (Act 2024-277, $100,000)
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, New exemptions effective October 1, 2026
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, The Law (cost of the undertaking including labor and materials, $100,000 or more)
• Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Commercial Contractors Licensing Law (revised 04.2026)
• Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Residential Contractors Licensing Law (revised July 2025)
• North Carolina General Statutes 87-1
• North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, Classifications and limitations
• South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board, General information
• South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board, Licensure with the Board
• South Carolina Residential Builders Commission, Residential specialty contractor registration
• Code of Virginia 54.1-1100 (license classes)
• Virginia 18VAC50-22-20 (definitions, masonry contracting)
• Georgia Code 43-41-17 (specialty contractor exemption)
• Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board (categories, structural masonry)
• Florida House staff analysis, CS/HB 1383 (2023)
• Michigan LARA, Maintenance and Alteration contractor license information
• Michigan Compiled Laws 339.2403 (exemptions, $600)
• Michigan LARA, Prelicensure education requirements (60 hours, PSI)
• Washington L&I, Register as a contractor
• Revised Code of Washington 18.27.060 (registration valid for two years)
• Oregon CCB, License endorsement chart (11/2024)
• City of Chicago, Mason Contractor License

Getting Licensed for Masonry, the Right Way

Masonry licensing is a patchwork: a dedicated C-29 in California, a $100,000 masonry line in Tennessee, C-18, C-31, GS-16 and S230 classifications in Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico and Utah, threshold licenses across the South, registration in Washington and Oregon, and city rules in Texas and Illinois. The first step is always confirming what your state and jurisdiction require. Where a license is mandated and no one in your business can personally qualify, a properly structured W-2 qualifying agent is the compliant way to operate.

Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski built The Licensing Company to place qualified professionals as W-2 qualifying agents so capable masonry and construction businesses can operate legally under the right classification in any state. Call 615-219-2110 to talk through your state and your scope, or hire a qualifying agent online and we will map your path.