STATE LICENSE
ConditionalArkansas Contractors Licensing Board / Re…
Framers are licensed by job, not trade. On existing homes, contracting directly with an owner for more than $2,000 requires a Home Improvement license with the 'Carpentry, Framing, Millwork, Cabinets' specialty; framing a new home under contract with the owner is residential building contractor work that requires a Residential Builder license (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 17-25-502, 17-25-505). Non-single-family framing of $50,000 or more requires an ACLB commercial license.
Most framing crews work as subcontractors, and a sub to a licensed residential contractor is exempt from the residential license (§ 17-25-513(4)). The commercial $50,000 line applies to subcontractors as well as primes.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Contractor licensing is state-level through the ACLB and its Residential Contractors Committee; cities and counties issue building permits and inspect. ACLB's application guidance states Arkansas's state-adopted building codes are mandatory statewide minimums, applying even where no local permit or inspection is required.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Arkansas county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
When an owner acts as contractor on its own property, third-party materials don't count toward a wood-framing subcontract (§ 17-25-101(d)(2)).
Contracting directly to construct a new single-family residence is residential building contractor work — a Home Improvement specialty doesn't cover it.
Limited Home Improvement: under $50,000, no balance sheet. Unlimited: compiled balance sheet showing positive net worth.
A practical sequence for a new framing contractor in Arkansas. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Bidding or performing work of $50,000 or more (labor and materials) without a license or registration in the proper classification is a crime, and the Board may also assess a civil penalty after a hearing.
Acting as a residential building or home improvement contractor without the required Residential Contractors Committee license is a crime and draws a per-day civil penalty.
A contractor who works in violation of the licensing law cannot sue to enforce the contract; on residential work quantum meruit is barred too, while a commercial violator may seek unjust enrichment only after paying fines and applying for a license.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Restricted commercial license ceiling: the 10/2026 application limits Restricted (compiled-financial-statement) licensees to projects under $750,000, while Ark. Code Ann. § 17-25-304(a)(2) as compiled in April 2026 allows a compiled statement for single projects under $1,500,000 — the statute is reported here; the conflict is unresolved · Whether a Home Improvement Specialty applicant must pass the Business & Law exam (the 1/2025 application checklist lists no exam step, while the remodeler and builder applications require it) · Actual annual renewal fee charged by ACLB (statute caps it at $100 per year, Ark. Code Ann. §§ 17-25-303(b), 17-25-512; the fee in use was not published on the pages retrieved) · Whether the Contractors Licensing Board or Residential Contractors Committee imposes any continuing-education requirement (none found in the April 2026 statute compilations or current applications)
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.