STATE LICENSE
ConditionalMichigan LARA — Bureau of Construction Co…
The Maintenance & Alteration license lists 12 crafts — carpentry, concrete, swimming pools, basement waterproofing, excavation, insulation, masonry, roofing, siding and gutters, screens and storm sash, tile and marble, and house wrecking. Painting is not among them, so there is no painting craft to apply for.
The catch is the definition: an M&A contractor is anyone who, for compensation, undertakes the 'repair, alteration, or addition to, subtraction from, improvement of' a residential structure (MCL 339.2401(b)). LARA's FAQ says the bureau will not determine whether a given job needs a license. A residential painter taking on $600+ projects that go beyond paint should treat licensure as a live question; commercial painting has no state license.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
With no state painting license, any requirement for paint-only work is local. If the work crosses into licensed residential repair or alteration at $600+, the state Article 24 license and local building permits apply.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Michigan 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.
An M&A applicant must choose from the 12 listed crafts; painting is not one of them. The Residential Builder license is the only Article 24 credential not limited by craft.
The bureau's FAQ states it does not determine whether an individual needs a license and suggests consulting an attorney.
Drywall repair, trim carpentry, or siding replacement folded into a paint job are repair or alteration work; carpentry and siding are licensed crafts at $600+.
A practical sequence for a new painting contractor in Michigan. 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.
If the work is found to require an Article 24 license, a first offense is a misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum fine.
Work that required a license cannot be collected on in court or secured by a lien if performed unlicensed.
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: Whether residential paint-only work of $600+ is 'improvement' requiring a Residential Builder license — no official LARA guidance found · Whether painting and decorating was formerly an M&A craft removed by amendment (MCL 339.2404 was last amended by 2010 PA 151) · Michigan lead-safe renovation (RRP) certification for pre-1978 housing — LARA links lead-safety information but it was not reviewed for this record
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.