STATE LICENSE
NoneSee what applies
No Missouri statute licenses framers. Framing is normally done under a building permit pulled by the general contractor or owner, inspected by the local building department under the locally adopted code. Where a city licenses residential builders — Kansas City's Residential Building Supervisor certificate and contractor license, for example — a framing sub may need the city's contractor license to pull its own permits.
Missouri law treats framing crews as construction employers: workers' compensation is mandatory at one employee (RSMo § 287.030). A framer contracting directly with the owner is an original contractor who must give the § 429.012 notice to owner before taking payment to keep lien rights.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Missouri has no statewide contractor license for this trade, so the rules that matter are local: home-rule cities and charter counties set their own contractor licensing, business licensing and permit requirements. Kansas City, for example, requires a city business license, a Certificate of Qualification held by the trade supervisor, and a contractor license before it issues permits.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Missouri 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.
Missouri issues no state framing license, so the state-fee line is genuinely $0. Your costs are local licenses, permits and insurance.
Most Missouri employers need five employees before workers' compensation applies; construction employers need only one (RSMo § 287.030.1(3)).
Framing usually rides on the GC's building permit; if you contract directly with an owner, check whether the city requires your own license to pull it.
A practical sequence for a new framing contractor in Missouri. 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.
An employer who knowingly fails to insure its workers' compensation liability commits a crime and owes the state a separate money penalty; a repeat offense is a felony.
Giving the § 429.012 notice is a condition precedent to any mechanic's lien; omitting it with intent to defraud is a crime, and a fraudulent lien waiver or false affidavit is a felony.
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: Specific contractor-licensing requirements of St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Springfield and Columbia (not retrieved from those governments' sites) · Kansas City's business-registration guidance describes a workers' compensation certificate for construction companies with 5 or more employees; RSMo § 287.030.1(3) covers construction employers with one or more employees — the city page appears to state the general (non-construction) threshold
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.