Journey 14 · Running a businessbeginningbuildinggrinding
Get Licensed, Insured & Bonded
“A customer asked for my licence number and proof of insurance and I had neither.”
You become: Someone who can bid on work the unlicensed guy can't
Licence, general liability, workers' comp, and a surety bond. Slow, unglamorous, full of waiting — and the exact reason you can charge more than the cash-only competition.
Understand
What your trade, state, county and city each require of you.
Practice
Working through agencies, underwriters and waiting periods.
Create
A licensed, insured, bondable business.
Evidence
A licence number, a certificate of insurance, and a bond you can name.
Find out what applies to you
Requirements stack: state, county and city can each want something different. Map all three before you apply for any.
- Understand1h 30m
Map all three levels of licensing
Three searches, three answers written down. (1) '[state] contractor licence [trade]' — the state board, the classification you need, and the dollar threshold above which a job legally requires a licence. (2) '[county] contractor registration'. (3) '[city] business licence' — almost every city wants one regardless of trade, and it is usually the cheapest and most forgotten. Note the fee and the renewal month for each.
You’ll have:A three-row table: level, requirement, fee, renewal month.
- Understand45m
Check the qualifying-experience rules before you apply
Most trade licences require documented experience — commonly two to four years, verified by a former employer or a licensed contractor who will sign for you. Find out exactly what proof your board accepts and who has to sign it. This is the step that adds months when discovered late, because the person who has to sign for you may be an ex-boss you now need to call. Find out today whether you already qualify.
You’ll have:A written answer on whether you qualify now, and who signs your experience.
- Practice30m
Book the exam, if there is one
Many trades require a trade exam and a separate business-and-law exam. Book them now, even if the date scares you — an unbooked exam is a licence that never happens, and the seats fill weeks out. Order the study material the board actually references while you're on the page. The business-and-law paper is the one people fail; it's about liens, contracts and payroll, not about your trade.
You’ll have:A booked exam date, and the official study material ordered.
8 more actions · 8h 15m of work
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Get covered
Insurance is what makes you hireable. Get quotes before you need to send a certificate to someone.
- Practice1h 30m
Get three general liability quotes
- Create45m
Bind the policy and get the certificate
- Understand1h
Settle the workers' comp question in writing
- Understand45m
Add commercial auto if you drive to jobs
Get bondable
A bond is not insurance for you — it's a guarantee to your customer. Knowing the difference is half of it.
- Understand30m
Understand what a bond actually does
- Create1h
Get bonded to the amount your board requires
- Create2h
Submit the licence application
- Evidence45m
Put the numbers everywhere and diarise every renewal