Who licenses what in Michigan
| Work | LARA license | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| New homes, additions, whole-house remodels | Residential Builder | Construction, repair, alteration or improvement of a residential structure for pay (Article 24, PA 299 of 1980) |
| Single trades on a house | Maintenance & Alteration Contractor | Only the trades printed on the license (table below) |
| Electrical | Electrical license (Bureau of Construction Codes) | Must correspond to the work |
| Plumbing | Plumbing license (Bureau of Construction Codes) | Must correspond to the work |
| Heating, cooling, ducts | Mechanical contractor license (Bureau of Construction Codes) | Must correspond to the work |
LARA lists thirteen Maintenance & Alteration trades (license information): carpentry, concrete, excavation, insulation work, masonry, siding, roofing, screens and storm sash, gutters, tile and marble, house wrecking, swimming pools and basement waterproofing. "The trades, or crafts for which a maintenance & alteration contractor is qualified to practice are listed on the license." Read the license, not just the name.
How to look a contractor up, step by step
- Ask for a copy of the license. LARA's own advice: "Ask to see a copy of their license, then verify the license by looking it up on the LARA website."
- Open LARA's license lookup (also reached from Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business, where Residential Builder, Electrician, Plumber and Mechanical Contractor all point to it).
- Match the license to the job: a Residential Builder for an addition; an M&A license with "roofing" listed for a roof; an electrical license for the wiring.
- Check LARA's disciplinary action reports for the name ("Look Up a Disciplinary Action Report" on michigan.gov/lara).
- Ask for lien waivers. LARA recommends a signed "waiver of lien" from the contractor, subcontractors and suppliers, because a sub or supplier can lien your home "even if you paid the contract in full".
- In Detroit, look up the address's permits in Accela, as the Detroit building permit search guide shows. Detroit's electrical permit application carries the contractor's State of Michigan license number and expiration date and a Detroit registration number.
Our permit data in Michigan
| Detroit, Oct 2024 – Sep 2026 | Permits |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | 13,739 |
| HVAC | 12,989 |
| Electrical | 9,705 |
| Remodel | 7,119 |
| Roofing | 1,820 |
| All permits | 51,876 |
The business on a Detroit trade permit is not always the licensed contractor of record, so we publish counts, not a contractor ranking. Detroit's permit rules: electrical, plumbing, HVAC and remodel.
Red flags on a Michigan job
- A builder with no Residential Builder or M&A license in LARA's lookup.
- An M&A license whose listed trades do not include the work quoted.
- An electrician, plumber or HVAC contractor whose license type does not match the job.
- A demand to pay the whole job up front; LARA says customarily a third in advance, a third halfway, a third on completion.
- No lien waivers at the final payment.
How we know this
License types, the M&A trade list and LARA's consumer advice are quoted from LARA's Residential Builders and Maintenance & Alteration pages, its Find / Verify page and its May 2017 consumer release, read 25 October 2026. Detroit rules are from BSEED's FAQ and electrical permit application, read 24 October 2026. Counts come from Detroit's public trades and building permit files, read 18 October 2026; we have not matched Michigan contractor names to license records.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Michigan license home builders and remodelers?
Yes. Article 24 of Public Act 299 of 1980 licenses anyone who builds a residential structure, or repairs, alters, adds to or improves one, for pay. LARA issues two licenses for this work, Residential Builder and Maintenance & Alteration Contractor.
- What is a maintenance and alteration contractor in Michigan?
A licensee qualified only in listed trades, namely carpentry, concrete, excavation, insulation work, masonry, siding, roofing, screens and storm sash, gutters, tile and marble, house wrecking, swimming pools and basement waterproofing. The trades are printed on the license, so a roofing-only M&A license does not cover a kitchen.
- Where do I check a Michigan contractor's license?
In LARA's Accela license lookup, linked from michigan.gov/lara under Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business. The same lookup covers residential builders, electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors.
- Who licenses electricians and plumbers in Michigan?
LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes. LARA says electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors "must have a license that corresponds to the work to be done".
- Can a Detroit homeowner pull their own permit?
For a single-family house, yes. BSEED lets homeowners apply for trade permits with proof of ownership, and an owner who will live in the house can do a residential remodel without a licensed builder.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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- Residential Builders — Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes (2026-10-25)
- Maintenance & Alteration Contractor License Information — Michigan LARA (2026-10-25)
- Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business — Michigan LARA (2026-10-25)
- LARA Accela Citizen Access license lookup (2026-10-25)
- Protect Your Home Improvement Projects — Michigan LARA (3 May 2017) (2026-10-25)
- Electrical Permit Application — City of Detroit BSEED (2026-10-24)
- City of Detroit Accela Citizen Access (2026-10-24)
- Buildings Safety Engineering and Environmental Department Frequently Asked Questions — City of Detroit (2026-10-24)