Which license each job needs in New York City
| Work | Who licenses it | Where to check | NYC firms matched to an active license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations and renovations on 1–4 family homes | DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license and DOB general contractor registration | DCWP Search Business and DOB License Search | 83.1% of 3,139 |
| Structural work, enlargements | DOB general contractor registration (plus the DCWP license on a home) | DOB License Search | 89.9% of 1,658 |
| Plumbing and gas piping | DOB Licensed Master Plumber | DOB License Search | 96.5% of 709 |
| Electrical | DOB Master Electrician | DOB License Search | number shown, status not published (see below) |
| Fire sprinklers | DOB Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor | DOB License Search | not a trade we rank |
| Basements, driveways, fences, garages, patios, pools, sidewalks | DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license | DCWP Search Business | inside renovation above |
| New homes, demolition | DOB general contractor registration | DOB License Search | 95.6% (new homes), 94.8% (demolition) |
DOB's own page for alteration jobs on 1–2 family buildings puts it plainly: "Any alteration to a 1, 2, 3, or 4-family dwelling requires a Home Improvement Contractors (HIC) license" from DCWP "in addition to a General Contractor (GC) license", and "plumbing, sprinkler, electrical, boiler, and/or elevator work permits are issued separately to individual contractors" (NYC DOB, read 22 October 2026). So a kitchen remodel with new plumbing usually has three names to check: the GC, the HIC license holder (often the same firm) and the master plumber.
DCWP's license also tells you about money. To get it, one person must pass the home improvement exam, and the firm either enrolls in the Home Improvement Contractor Trust Fund or posts a $20,000 surety bond naming DCWP (NYC Business, read 22 October 2026).
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Get three things from the quote: the business name, the DCWP license number and, for plumbing or electrical work, the master's license number. Every permit is pulled under a license, so a contractor who cannot give you one is telling you something.
- DCWP: open Search Business (DCWP's Check License page links it; no account needed) and search the name or number. Then scan DCWP's Wall of Shame of unlicensed home improvement contractors.
- DOB: run License Search, pick the license type (General Contractor, Master Plumber, Master Electrician) and check status and disciplinary actions. DOB also publishes disciplinary actions and surrenders and a list of unlicensed or unregistered individuals.
- Track record: open the firm on our NYC renovation list or plumbing list to see its permits, how many reached sign-off and how long they took.
How to search NYC permit records
DOB keeps permits in two systems, and you need both (Find Building Data, read 22 October 2026):
- DOB NOW Public Portal for jobs filed in DOB NOW. No login; search by address, BIN, borough-block-lot or job number. DOB's FAQ says "the Public Portal only reflects DOB NOW filings" and pre-filed jobs do not show.
- BIS property profile for permits and jobs created before DOB NOW, with complaints and violations on the same page.
Those portals answer "what was filed on this building". Our pages answer the other question, "what does this firm's record look like across the city": we join DOB's filings on one- and two-family homes into one list per firm, with the share signed off, days to sign-off and license match, on the NYC permit statistics page and the compare pages.
What 107,397 NYC permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Signed off | Usual days to sign-off | Active-license match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 50,479 | 1,252 | 75.1% | 162 | status not published |
| Solar | 19,067 | 87 | 84.2% | 144 | 75.9% |
| Renovation | 11,805 | 3,139 | 65.1% | 433 | 83.1% |
| Plumbing | 11,396 | 709 | 77.5% | 350 | 96.5% |
| Structural | 6,279 | 1,658 | 43.6% | 805 | 89.9% |
| HVAC | 3,503 | 1,418 | 64.0% | 417 | 86.9% |
| Curb cuts | 2,045 | 607 | 92.7% | 74 | 88.5% |
| Demolition | 1,736 | 349 | 97.3% | 32 | 94.8% |
| New homes | 1,087 | 297 | 20.9% | too few sign-offs | 95.6% |
"Signed off" is the share of permits a year or more old that reached sign-off. Usual renovation permits carried a filed value of $80,000, plumbing $28,000.
Red flags in the NYC record
- A license that matched, but not as active. 502 renovation firms, 181 HVAC firms and 162 structural firms in our file matched a license whose status is not active. Those firms pulled permits in the window; check the license today before you sign.
- A low sign-off share for the trade. Among the 169 renovation firms with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm got 33.1% signed off and the 90th 79.9%. For electricians it runs 43.2% to 88.7%, and 244 of 479 busy electrical firms were under 70%.
- One permit and gone. 49.1% of renovation firms pulled a single permit in three years. That is not a fault on its own, but there is no record to read.
- A firm on DCWP's Wall of Shame, or a contractor who asks you to pull the permit as owner.
See every NYC renovation firm by sign-off share and license →
What this lookup does not tell you
DOB's data shows stale license status for many electricians, so on our electrical pages we show the license number with "status not published"; check it yourself on DOB License Search. We match licenses from DOB's records and DCWP's home improvement file, but a license says the firm may do the work, not how its last job went, and our copy of the permit file updates about monthly. New-home permits sign off slowly (20.9% so far), so do not read a builder's low share as a bad sign without the dates. The state-level picture, including licensing outside the five boroughs, is in How to check a contractor's license in New York.
How we know this
Permits are NYC Department of Buildings permits and DOB NOW filings on one- and two-family homes (NYC Open Data), 2023-10 to 2026-09, grouped into the trades above. "Signed off" uses permits a year or more old; the percentile figures use firms with 10 or more permits. License status is matched from DOB license records and DCWP home improvement contractor licenses. Licensing rules are quoted from DOB, DCWP and NYC Business pages, read 22 October 2026.
Numbers come from NYC Department of Buildings permits and DOB NOW filings on one- and two-family homes (NYC Open Data), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who licenses general contractors in New York City?
Two agencies. The Department of Buildings requires general contractors to register (Administrative Code 28-401.18), and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection licenses home improvement contractors. DOB says any alteration to a 1, 2, 3 or 4-family dwelling needs the DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license in addition to the GC registration.
- How do I check a New York City home improvement contractor's license?
Use DCWP's Search Business tool (linked from nyc.gov/dca under Check License); no account is needed. Then check the name against DCWP's Wall of Shame list of unlicensed home improvement contractors.
- How do I check a New York City plumber or electrician?
On DOB's License Search in the Building Information System, which shows the status of a license, registration or certification and any disciplinary actions. Master plumbers and master electricians are licensed by DOB, and their permits are issued to them separately from the building permit.
- Where do I see the permits on my building?
Search the address on the DOB NOW Public Portal (nyc.gov/dobnow) and on BIS. DOB says the Public Portal only reflects DOB NOW filings, and BIS holds permits and jobs created before DOB NOW, so check both.
- Does a DCWP license mean the contractor is bonded?
It means the firm either enrolled in DCWP's Home Improvement Contractor Trust Fund ($200 enrollment fee) or posted a $20,000 surety bond naming DCWP, according to NYC Business. Neither replaces liability insurance; ask for the certificate.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Know Your Construction Professional — NYC Department of Buildings (2026-10-22)
- Registrant Project Requirements: Alteration, 1-2 family buildings — NYC DOB (2026-10-22)
- License Search — NYC DOB Building Information System (2026-10-22)
- Home Improvement Contractor License — NYC Business (2026-10-22)
- Check License — NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (2026-10-22)
- Wall of Shame: Unlicensed Home Improvement Contractors — NYC DCWP (2026-10-22)
- Find Building Data — NYC DOB (2026-10-22)
- DOB NOW: Public Portal FAQs — NYC DOB (2026-10-22)