Which license each job needs in Scottsdale
| Work | ROC license to look for | Scottsdale permits | Firms | Usual filed value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New home, addition, guest house, whole remodel | General residential (or dual) | new homes 1,052, additions 807, remodels 520 | 310, 595, 413 | $846,861, $81,012, $37,427 |
| Pools and spas | Specialty residential (pools), or general residential | 1,820 | 372 | $31,644 |
| Plumbing, water heaters | Specialty residential (plumbing) | plumbing 3,124, water heaters 1,026 | 689, 49 | not filed |
| Electrical | Specialty residential (electrical) | 2,607 | 717 | not filed |
| Solar | Specialty residential covering solar | 1,644 | 157 | not filed |
| AC, heat pumps | Specialty residential (air conditioning) | 1,642 | 82 | not filed |
| Patio covers, fences, walls | General residential or the matching specialty | patio 454, fence and wall 620 | 214, 311 | $20,733, $7,628 |
Arizona law (A.R.S. 32-1102) separates "General residential contracting" (any home or appurtenance "including swimming pools on or within residential property lines") from "Specialty residential contracting" (one trade within residential property lines), and both from commercial classes. The ROC tells you to "Make certain the contractor's license class allows for the work listed in the contract." A pool license does not cover a kitchen, and a commercial-only license does not cover a house.
The handyman line is $1,000. Someone without a license may take a job only if "the aggregate contract price, including labor, materials and all other items" is under $1,000 and the work is "of a casual or minor nature". The exemption is lost if the work needs a building permit, is part of a larger job or split to dodge the rule, involves gas connections or fire safety, or the person advertises without the words "not a licensed contractor" (A.R.S. 32-1121, read 22 October 2026). Every row in our file is a permit, so every one of these jobs needed a licensee.
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Get the ROC license number from the quote.
- Search it on the ROC's Contractor Search. Check the name matches the company on your contract, the class is residential or dual, and its scope covers your job.
- Call the number on the ROC record, not the one on the flyer. The ROC's lines are (602) 542-1525 and 877-692-9762 toll free.
- Ask for a liability certificate. The ROC says it "does not require an entity to possess insurance to be licensed".
- Track record: open the firm on our Scottsdale pool list, plumbing list or addition list.
How to search Scottsdale permit records
Scottsdale changed systems this year. The City says "on Jan. 6, 2026, we transitioned to the new Scottsdale SPUR portal"; projects from that date are in SPUR, and earlier ones stay on the eServices tools, "many of these items will be phased out as projects are completed or migrated to SPUR" (Planning and Permitting Portal, read 22 October 2026). For permits before 2026:
- Building Permit Search: by permit number, street number and name, subdivision, lot, owner or builder name, or APN.
- Property Information: an address or parcel number gives "permit history, plan reviews, cases, and property records".
- Document Search for permits, certificates of occupancy and site plans.
The City's records page adds that "Building plans are destroyed 180 days after completion or expiration"; the records office is on 480-312-2356 (Records). Our Scottsdale file ends in December 2025, the month before the switch.
The City's tools are organised by property. Ours is organised by firm: each firm's Scottsdale permits over three years and the share finaled, on the Scottsdale permit statistics page and the compare lists.
What 15,956 Scottsdale permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Finaled | Firms with one permit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 3,124 | 689 | 82.1% | 61.5% |
| Electrical | 2,607 | 717 | 71.4% | 67.6% |
| Pools and spas | 1,820 | 372 | 83.3% | 51.9% |
| Solar | 1,644 | 157 | 76.4% | 40.8% |
| HVAC | 1,642 | 82 | 59.8% | 80.5% |
| New homes | 1,052 | 310 | 89.4% | 62.6% |
| Water heaters | 1,026 | 49 | 50.1% | 73.5% |
| Additions | 807 | 595 | 64.3% | 78.0% |
| Fences and walls | 620 | 311 | 45.8% | 79.7% |
| Remodels | 520 | 413 | 66.9% | 82.1% |
"Finaled" is the share of permits a year or more old with a recorded final.
Most Scottsdale firms show up rarely: 82.1% of remodel firms and 78.0% of addition firms pulled one permit in three years, so for a remodeler the ROC record and references carry more weight than our record can. Trades are different. Among the 26 electrical firms with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm finaled 47.3% and the 90th 92.5%; 10 were under 70%. Pool builders run 72.1% to 93.1%.
See every Scottsdale pool builder by finaled share →
Red flags in Scottsdale
- No ROC number on the bid, or a number that returns a different company.
- A commercial-only or wrong-specialty class on a home job, such as a pool license on a firm bidding the whole backyard remodel with a casita.
- A "handyman" quoting $1,000 or more, or any job that needs a permit or a gas connection.
- "Licensed, bonded and insured" with no ROC number. The ROC says ads and directory listings are not a check; the record is.
- A big job relying on the Recovery Fund. It pays at most $30,000 a claimant (A.R.S. 32-1132.01); the usual Scottsdale addition permit alone carries $81,012.
What this lookup does not tell you
We have not matched Scottsdale permits to the ROC's license file, so our Scottsdale pages show no license status: check it on the ROC. Our file ends in December 2025, so recent work is missing; trade permits carry no filed value, and we do not publish days to final for Scottsdale. A license says the firm may work, not how its last job went. Statewide rules and penalties are in How to check a contractor's license in Arizona.
How we know this
Permits are City of Scottsdale building permits on homes, 2023-01 to 2025-12, grouped into the trades above. "Finaled" uses permits a year or more old; the percentile figures use firms with 10 or more permits. No license status is shown for Scottsdale firms. Statutes are quoted from the Arizona Legislature's site, and ROC and City text from their own pages, read 22 October 2026. The ROC's Contractor Search page blocks automated reading, so its fields are not described here.
Numbers come from City of Scottsdale building permits, data through January 1, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who licenses contractors in Scottsdale?
The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC). Scottsdale issues permits, not contractor licenses. The ROC says the only sure way to know a contractor is licensed is to call it, on (602) 542-1525 or 877-692-9762.
- Does a handyman need a license in Scottsdale?
Not for a job under $1,000 in total that is of a casual or minor nature, unless it needs a building permit, is part of a bigger job or split to dodge the rule, or involves gas connections or fire safety. An unlicensed handyman's ads must say 'not a licensed contractor' (A.R.S. 32-1121).
- Does an ROC license mean my Scottsdale contractor is insured?
No. The ROC says it 'does not require an entity to possess insurance to be licensed'. Ask for the liability certificate yourself.
- How much can Arizona's Recovery Fund pay a Scottsdale homeowner?
Up to $30,000 per claimant (A.R.S. 32-1132.01), and up to $200,000 in total on one residential license, per the ROC. It covers residential licenses only, so a commercial-only license on a home job leaves you outside it.
- How do I search permits on a Scottsdale address?
Projects started on or after 6 January 2026 are in the City's SPUR portal. For earlier ones, use eServices' Building Permit Search (permit number, street, owner or builder name, or parcel number) or the Property Information request, which shows permit history for an address.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Before You Hire — Arizona Registrar of Contractors (2026-10-22)
- A.R.S. 32-1102 Classification of contractors (2026-10-22)
- A.R.S. 32-1121 Persons not required to be licensed (2026-10-22)
- A.R.S. 32-1132.01 Maximum award (2026-10-22)
- Planning and Permitting Portal — City of Scottsdale (2026-10-22)
- Planning and Development Records — City of Scottsdale (2026-10-22)
- Building Permit Search — City of Scottsdale eServices (2026-10-22)