Short answer: not for small jobs. An unlicensed handyman can legally do minor work under $1,000 (labor and materials combined) that needs no permit and no hired workers. Here's the full rule — and how we stay honestly inside it.
Tell us what you need — we'll confirm it's in scope and quote it free.
California requires a state contractor's license (issued by the Contractors State License Board, or CSLB) for most construction and home-improvement work. But there is a long-standing carve-out for small jobs, called the minor work exemption (California Business & Professions Code section 7048).
Under that exemption, a person may do work without a contractor's license only when all three of these are true:
The total price of the project — labor and materials combined — is less than $1,000.
The work does not require a building permit of any kind.
The person does not employ anyone to help perform the work.All three must be true · miss one and a license is required
If any one of those isn't met — the job hits $1,000, needs a permit, or uses employees — then California requires a properly licensed contractor, even for work that would otherwise look "minor."
For decades the minor-work limit sat at $500, set back in 1998. Assembly Bill 2622 (Carrillo, Chapter 240, Statutes of 2024) raised it to $1,000, effective January 1, 2025. So as of 2025 and today, the number to remember is $1,000 in combined labor and materials — not the older $500 figure you may still see quoted in out-of-date articles.
The permit and no-employees conditions did not change. AB 2622 only moved the dollar threshold; a job that needs a permit or uses hired help still requires a licensed contractor regardless of price.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change and specifics vary by city and county — confirm current requirements with the CSLB or your local building department before relying on them.
The City Home Repair is built around exactly the small, in-scope jobs the exemption is meant for: drywall patches, TV mounting, furniture assembly, fixture and ceiling-fan swaps, minor plumbing and electrical at existing connections, doors, and fence and deck repairs. We carry liability insurance, quote each job upfront, and keep individual jobs within the minor-work limits.
Just as important is where we stop. When a job needs a permit, would use employees, or crosses into licensed-contractor territory — think electrical panel upgrades and new circuits, re-piping, gas lines, structural changes, roofing, or a full remodel — we say so plainly and point you to the right licensed pro. Telling you straight is the whole point; it's cheaper for you and keeps the work above board.
Not sure which side of the line your project falls on? Send us the details and we'll tell you honestly, free. You can also see everything we take on in the full list of 20 services, or read our Bay Area handyman cost guide.
Not for small jobs. California lets an unlicensed handyman perform "minor work" as long as the total cost of labor and materials for the whole project is under $1,000, the work does not require a building permit, and the handyman does not hire any workers to help. Jobs of $1,000 or more, permitted work, or work involving employees require a licensed contractor (CSLB).
It's California's minor-work exemption from contractor licensing (Business & Professions Code section 7048). Assembly Bill 2622 raised the threshold from $500 to $1,000 effective January 1, 2025. An unlicensed person may take a job only if the combined labor and materials come to less than $1,000, no building permit is required, and no workers are employed on the project.
Not without a contractor's license. Once the combined labor and materials reach $1,000, or the work needs a permit, or the job uses hired workers, California requires a licensed contractor — even for otherwise minor work. Splitting a larger project into sub-$1,000 pieces to dodge the rule is not allowed.
Any job that requires a building permit, uses employees, or reaches $1,000 in combined labor and materials. In practice that includes electrical panel upgrades and new circuits, re-piping, gas work, structural changes, roofing, and larger remodels. These are outside handyman scope and should go to the appropriate licensed contractor.
We carry liability insurance and focus on in-scope minor work — the small repairs and installs that fall under California's handyman exemption. When a job needs a permit, employees, or reaches the licensed-contractor threshold, we tell you honestly and point you to the right licensed pro instead of taking it on.
Typical Bay Area rates and per-job ranges, plain english.
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