Is there a dollar amount under which a Maryland handyman does not need a license?

No. Section 8-301 requires the license to act as a contractor and section 8-101 defines home improvement without any dollar figure. The minimum you may have heard about is from other states.

How do I check whether a handyman is licensed in Maryland?

Search the name or the license number on the MHIC license lookup, linked on this page. The listing shows the status, the expiration and the trade name. Ask for the number before the work starts.

What does the MHIC license get me as a homeowner?

A contractor the state has checked, a guaranty fund that can pay you back up to $30,000 for bad work by a licensed contractor, a one third cap on the deposit, and a complaint process with teeth.

Does an MHIC license cover electrical and plumbing?

No. Section 8-301(c)(4) exempts licensed electricians, plumbers and HVACR contractors from the MHIC rule when they work in their trade, and the trade laws require their licenses for that work. A handyman with only an MHIC license should not be inside your panel or your water lines.

Do handymen need a license in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland has no handyman exemption. Anyone who does home improvement work for a homeowner for pay needs a contractor license from the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), and the statute sets no dollar minimum. Electrical, plumbing and heating work need their own trade licenses on top of that, or instead of it.

The rule, with the section numbers

The Business Regulation Article of the Maryland Code, section 8-301(a), says a person must have a contractor license to act as a contractor in the State, except as the title otherwise provides. Section 8-101(c) defines a contractor as anyone other than the owner’s own employee who performs, offers or agrees to perform a home improvement for an owner. Section 8-101(g) defines home improvement as the addition to or alteration, conversion, improvement, modernization, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building used as a residence, and of the driveways, fences, decks and pools next to it. Neither section names a dollar amount.

The exceptions in section 8-301(c) are the contractor’s own salaried workers, clerical staff, phone solicitors, security system technicians, marine contractors, and licensed trades such as electricians, plumbers and HVACR contractors working inside their own trade. There is no exception for small jobs, cash jobs, or a person who calls the work handyman work.

Two more sections matter to a homeowner. Section 8-617 says a contractor may not take any payment before the contract is signed, and may not take a deposit of more than one third of the contract price at signing. The Home Improvement Guaranty Fund pays a homeowner back for actual losses from a licensed contractor’s work, up to $30,000 per claim, and since June 1, 2024 every licensed contractor has to carry at least $500,000 of general liability insurance.

Where this was read

These lines were read on October 15, 2026 from the MHIC page at labor.maryland.gov and from the statute text on the Maryland General Assembly site. The license lookup the Commission runs is the MHIC license search. Laws change, so check the date at the top of this paragraph against the one on the Commission’s page.

What it means when you hire us

Every job is done by a contractor licensed with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC). The license number is on your estimate. Work in DC and Virginia goes to a contractor licensed in that jurisdiction. The license number is on your estimate.

Anything that touches wiring goes to a licensed electrician, anything on the water lines to a licensed plumber, and heating and cooling equipment to an HVACR contractor. The estimate names who is coming for each line. The job by job answers are below, and the difference between a handyman and a contractor in practice is on the handyman versus contractor page.

Questions about the license

Is there a dollar amount under which a Maryland handyman does not need a license?: No. Section 8-301 requires the license to act as a contractor and section 8-101 defines home improvement without any dollar figure. The minimum you may have heard about is from other states.
How do I check whether a handyman is licensed in Maryland?: Search the name or the license number on the MHIC license lookup, linked on this page. The listing shows the status, the expiration and the trade name. Ask for the number before the work starts.
What does the MHIC license get me as a homeowner?: A contractor the state has checked, a guaranty fund that can pay you back up to $30,000 for bad work by a licensed contractor, a one third cap on the deposit, and a complaint process with teeth.
Does an MHIC license cover electrical and plumbing?: No. Section 8-301(c)(4) exempts licensed electricians, plumbers and HVACR contractors from the MHIC rule when they work in their trade, and the trade laws require their licenses for that work. A handyman with only an MHIC license should not be inside your panel or your water lines.

The job by job answers

Call or text (240) 858-0149, 8 to 6, Monday through Saturday.