How to Start a Handyman Business in Georgia: What You Can Do Without a License

October 29, 2026

Georgia has no handyman license. You can run a general repair and home maintenance business without a state handyman credential, but state law still limits what you can do. Three layers of rules decide most jobs: a $2,500 line in the residential contractor definition, a set of exits from that line for repair and specialty work, and separate state licensing for electrical, plumbing and HVAC work at any price. Get those three layers right, and the rest of the setup is mostly paperwork.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, and the agencies named below can confirm how they apply to your situation. For complex questions, consult a qualified Georgia attorney or CPA before you bid work.

Materials and Information to Gather First

• A written list of the services you plan to offer, with a note on any job that touches electrical, plumbing or HVAC systems
• Logins for the Secretary of State eCorp portal (ecorp.sos.ga.gov) and the Georgia Tax Center (gtc.dor.ga.gov)
• The contact information for your city or county office that issues the local occupation tax certificate
• A federal employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS, which you will usually need for a business bank account and for payroll
• Insurance quotes for general liability coverage, and workers' compensation quotes once you plan to hire
• A separate business bank account and a simple job log that records the full value of each job
• A one-page repair disclosure you can give to clients (covered in Step 2)

Step 1: Understand the Three Layers of Georgia's Rules

Most handyman questions in Georgia come down to the three layers below. Read them in order, because the second and third depend on the first.

Layer 1: The $2,500 Line (O.C.G.A. 43-41-2)

The residential contractor definition in O.C.G.A. 43-41-2 covers fixed-price or fee work above $2,500 in the residential-basic or residential-light commercial categories. The test uses the higher of the value of the work or the compensation you receive. Above that line, you need a license from the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors.

This is a limit on the scope of residential contracting. It is not a general state rule that caps every handyman job at $2,500, and it does not bar you from work below the line. Add up the full value of each job, not just your labor line, before you quote it. If the scope grows during the work, recalculate the total before you agree to the change.

Layer 2: The Exits From the License

Two exemptions let you do residential work above the line without a general contractor license:

• Repair work (O.C.G.A. 43-41-17(g)). Anyone may do repair work for an owner if they disclose that they are not licensed under the chapter and the work does not affect structural integrity. Step 2 explains how to document this.
• Traditional Specialty Contractors (O.C.G.A. 43-41-17(f)). Trades on the Board's Traditional Specialty Contractors list are exempt. The list includes painting, drywall, fencing, siding, gutters, windows, finish carpentry and many more. Review the full list in our guide to starting a specialty contractor business in Georgia.

Layer 3: Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Have No Price Floor

Chapter 14 trades work differently. Electrical, plumbing and conditioned air work needs the matching state contractor license at any price. A cheap job does not make unlicensed electrical work legal.

So, can a handyman do electrical work in Georgia? Not without an electrical contractor license. That license comes in two classes. A Class I license is the restricted class, which covers single-phase work up to 200 amperes under the current rule. A Class II license is unrestricted. Confirm the current limits with the Board before you bid any electrical work. For the licensing path, see our electrician business guide. For plumbing and HVAC, see the plumbing guide and the HVAC guide.

Step 2: Document Repair Work and Set Your Scope Rules

If you rely on the repair exemption, put the disclosure in writing before you start. State that you are not licensed under the state contractor chapter and that the work does not affect structural integrity. Have the client sign it, and keep a copy in each job file.

Turn down any job that would change the structure of the building, such as altering load-bearing framing, because the exemption depends on the work not affecting structural integrity. If a job includes a trade you are not licensed for, either bring in a licensed contractor for that trade or decline that part of the work. Write the trades involved on every scope sheet so the record shows what you actually did.

Step 3: Choose Your Business Name and Entity

Your main options are a sole proprietorship, an LLC or a corporation. A sole proprietorship that operates under your own legal name needs no Secretary of State filing. If you operate under another name, such as "Your Name Home Repair," you need a trade name (DBA) registration. Trade names are filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on, not with the Secretary of State. Expect a clerk fee of about $165 to $166 in the counties checked, plus newspaper publication once a week for two weeks. Confirm the exact amount with your county clerk. The Secretary of State's business division FAQ has more detail.

If you form an LLC, the Articles of Organization cost $110 total: the $100 fee plus a $10 service charge. You can file online through eCorp or on paper. Online filings take about 7 to 10 business days, and paper filings take about 15 business days. Expedited review costs $120 for 2 business days, $275 for same-day handling if received by noon, or $1,200 for one-hour review on business days. You can reserve a name for 30 days for $35. The name must include an LLC designator such as Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C., and it must be distinguishable on Secretary of State records.

Every Georgia entity must keep a registered agent at a registered office with a Georgia street address. A P.O. box or mail drop does not qualify, and an entity cannot serve as its own registered agent. A typical single-member or partnership LLC pays no Georgia franchise tax, and its income passes through at the flat individual rate. Corporations, and LLCs taxed as corporations, pay a net worth tax of $0 to $5,000 depending on net worth. For the formation steps, read our guide on how to start an LLC in Georgia.

Step 4: Get the Local Occupation Tax Certificate

Georgia issues no general statewide business license, and the Secretary of State issues none. The local license is an occupation tax certificate, often called a business license. It comes from the city if your business operates inside city limits, or from the county for unincorporated areas (O.C.G.A. Title 48, chapter 13). A business inside a city pays the city, not the county. That distinction matters because more than half of Georgians live outside any city, and for many handymen the county is the correct office.

Georgia's 159 counties and about 537 cities each set their own formula, deadlines and prerequisites. Before you take your first job, contact the office for your work address and ask about the application, fees, deadlines and documents required. Do not assume a neighboring town's rules apply to you.

Private employers with more than 10 employees must file an E-Verify affidavit to get the local certificate (O.C.G.A. 36-60-6). For more on this step, see our page on Georgia business licenses.

Step 5: Register With the Department of Revenue If You Need To

Register through the Georgia Tax Center if you sell taxable goods, such as materials you resell to clients, or if you have employees. Registration is free. The state sales tax rate is 4%, and combined state and local rates run from 6% to 9% depending on the county and city. Atlanta's combined rate is 8.9%.

Georgia issues no separate resale permit. When you buy materials for resale, give your supplier Form ST-5, the certificate of exemption. Sales tax registration is not a business license, so you still need the local occupation tax certificate from Step 4. For the wider tax picture, including income tax, see Georgia business taxes. The Department of Revenue's main site is dor.georgia.gov.

Step 6: Buy Insurance and Plan for Workers' Compensation

Many handyman clients ask for general liability coverage, and many ask for $300,000 or more, so request quotes that show those limits before you bid. Ask the agent which trades the policy covers, and make sure it matches the services on your scope list.

Workers' compensation is required at three or more workers, and that count includes part-time workers. Georgia has no state paid sick leave or family leave mandate, but check any other obligations as you hire. See our page on Georgia workers' compensation requirements before you add the third worker.

Step 7: Pull Local Building Permits When a Job Requires Them

Some repair and remodeling work needs a building permit even when no state license applies. Permits come from the building or code office for the jurisdiction where the job sits, so check each job site. Permit rules and fees vary between cities and counties, so confirm them with that office instead of relying on a general guide. Pulling a permit when one is required protects both you and your client.

Step 8: Decide Your Scope With a Safe-Scope Check

The table below is a starting point, not a ruling. Whether a job is in scope depends on its total value and on the exits described above. When a job is near the $2,500 line, or involves a switch, outlet, panel, pipe or HVAC unit, stop and check the rules first.

Work	Where It Stands
Drywall patching	Generally within handyman scope; drywall is on the specialty list
Interior painting	Generally within handyman scope; painting is on the specialty list
Fence repair	Generally within handyman scope; fencing is on the specialty list
Trim and finish carpentry	Generally within handyman scope; finish carpentry is on the specialty list
Flooring repair	Generally within handyman scope; confirm against the Board's list for larger jobs
Caulking and door hardware	Generally within handyman scope
New electrical circuits	Needs an electrical contractor license at any price
Electrical panel work	Needs an electrical contractor license at any price
Water heater plumbing	Needs the matching plumbing contractor license at any price
Gas lines	Needs the matching state license; confirm the class with the Board
HVAC installation	Needs the matching conditioned air contractor license at any price

Treat switches, outlets and light fixtures as electrical work unless the Board tells you otherwise. Confirm before you bid, not after the wiring is open.

Step 9: Set Up Your Annual Compliance Calendar

An LLC files its first annual registration in the year after it forms. Annual registration is due between January 1 and April 1 each year, and it costs $60 ($50 plus a $10 service charge). A late filing carries a $25 penalty. A new corporation files its first annual registration within 90 days of incorporating. Check the Secretary of State's current filing window before you set a reminder, and file through eCorp.

An entity that stays delinquent can be administratively dissolved after a notice and cure period. Reinstatement costs about $260, so calendar the deadline and file on time.

Step 10: Plan Your Upgrade Path

If you want to take residential jobs above $2,500 outside the repair and specialty exits, the usual route is the Residential-Basic license. The requirements include age 21, 2 years of experience, a $25,000 net worth, $300,000 in general liability coverage per occurrence, and continuing education of 3 hours a year. A 2025 law is moving some of these amounts into division rules, so confirm current amounts with the Board before you plan around them. For the details, see our general contractor business guide.

What a Clean Setup Can and Cannot Do

A documented setup may make it easier to win clients who ask for paperwork, and it may help you avoid costly corrections at the county or city office. It does not guarantee that any particular job is in scope, and it does not guarantee that you will win work. Results depend on your local market, your pricing, your reputation and how carefully you keep each job inside the rules.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating $2,500 as a statewide cap on all handyman work. The line is part of the residential contractor definition, and the repair and specialty exits can apply above it.
• Quoting only the labor line and missing the full value of the job.
• Taking small electrical or plumbing jobs because the price is low. Chapter 14 trades have no price floor.
• Doing repair work without a written disclosure and a signed copy in the job file.
• Filing a trade name with the Secretary of State. Trade names go to the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on.
• Assuming the city and the county issue the same certificate, or that a neighboring office's rules apply to your work.
• Treating sales tax registration as a business license. It is not one.
• Missing the April 1 annual registration deadline, which can lead to delinquency and, eventually, administrative dissolution.
• Using the repair exemption for work that affects structural integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license to be a handyman in Georgia?

Not for general repair work. Georgia has no handyman license. You may need a residential contractor license for residential work above $2,500 unless an exit applies, and you need the matching state license for electrical, plumbing or HVAC work at any price.

Can a handyman do electrical work in Georgia?

Not without an electrical contractor license. Small jobs do not change that. A Class I license is restricted, and a Class II license is unrestricted.

What is the Georgia handyman $2,500 limit?

It is the residential contractor threshold in O.C.G.A. 43-41-2. It applies to fixed-price or fee work above $2,500, measured by the higher of the value of the work or the compensation, in the residential-basic or residential-light commercial categories. The repair and specialty exits can apply above that line.

Is there a handyman business license in Georgia?

There is no state handyman license and no general state business license. Most handymen obtain a local occupation tax certificate from the city or county where they work, and they may need a sales tax registration if they sell taxable goods or have employees.

Next Steps

Before you take on work near the $2,500 line or any electrical, plumbing or HVAC job, talk to a qualified Georgia attorney or CPA. For business planning help, the Georgia Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia offers advising for small business owners.