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Michigan Contractor License Lookup
Official Michigan contractor license lookup information, agency details, and homeowner notes for verifying a contractor before hiring.
About Michigan contractor licensing
Michigan uses statewide licensing through LARA for residential building and remodeling, which makes homeowner verification relatively straightforward. The state draws an important line between the Residential Builder license used for building or selling homes and the Maintenance and Alteration Contractor license used for remodeling and specific trades within residential work.
How licensing works in Michigan
Michigan's statewide system is project-driven and category-specific. A Residential Builder license typically covers building a home or doing broad residential construction, while the Maintenance and Alteration Contractor credential is used for remodeling and listed residential trades or scopes. Homeowners should make sure the license category matches the actual job, especially on large remodels that blur the line between alteration and building. Michigan's low threshold also means many paid residential jobs require state licensure.
Project thresholds
Michigan generally requires residential builder or maintenance-and-alteration licensure for residential jobs of $600 or more in labor and materials.
What to verify in Michigan
Use Michigan's state license search and look up the contractor by name or license number. Confirm the record is active and check whether the credential is Residential Builder or Maintenance and Alteration Contractor. If it is M&A, review the listed classifications to make sure they cover the scope being proposed. Also compare the exact entity name on the license record to the contract, because Michigan homeowners often deal with companies using consumer-facing brand names that differ from the licensed entity.
State-specific tips
- › For remodeling, ask whether the contractor is licensed as a Residential Builder or only in specific M&A classifications.
- › If the quote is above $600, do not accept a claim that the job is too small to require licensing.
- › On investor-owned or rental properties, make sure the license category still fits the residential work being contracted.
- › Review M&A classifications closely on window, siding, roofing, and deck projects instead of assuming broad authority.
- › If the business markets under a catchy brand name, confirm the exact licensed entity before paying a deposit.