Start legally in your state, without missing a step.
The trade work was never the hard part. The paperwork is. Pick the path that matches where you are.
Set up Google Business Profile
Open step Takes 30-45 minutesFind your stage
Where is your contracting business right now?
Four different starting points, because a contractor with a crew and a contractor with an idea do not need the same thing. Pick the one that sounds like you.
Stage 1
I have not started yet
No entity, no license, no first job. You are figuring out what it takes in your state before you spend anything.
Start with the free state check. Your state's own page, its official agency links, and the free roadmap builder on it.
Stage 2
I am starting my company
You have decided to do it. Now it is name, entity, registrations, insurance, and the order to do them in without doubling back.
The Startup Roadmap is the paid, step-by-step version of that path, built per state. Pick your state first, then open the roadmap section on that page.
Stage 3
I have customers but need systems
Work is coming in. Estimates go unanswered, follow-up depends on you remembering, and you cannot see what a job really made.
Contractor Lane Operator is being built for exactly this. It is not open yet, so there is nothing to buy today.
Stage 4
I have employees and crews
Other people do the work in your name. The problem is not leads, it is that the answer to every question is still you.
Contractor Vault is the playbook, script, and template library your crew can work from instead of calling you.
Already running a business and not sure which of these you are? Take the free contractor business audit — fifteen questions about how your company runs today, scored out of 100, with the gaps named.
What you find out before you spend a dollar.
Answer a few questions about your state, your trade, and where you are today. The plan comes back with what applies to you and where each requirement comes from.
This is a preliminary self-help checklist based on your answers and the reviewed official-source record for your state, not a licensing-board determination, and it does not confirm that you are legally established. Confirm every requirement with the responsible agency before you file or pay a fee.
Choose your state before you follow a contractor checklist.
Licensing, bonds, insurance, taxes, and lien deadlines change at the state line. We publish a state page only after its claims are sourced.
Pick your state on the map
Every state opens its own contractor landing page and personalized roadmap.
Choose any state. Every state has a free personalized roadmap builder.
For the small Northeast states, use the labelled callouts or the state dropdown at the top of this page. On phones the dropdown replaces the map entirely.
Start free. Pay only when knowing the list is not enough.
Five rungs, in the order a contracting business actually needs them. You can stop at the first one and never pay us anything.
Want the one-page site built for you instead of building it yourself? Ask about website setup. Already running the business and something is leaking? Take the free business audit.
What the free check does, and where it stops
Your state startup plan
Identifies the setup path and major requirements: the license or registration path for your state and work, extra trade credentials, bond and insurance, the order of first steps, and what is still missing before Job #1, each with an official source link. It stops before the guided completion, pricing, marketing, and Job #1 tools, and it does not verify that you are legally established.
The Startup Roadmap
Walks you through each requirement in order instead of handing you a list: structure, EIN, registrations and tax accounts, bank and payment setup, pricing built on real break-even math, Google Business Profile and a simple site, then your first customer and first invoice. Your progress saves.
Answer these before you spend anything.
Every one runs in your browser, is free, and does not ask for an email.
Four more: where your license number has to appear, business name and domain check, Google Business Profile post builder, and the job margin calculator for work you are already running. Not sure which applies to you? Find your stage. Want to see the work behind the answers? Every official source we use is listed publicly.
The information is free. The path is not obvious.
State agencies publish the rules and accept the filings; they do not tell you which ones apply to your trade or which has to come first. Bond brokers and insurance agents sell you the policy; they do not tell you when in the process you need it. Jobber, Housecall Pro, and QuickBooks run a business that is already running; Contractor Lane is the layer before that.
The full comparison, including LegalZoom, Angi, and free mentoring →
What Contractor Lane does not do
It is self-serve information and organization: it does not replace an attorney, CPA, insurance agent, or licensing agency, it does not file anything for you or verify that you are legally established, and there is no coaching or done-with-you service attached to it. The full list of what it does not do →
Get the roadmap for your state.
Free browser-based builders are available on every state landing page. Deadline reminders are sold standalone for all 50 states; the paid roadmap bundle below remains Washington and Oregon only.
Identifies the setup path and major requirements. Stops before the guided completion, pricing, marketing, and Job #1 tools.
Includes +
- Personalized browser builder in every state marked ready
- State business, contractor, bond, insurance, and trade-license steps
- Official source links and clear next actions
- No Google, website, or marketing steps
- No pricing or break-even tools
- No templates, worksheets, or deadline reminders
Available for Washington and Oregon. One-time payment. Every future roadmap update is included.
Gets you legal AND paid: the full guided path from setup to first paying customer.
Includes +
- Everything in Free
- Full guided walkthrough: setup, Google, website, pricing, first job
- Personalized: exactly which licenses your trade needs
- Chart of accounts, templates, and a free website audit
- Pricing worksheet, first-job outreach script, and invoice setup checklist
- Every future roadmap update, no subscription
30-day money-back guarantee
What is includedWashington and Oregon only (needs the state roadmap above). Adds a full year of deadline coverage so one missed filing never costs you.
Includes +
- Everything in the $148 roadmap
- 12 full months of deadline reminders
- Never miss your SOS annual report, excise filings, or L&I renewal
- $119.88 of reminder value, bundled in
Best value for your first full year
What is includedInstant access after checkout. Not happy within 30 days? Email us and we'll refund in full, no hassle. A refund ends your roadmap and reminder access. The free roadmap is always free.
Contractor startup roadmap questions.
Can I find this information for free?
Yes. Many requirements are published on state and local websites. Contractor Lane organizes those scattered sources into one step-by-step path so new contractors know what to do next, with the official source linked on every requirement.
Which states does Contractor Lane cover?
All 50 states have sourced requirements guides and free personalized roadmap builders on their state landing pages. Paid roadmap availability is separate and varies by state.
Is Contractor Lane a law firm or licensing agency, and does it file anything for me?
No to both. Contractor Lane provides self-help information, checklists, and source links. It does not provide legal, tax, accounting, insurance, or licensing advice, and it does not file paperwork on your behalf. You are responsible for filing and for verifying every requirement with the responsible agency.
Find out what applies to you, free.
Pick your state and get the real list before you spend a dollar. No card, no account required to see your plan.
Build my free startup planImportant: Contractor Lane provides self-help business information, checklists, and source links, not legal, tax, licensing, insurance, or accounting advice, and is not a law firm or a licensing agency. Requirements, fees, and deadlines change. You are responsible for verifying every requirement with the responsible state, local, or federal agency or a qualified professional before you rely on it.