General vs. Specialty Contractor Rules in Louisiana

Louisiana licences work, not job titles

A Louisiana licence is a licence type plus one or more classifications. The licence type is decided by property and project value; the classification is decided by the actual scope. A company can hold a valid commercial licence and still be barred from a specific bid because the classification for that scope is not on its licence, and the Board records the classification on the licence itself for exactly that reason: the statute directs that when issuing a licence the Board "shall state the contractor's classification on the license, for which he has completed all of the requirements".

The structure has four levels. A major classification carries the broadest authority within its family. A subclassification sits under a major classification and is licensed for a specific trade. A specialty classification does not fall under any major classification at all. A credential is a classification you can only hold if an outside agency has already licensed or certified you. Reading a classification's published description is the whole job here, because the descriptions carry real boundaries.

Those boundaries are specific enough to catch people out. Building Construction covers the building, maintenance, repair, raising, levelling, development or demolition of structures as well as landscaping, earthwork, parking areas, driveways and sidewalks. Its Drywall subclassification covers gypsum board products and their associated finishes but expressly "does not include installation of wood or metal studs and framing". Flooring and Decking covers a long list of flooring systems but "Does not include flooring materials used on walls and ceilings". Steel Erection and Installation "Does not include steel piping except the terminal piping connection to tanks". Landscaping, Grading and Beautification "Does not include hardscaping".

Official sources: LSLBC Exams and Classifications List; LSLBC Contractors Licensing Law and Rules (Blue Book)

The classifications that behave differently

Two entries deserve separate attention because they are commonly misunderstood as loopholes. Labor Only is a real classification, coded L.1, and the Board states that "No examination or credential is required" for it. But it is narrow and conditional. It covers the furnishing of the supply of labour only for the use of a contractor or subcontractor, and it "Does not include contracts for supply of materials nor responsibility for the supervision of a project". The Board applies it when the scope of work including labour and materials exceeds $50,000, or $10,000 for electrical, mechanical or plumbing work, or $1 for hazardous materials work. Critically, the FAQ adds that labour-only subcontractors "MUST be in contract with a licensed contractor" and "may not contract with an owner".

The Board also states that there are no licensing requirements for labour-only subcontractors performing work on new residential construction projects. That exemption narrowed in 2026: beginning August 1, 2026 the residential subcontractor exemption does not apply to water-well work, so a subcontractor performing water-well work for a residential construction licence holder must hold the appropriate licence and classification in their own name.

Supply is treated as a separate question from labour. If you are just furnishing material or equipment you are considered a manufacturer or supplier and no licence is required, and a supplier can normally ship product to a jobsite with no further involvement. But the Board is explicit that if you bid to furnish and install, "even if you plan to hire a licensed contractor to do the installation for you", your firm is required to hold a licence. The bid, not the labour, is what triggers it.

Official sources: LSLBC Exams and Classifications List; LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions; LSLBC Memorandum: 2026 Statutory Changes (Act 757)

The residential classification family

Residential Construction is major classification 9 and carries a trade exam. The Board describes it as the construction of a residential structure as defined in R.S. 37:2150.1(22) when the cost of the undertaking exceeds $50,000, and states that residential construction also refers to home improvement contracting as provided for in R.S. 37:2150.1(10) when the cost of the undertaking exceeds $50,000. It expressly does not include the manufactured housing industry or persons building residential structures mounted on metal chassis and wheels.

Two subclassifications sit under it. Residential Swimming Pools, coded 9.1, covers swimming pools, whirlpools, hot tubs and related accessories for residential structures, and the Board states a licence is required when the value exceeds $7,500. Residential Roofing, coded 9.2, covers the construction, installation or repair of roofs for residential structures, and its threshold comes from the 2026 statutory change rather than from the classification list: effective August 1, 2026, a person who advertises, solicits, quotes, bids, contracts, supervises or performs roofing work with a project value of $7,500 or more must hold the Residential Roofing or Residential Construction classification. That memorandum also defines a residential roofing project as one on a building used primarily as a residence containing up to four dwelling units in one structure.

The pool rule shows how classification and licence type interact. A licensed Residential Building Contractor may bid on or contract to build or repair residential swimming pools, but must use a subcontractor holding the Residential Swimming Pools classification if it does not hold that classification itself. Holding the broader licence does not silently include the narrower classification.

Official sources: LSLBC Exams and Classifications List; LSLBC Memorandum: 2026 Statutory Changes (Act 757); LSLBC Licensing Requirements for Contractors in Louisiana; LSLBC Types of Licenses

Adding a classification, and what to do before you bid outside one

Classifications are added, not assumed. R.S. 37:2156(G) provides that a licensee may add classifications to an existing licence by applying, successfully completing all requirements and paying the required fees, and that additions or changes to an existing licence become effective upon Board approval. The Board publishes an "Adding a Classification to an Existing License" form for this. Because most classifications carry a trade exam and the Board charges an exam or administrative fee for each classification and for Business and Law, adding one is a scheduled project with a lead time, not a same-week fix.

The practical control is a pre-bid check. Before you price work that is new to your company, open the Board's classification list, find the exact description, and read what it includes and what it excludes. Then compare that to your licence record. If the scope crosses two classifications, decide now whether you are adding a classification or subcontracting that portion to a contractor who already holds it, and put that decision in the proposal. If the scope is genuinely ambiguous, ask the Board before the bid date, because a licence issued after an invalid bid does not repair the bid.

One more boundary worth knowing: construction management is licensed too. Under R.S. 37:2161, a person performing or offering to perform construction management whose scope includes supervision, oversight, direction or assuming charge of construction services must hold a Board licence in the major classification applicable to the work where the project value exceeds $50,000 for a commercial project, exceeds $75,000 for a residential project, or exceeds $7,500 for a home improvement project. The statute carves out an architect or engineer ensuring compliance with plans and specifications on the owner's behalf who does not subcontract actual construction work, and an employee of the owner who supervises but does not bid or perform work requiring a licence.

Official sources: LSLBC Contractors Licensing Law and Rules (Blue Book); LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions; LSLBC Exams and Classifications List

Recheck the official source before you file or sign

Louisiana contractor law changed materially in 2026 and the Board's own public pages have not all caught up, which is the strongest possible argument for opening the source yourself rather than trusting any summary, including this one. Act 757 of 2026 added a residential roofing threshold and raised the liability insurance requirement, both effective August 1, 2026, and Acts 481 and 757 brought water well and environmental well or hole work under licensing at a project value of $1 or more effective July 1, 2026.

Before you file an application, sign a contract, or buy an insurance policy, open the Board's current page for your licence type, confirm the threshold, the classification wording, the insurance limit and the certificate rules, and keep a dated copy of what you read. The Board's own memorandum says it "is intended to provide general notice of statutory changes" and that "The applicable statutes and regulations control in the event of any conflict or question of interpretation." Where a page and a statute disagree, the statute wins, and where you cannot tell, call the Board at the number on its contact page before you commit money.

Official sources: LSLBC Memorandum: 2026 Statutory Changes (Act 757); LSLBC Types of Licenses; LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions