License to Work: A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing
Drywall Installation Contractor (General/Commercial)
Highlights
License required in 30 states24th most burdensome licensing requirements
28th most heavily regulated occupation
(Last updated April 24, 2012)
Definition
Drywall installer or hanger contractors contract with clients to apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings and apply or mount acoustical tiles or blocks, strips or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings and walls of buildings to reduce or reflect sound. The materials may be of decorative quality and include lathers that fasten wooden, metal or rockboard lath to walls, ceilings or partitions of buildings to provide support base for plaster, fireproofing or acoustical material.Typically, only contractors require licenses, not drywall installers who work for them. Licensing requirements differ based on the scope of the work. Those with a residential license may work only on residential properties, while those with a commercial license may work on commercial properties. In some states, work on commercial properties requires a general contractor's license that is not specific to drywall installing; the requirements are generally the same as a commercial license, and they are treated the same here.
Summary
Thirty states require a general contractor or commercial license for drywall installer contractors working on commercial properties. Tenstates require experience -- effectively an apprenticeship working for an already-licensed contractor -- ranging from two years in Utah, South Carolina, Arizona and New Mexico to five years in Arkansas. Florida requires a four-year college degree instead of an apprenticeship. With additional requirements of one to two exams and fees up to $1,030 in the case of Nevada, drywall contractors are ranked as having the 24th most burdensome licensing requirements. Kansas is the least burdensome, only requiring registration.
(Last updated April 30, 2012)
State Licensing Requirements
| Burden Rank | State | Fees | Education/Experience (Days) | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $175 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $815 | 1,460 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Nevada | $1,030 | 1,460 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | California | $451 | 1,460 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Florida | $421 | 1,460 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 6 | Oregon | $345 | 1,462 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Utah | $549 | 730 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Arizona | $708 | 730 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $318 | 730 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Virginia | $175 | 731 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $250 | 730 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Alabama | $592 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $340 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $325 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $294 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $135 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $127 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Alaska | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Washington, D.C. | $262 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $160 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Washington | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Delaware | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Montana | $53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Iowa | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Idaho | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Kansas | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(Last updated April 24, 2012)
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