Missouri · Remodeling licensing · official-source guide
Missouri does not license residential remodelers at the state level. No board, no state registration, no state exam. Licensing is city and county work, such as Kansas City's Residential Building Supervisor certification. Statewide, the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section enforces the Merchandising Practices Act, which sets your contract, cancellation and advertising duties.
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Verified against agency sources on 2026-10-05. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.
Missouri has no state board that licenses residential remodelers. There is no statewide home improvement contractor registration, no state remodeling license number, and no state trade exam for general remodeling work. Authority sits in two separate places. The first is the city or county building department where the job is located. The second is the Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section, which enforces the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act in Chapter 407 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. The Attorney General describes that section as having worked toward a fair, open and honest marketplace since the Merchandising Practices Act was adopted more than 45 years ago. Section 407.020 declares it an unlawful practice to use deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, unfair practice, or the concealment, suppression or omission of any material fact in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise in trade or commerce in or from Missouri. The same section states that an act violates it whether committed before, during or after the sale, advertisement or solicitation. Remodeling services sold to a homeowner fall inside that language. The practical result for a Missouri remodeler is a split. Your legal right to pull a permit and perform the work comes from a local ordinance. Your legal exposure comes from Chapter 407 and from the building code adopted locally. A contractor who plans only around state licensing will find nothing to plan around, and will still be fully regulated once a permit application or a signed contract enters the picture.
Sourcesago.mo.gov 1revisor.mo.gov 2
The absence of a state license does not make Missouri a light touch jurisdiction for remodelers. It moves the burden to the city and county level and multiplies it. A remodeler working across a metro area can need a separate license in each municipality, because each one issues its own and recognizes no other. Kansas City states plainly that contractors performing regulated work inside the city must obtain the appropriate licenses before pulling permits or performing work, and that the City Planning and Development Department's Permits Division administers contractor licensing, certification, registration and renewals. Springfield reviews building permit applications for compliance with city adopted codes including its Contractor and Trade Licensing Codes. The City of St. Louis runs separate boards of examiners for the trades it licenses. None of those three defers to a state credential, because none exists. Three consequences follow. First, your sales territory is limited by your license footprint, not by driving distance. Second, every new municipality you want to work in is a fresh application, usually gated behind a local business license. Third, a homeowner cannot look you up in one state database, so trust has to be built some other way. That changes how a Missouri remodeler should present credentials in writing. Listing the specific cities where you hold a current contractor license, and the permit numbers on recent jobs, carries more weight here than a license number would in a state that issues one.
Sourcesbizcare.kcmo.gov 1springfieldmo.gov 2stlouis-mo.gov 3
Kansas City licenses contractors through the City Planning and Development Department, Permits Division, at 414 E. 12th St., 5th Floor. The city states that contractors performing regulated work within Kansas City must obtain the appropriate licenses before pulling permits or performing work, and that licensing supports compliance with the Kansas City Building and Rehabilitation Code. The classification that matters to a remodeler is Residential Building Supervisor, which Kansas City describes as covering construction, alteration and repair work involving one and two family dwellings and townhomes, with certification requirements focused on residential building codes, construction methods, structural requirements and life safety standards. The city also issues separate certifications for demolition, electrical, elevator, fire protection, gas fired appliances, mechanical, operating engineers, plumbing and signs. Kansas City sets out three steps. Step one is a business license, obtained through the QuickTax system online, by submitting the RD-100 Registration Application, or in person at City Hall. The city says online and mailed applications typically take seven to ten business days, while a walk in at 414 E. 12th St. can be issued on the spot. Step two is a Certificate of Qualification in each trade you will work in, submitted through CompassKC by the qualified individual or supervisor, with reference letters required. Step three is the contractor license for the business itself, also through CompassKC, once the business license and Certificate of Qualification both exist. Licenses must stay active to perform work or obtain permits, and the Kansas City business license has to be renewed before the contractor license can be renewed.
Sourcesbizcare.kcmo.gov
The Kansas City contractor license sits on top of a city business license, and the business license has its own document list. Kansas City states that business licenses are required by Section 40 of the Kansas City municipal code of any operation that generates revenue, transacts, or employs within city limits. For every business the city asks for proof of a Missouri Secretary of State filing, which it says is required for sole proprietorships and partnerships operating under a business name as well as limited liability companies, corporations, limited partnerships and non-profit organizations. A federal employer identification number is required of all incorporated businesses. Then come the industry specific items. Kansas City requires a Missouri sales tax number of retail, food and businesses with employees in Missouri. More to the point for remodelers, the city requires workers compensation proof of insurance or exemption specifically from construction companies, and names the acceptable paperwork as a workers compensation certificate of insurance, Form MO-WC76, the certificate of insurer, and Form MO-WC65B for exemption. A zoning clearance letter is also part of the process, confirming the property is zoned for the intended business use before leasing, purchasing or occupying it. For a remodeling company running from a home office or a leased shop inside Kansas City, that zoning step is easy to miss and holds up everything downstream. The order matters: Secretary of State filing, then federal number, then workers compensation proof, then business license, then Certificate of Qualification, then contractor license.
The City of St. Louis handles this through its Building Division, inside the Department of Public Safety. The Building Division enforces the city building code, issues building permits, conducts building inspections, demolishes vacant buildings and enforces zoning ordinances. For remodeling work, the division's permit services cover building permits, mechanical permits, plumbing permits, electrical permits and demolition permits, plus residential and commercial occupancy permits. Where the city does license contractors directly, it does so by trade rather than by general remodeling category. St. Louis runs Boards of Examiners described as covering mechanical, plumbing, drainlaying and electrical contractors. The specific bodies are the Committee of Electrical Examiners, which reviews electrical certification and licensing matters; the Mechanical Contractors Board of Examiners, which reviews licensing qualifications and oversees mechanical contractors and pipefitters performing regulated mechanical work; the Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners, which handles licensing matters, apprentice applications and complaints; and the Sprinkler System Contractors Board of Examiners, covering sprinkler system contractors and sprinkler fitters. There is no equivalent board of examiners for general remodeling. A remodeler in the city therefore works through permits and through licensed trade partners rather than through a single remodeling credential. The division also publishes a Building Permits Search by Address tool, which means a homeowner can check whether the work on their own address was permitted. Expect that to be checked. The city also maintains a Board of Building Appeals for disputes over code interpretation.
Springfield regulates this through its Department of Building Development Services, located in the Busch Municipal Building at 840 Boonville Ave. The department says it implements and monitors city, state and federal adopted codes as well as trade certifications for the electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical industries. Permits for all phases of building construction must be obtained from Building Development Services for nearly all types of new building construction, additions, remodeling or repair work before construction starts. Construction work expressly includes installing or replacing mechanical and HVAC equipment, electrical wiring and equipment, and plumbing piping and equipment. Certain types of construction, remodeling or repairs are exempt from the building permit requirement, so the exemption list is worth reading before quoting small jobs. Permit applications and project plans are reviewed for compliance with city adopted codes including building, trade and fire codes, the Land Development Code, and the Contractor and Trade Licensing Codes. Applications and payment run through the eCity portal, which also handles inspection requests and permit printing. Springfield is unusually direct about verification. Its page titled Confirm Your Contractor's License tells homeowners that a key element of their protection is to hire contractors that hold the required city license, insurance and bonding, and that they can confirm this through the city's online business license search or by calling the department. A Springfield remodeler should assume prospective customers will run that search. Keeping the business license, insurance certificate and bond current is therefore a sales asset in Springfield, not only a compliance item.
No state remodeling license does not mean no license. The trades inside a remodel are licensed, and they are licensed locally. Kansas City issues Master Electrician, Master Limited Electrician and Electrical Supervisor certifications for electrical installation, maintenance and repair; Journeyman Plumber and Master Plumber certifications for water supply, sanitary drainage, fixtures and piping; Mechanical Supervisor and Master Pipe Fitter certifications for HVAC and mechanical system installations; and Gas-Fired Appliance Supervisor certification for fuel gas systems, appliance installation, ventilation and safety. The City of St. Louis licenses through its Committee of Electrical Examiners, Mechanical Contractors Board of Examiners, Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners and Sprinkler System Contractors Board of Examiners. Springfield says it monitors trade certifications for the electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical industries. A kitchen or bathroom remodel usually touches at least two of those. The practical structure for a Missouri remodeling company is a general contractor license or registration where the city issues one, plus either employed license holders or subcontracted licensed trades for the regulated scopes. Two failure modes recur. One is doing regulated plumbing, electrical, mechanical or gas work in house without the local certification, which can stop a permit and void an inspection. The other is assuming a trade license from one city travels. Kansas City issues a Certificate of Qualification through CompassKC and requires it to be submitted by the qualified individual or supervisor, which is a city specific credential. Verify the trade license for the specific jurisdiction before the crew mobilizes.
Sourcesbizcare.kcmo.gov 1stlouis-mo.gov 2springfieldmo.gov 3
Every Missouri remodeling company starts at the Secretary of State. The Corporations Division handles entity registration, and its Starting a Business guide covers general business corporations, limited liability companies, fictitious name filings and business name reservations. A corporation's existence begins when its articles of incorporation are filed with the Secretary of State, and the articles must provide the information required by Section 351.055 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. A limited liability company may be registered electronically by filing articles of organization online. The office also allows any person to presubmit a document for a preclearance examination, for which it charges $55. The Secretary of State is clear that its guide is a general overview rather than legal or tax advice, and recommends involving an attorney or professional when choosing an entity type. Two filing details matter for remodelers specifically. The first is fictitious name registration, which applies when you operate under a name other than your legal entity name, a common situation for a remodeler trading under a brand. The second is that cities ask for proof of this step before they will issue anything else. Kansas City requires a Missouri Secretary of State filing for sole proprietorships and partnerships operating under a business name as well as for limited liability companies, corporations, limited partnerships and non-profit organizations, as part of the business license application. So the state filing is not optional background paperwork. It is the gate to the local license that lets you pull permits.
Missouri tax registration runs through the Department of Revenue. The department says a business must obtain a sales tax license by registering with it if the business makes sales of tangible personal property and taxable services, and that a business should also register if it is a corporation responsible for filing and paying corporate tax, or if it has employees and is required to remit withholding tax. Registration is done through the online registration system or by submitting the Missouri Tax Registration Application, Form 2643. Out of state remodeling companies face an extra step that catches contractors chasing storm work across state lines. Section 285.230 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri defines a transient employer as an employer paying taxable wages who is not domiciled in Missouri and who temporarily transacts business in the state, with business treated as temporary whenever it cannot reasonably be expected to continue for twenty-four consecutive months. A transient employer must file a financial assurance instrument with the director of revenue, which may be a cash bond, a surety bond, or an irrevocable letter of credit. The statute sets the amount at not less than the average estimated quarterly withholding tax liability of the applicant, but in no case less than $5,000 nor more than $25,000. Failure to file a financial assurance instrument is a class A misdemeanor, and the statute provides that a corporation found guilty may be fined up to $5,000 or any higher amount not exceeding twice the amount the employer profited from the offense. A narrow exemption exists for employers based in a contiguous state who meet the statute's contract history and tax clearance conditions.
Sourcesdor.mo.gov 1revisor.mo.gov 2
Missouri sets a different workers compensation threshold for construction than for every other industry, and remodelers sit on the construction side of that line. The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations states that in Missouri you are required to carry workers compensation insurance if you have five or more employees, unless you are in the construction industry, in which case you must carry workers compensation insurance if you have one or more employees. A two person remodeling company with one employee is therefore covered by the mandate, while a two person retail shop would not be. The department adds that employers who do not have the required number of employees, or who have employees in exempt categories, may elect to come under the law and carry coverage anyway, and warns that exempt employers who decide not to purchase insurance or self insure remain exposed to civil lawsuits brought by employees injured at work. Sole proprietors and partners are not themselves covered unless they elect coverage. Close family member employees and members of a limited liability company are presumed covered unless they opt out. The department also publishes guidance on verifying coverage for subcontractors, which matters when a remodeler hires trade subs. On the claims side, an employer must report an injury to its insurer or third party administrator within five days of the date of injury or within five days of the date the employee reported it, whichever is later. Kansas City requires construction companies to show workers compensation proof of insurance or an exemption as part of the business license application.
Missouri gives homeowners a cancellation right on contracts signed in the home, and it applies squarely to remodeling sold at the kitchen table. Section 407.705 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri gives the buyer the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day the buyer signs an agreement or offer to purchase, and defines business day as any day except Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays. Section 407.700 defines a home solicitation sale as a consumer credit sale of goods or services where the seller or someone acting for the seller personally solicits the sale at the buyer's residence and the buyer's agreement or offer to purchase is given there. It excludes sales under a preexisting revolving charge account and sales made after prior negotiations with both parties present at a fixed business location. Section 407.710 requires the seller to present a written agreement that designates the date the buyer actually signs and contains a notice of cancellation statement in 10-point boldface type, with the seller's name and mailing address filled in at the time of sale. A contract using the notice of cancellation form and content from the Federal Trade Commission cooling off rule complies, provided it gives the consumer at least equal information. Until the seller complies with that section, the buyer may cancel in any manner and by any means. Cancellation occurs when the buyer gives written notice to the seller at the address stated in the agreement, and a mailed notice counts when it is deposited in a mailbox, properly addressed, postage prepaid. Section 407.715 then requires that within ten days after cancellation the seller tender back any payments the buyer made and any note or other evidence of indebtedness, with the word cancelled stamped conspicuously on the face. Until the seller meets that duty the buyer may keep possession of delivered goods and holds a lien on them. One narrow exception to the cancellation right survives under Section 407.705: the buyer may not cancel where the buyer asked for the work without delay because of an emergency, the seller in good faith made a substantial beginning of performance before notice, and, for goods, the goods cannot be returned in substantially as good condition.
Sourcesrevisor.mo.gov 1revisor.mo.gov 2revisor.mo.gov 3revisor.mo.gov 4
Remodelers who take storm and insurance restoration work face a separate statute with a longer cancellation window and two outright prohibitions. Section 407.725 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri defines contractor broadly for this purpose as a person or entity in the business of contracting or offering to contract with an owner or possessor of residential or commercial real estate to repair or replace roof systems or perform any other exterior repair, replacement, construction, or reconstruction work. That reaches siding, windows, decks and exterior reconstruction, not only roofing. First prohibition: a contractor shall not advertise or promise to pay or rebate all or any portion of any insurance deductible as an inducement to the sale of goods or services. The statute defines that promise to include any allowance, discount against fees, compensation, gift, prize, bonus, coupon, credit or referral fee of monetary value. Second prohibition: a contractor shall not represent or negotiate, or offer or advertise to represent or negotiate, on behalf of an owner on any insurance claim connected to roof systems or other exterior work. On cancellation, a person who signed a written contract for goods or services to be paid under a property and casualty insurance policy may cancel before midnight on the fifth business day after receiving written notice from the insurer that all or part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss. The contractor must furnish a boldface statement of that right in at least ten point type plus a detachable duplicate notice of cancellation form. Any violation is an unfair practice under the Merchandising Practices Act.
Sourcesrevisor.mo.gov
Missouri attaches a condition to the original contractor's lien rights that remodelers break routinely. Section 429.012 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri requires every original contractor who performs work or furnishes material for any building, erection or improvement upon land, or for repairing the same, to provide a written notice to the person with whom the contract is made, or to the owner if there is no contract, before receiving payment in any form of any kind. The notice must be given at the execution of the contract, when materials are delivered, when work is commenced, or delivered with the first invoice. It must carry a disclosure in ten point bold type headed NOTICE TO OWNER, telling the owner that failure of the contractor to pay persons supplying material or services can result in a mechanic's lien on the property under Chapter 429, that the owner may ask the contractor for lien waivers from all persons supplying material or services, and that failure to secure lien waivers may result in paying for labor and material twice. Compliance is a condition precedent to the creation, existence or validity of any mechanic's lien in favor of that original contractor. In other words, skip the notice and you lose the lien. The statute goes further. An original contractor who fails to provide the notice with intent to defraud is guilty of a class B misdemeanor, and a contractor who knowingly issues a fraudulent lien waiver or a false affidavit is guilty of a class D felony. Build the notice into your contract packet rather than your invoicing.
Sourcesrevisor.mo.gov
With no licensing board to suspend a credential, enforcement against Missouri remodelers runs through the Attorney General and the courts. Section 407.100 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri lets the Attorney General seek an injunction in circuit court whenever it appears a person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in an unlawful practice under Chapter 407, and allows temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, temporary receivers and the sequestering of funds or accounts where the court finds funds or property may be hidden or removed from the state. The court may enter an order of restitution payable to the state to restore any person who suffered an ascertainable loss, and the Attorney General has a duty to distribute those funds to the people injured. The court may also award the state a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation, unless the person shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the violation resulted from a bona fide error despite procedures reasonably adopted to avoid it. Private suits run in parallel. Section 407.025 lets a person who bought merchandise primarily for personal, family or household purposes and suffered an ascertainable loss bring a private civil action for actual damages, and the court may in its discretion award punitive damages and attorney's fees to the prevailing party based on time reasonably expended. The claimant must show they acted as a reasonable consumer and prove individual damages with definitive and objective evidence. Class actions are available where the practice injured numerous other persons. Separately, unlicensed or unpermitted work exposes you to the local code enforcement and permit process.
Missouri does not impose a statewide rule requiring a license number on a remodeler's ads, trucks, website or written estimates, because there is no state license number to display. What applies instead is broader. Section 407.020 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri reaches deception, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, unfair practice and the concealment, suppression or omission of any material fact in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise, and it applies whether the act happened before, during or after the advertisement. Advertising is named in the statute, not implied. That has concrete consequences for marketing copy. Calling yourself licensed, bonded and insured when your city license has lapsed is an omission of material fact in connection with an advertisement. Implying a state credential that Missouri does not issue is a misrepresentation. For insurance restoration work, Section 407.725 bans advertising a promise to pay or rebate any part of an insurance deductible and bans offering or advertising to represent or negotiate an insurance claim on an owner's behalf, and makes any violation an unfair practice under the Merchandising Practices Act. On the positive side, naming the cities where you actually hold a current contractor license is accurate, verifiable and specific. Kansas City issues a Residential Building Supervisor certification covering construction, alteration and repair of one and two family dwellings and townhomes, so a Kansas City holder can say exactly that. Where a city license and bond exist, say which city. Vague credential language is the risk here.
Missouri has no single statewide license lookup for remodelers, so verification happens locally and through the Attorney General. Springfield is the most explicit. Its Confirm Your Contractor's License page tells homeowners that a key element of their protection is hiring contractors that hold the required city license, insurance and bonding, and directs them to the city's online business license search or to a phone call to Building Development Services. The City of St. Louis publishes a Building Permits Search by Address, so a homeowner can see whether work at an address was permitted. Kansas City requires an active contractor license to perform work or obtain permits, which makes the permit itself a check. On the complaint side, the Attorney General's office receives consumer complaints and enforces the Merchandising Practices Act, takes complaints by online form, by PDF form, or by its Consumer Protection Hotline, and mediates disputes between businesses and consumers, a process it says produces restitution each year. The office also notes it brings enforcement actions on behalf of the state rather than individual consumers and cannot give legal advice. On a recovery fund: Missouri's published remedies for a homeowner harmed by a remodeler are restitution ordered under Section 407.100 and distributed by the Attorney General, and a private action for actual damages under Section 407.025 with possible punitive damages and attorney's fees. We could not confirm any state administered home improvement recovery or guaranty fund from a primary source, so assume the statutory and local routes are what apply, and do not advertise a state fund.
Sourcesspringfieldmo.gov 1stlouis-mo.gov 2bizcare.kcmo.gov 3ago.mo.gov 4revisor.mo.gov 5revisor.mo.gov 6
These are common details other guides publish about Missouri, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.
No. Missouri has no state board that licenses residential remodelers and no statewide home improvement contractor registration. Licensing happens at the city and county level. Consumer conduct is governed statewide by the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act in Chapter 407, enforced by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section, which also covers advertising.
Two. The building department of each city or county where you work handles your license and permits. The Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section enforces Chapter 407, which governs your contracts, cancellation notices and advertising. Neither issues a statewide remodeling credential, so your license footprint is built city by city.
Yes. Kansas City states that contractors performing regulated work within the city must obtain the appropriate licenses before pulling permits or performing work. For one and two family dwellings and townhomes the relevant certification is Residential Building Supervisor. The Permits Division of City Planning and Development administers licensing, certification, registration and renewals.
Three steps. First a Kansas City business license, through QuickTax online, the RD-100 application, or in person at City Hall. Second a Certificate of Qualification in each trade, filed through CompassKC by the qualified individual. Third the contractor license for the business, also through CompassKC, once both exist.
Not as a single category. St. Louis runs Boards of Examiners for mechanical, plumbing, drainlaying and electrical contractors, plus a Sprinkler System Contractors board. There is no equivalent board for general remodeling. The Building Division issues the building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and demolition permits that govern the work itself.
Springfield publishes a page called Confirm Your Contractor's License. It tells homeowners to hire contractors holding the required city license, insurance and bonding, and to confirm that through the city's online business license search or by calling Building Development Services. Assume prospects run it before signing anything.
You or your subcontractor does, and it is issued locally. Kansas City certifies Journeyman and Master Plumbers and Master and Master Limited Electricians. St. Louis licenses through its plumbing, drainlaying and electrical examiner boards. Springfield monitors trade certifications for electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical work. Credentials do not transfer between cities.
Until midnight of the third business day after the day they sign, under Section 407.705. Business day excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. You must present a written agreement dated the day of signing with a notice of cancellation in 10-point boldface type. Until you comply, they can cancel any way.
A longer one. Under Section 407.725, a homeowner with a contract paid under a property and casualty policy may cancel before midnight on the fifth business day after receiving written notice from the insurer that all or part of the claim is not covered. You must supply a detachable cancellation notice form.
No. Section 407.725 prohibits a contractor from advertising or promising to pay or rebate any portion of an insurance deductible as a sales inducement, and defines that to include discounts, gifts, credits and referral fees. The same section also bars negotiating the insurance claim for the owner. Violations are unfair practices.
Yes. Section 429.012 requires the original contractor to deliver a ten point bold NOTICE TO OWNER before receiving payment in any form, at contract signing, material delivery, start of work, or with the first invoice. Compliance is a condition precedent to any mechanic's lien, so skipping it forfeits lien rights.
Yes. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations states the general threshold is five or more employees, except in construction, where coverage is required with one or more employees. Sole proprietors and partners are not covered unless they elect it. Kansas City requires construction companies to show proof or exemption.
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