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12 permits · verified 2026-09-12

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Wilmington?

In short

A contractor or trade in Wilmington, DE has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Wilmington Department of Finance, Wage/Business License Division charges $200 per license period (license type code 1004) for the city of wilmington business license — contractor/subcontractor. 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Wilmington

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
City of Wilmington Business License — Contractor/SubcontractorCity of Wilmington Department of Finance, Wage/Business License Division$200 per license period (license type code 1004)not stated in the published fee schedule2026-09-12
Contractor Business LicenseDelaware Division of Revenue$75 a year, the same base rate as the general business license, taxed further on gross receipts at 0.6472%annual2026-09-04
Plumbing or HVACR Licenseonly if it applies to youDelaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners$173 for a Master Plumber or Master HVACR license2 years — licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years, terminating outright if not renewed within a year past expiration2026-09-04
Electrician Licenseonly if it applies to youDelaware Board of Electrical Examiners, Division of Professional Regulation$42–$203 by classification — Master $203, Limited $127, Journeyperson or Residential $105, Apprentice $100, Homeowner Permit $422 years — licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years2026-09-04

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Wilmington

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building PermitCity of Wilmington Department of Land Use and PlanningVaries — formula on the Wilmington pageone-time, per project; expiration not separately stated in the published schedule2026-09-12
Zoning Board of Adjustment Variance Applicationonly if it applies to youCity of Wilmington Department of Land Use and PlanningVaries — formula on the Wilmington pageone-time per application; a variance once granted gives the applicant six months to apply for a building permit2026-09-12
Fire Protection Plan ReviewWilmington Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office (Fire Prevention Division)Varies — formula on the Wilmington pageone-time, per project; required at least prior to beginning work2026-09-12

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

DE registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to youDelaware Department of State, Division of Corporations$110 one-time filingperpetual, but a flat $300 tax is owed every year2026-09-04
Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to youDelaware Department of State, Division of Corporations$109 minimum one-time filing; rises with a larger authorized-share structureperpetual, but an annual report and franchise tax are due every year2026-09-04
LLC Annual Taxonly if it applies to youDelaware Department of State, Division of Corporations$300 a year, flatannual — due every June 12026-09-04
Business LicenseDelaware Division of Revenue$75 a year for most classifications, $90 for general retailers; each additional location adds $25 or $40annual, expiring December 31 — a 3-year license may be bought after the first year at exactly three times the annual fee2026-09-04
Annual Report and Franchise Taxonly if it applies to youDelaware Department of State, Division of CorporationsVaries — formula on the DE pageannual — due every March 12026-09-04

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Wilmington?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a contractor or trade in Wilmington, DE, 5 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 5 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $350.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Electrician License: $42–$203 by classification — Master $203, Limited $127, Journeyperson or Residential $105, Apprentice $100, Homeowner Permit $42

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Wilmington permits page and the DE state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Wilmington?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Wilmington, DE come from 7 separate offices: City of Wilmington Department of Land Use and Planning, City of Wilmington Department of Finance, Wage/Business License Division, Wilmington Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office (Fire Prevention Division), Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations, Delaware Division of Revenue, Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners, Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners, Division of Professional Regulation. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Wilmington that other businesses do not?

4 of the 4 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Wilmington: City of Wilmington Business License — Contractor/Subcontractor, Contractor Business License, Plumbing or HVACR License and Electrician License.

City of Wilmington Business License — Contractor/Subcontractor

The City's fee table prints the Construction category's fourteen fee values immediately before the category header rather than beside each code; read in order against the category's fourteen codes, Contractor/Subcontractor (code 1004) carries $200.00 (the figure is not printed directly beside its own line item). This City license is layered on top of Delaware's own state Contractor Business License ($75.00/year, recorded at the state layer). Air Conditioning, Boiler Installation, Heating, Plumbing, and Mechanical/Refrigeration Contractors must additionally pass a City-administered Trade Test through Land Use & Planning before this City license issues — a further local credentialing layer beyond Delaware's own state Board of Electrical Examiners and Board of Plumbing/HVACR Examiners licenses.

Contractor Business License

Contractors license through the same Division of Revenue business license system as any other business, at the identical $75 base rate. A non-resident contractor faces an additional requirement the rest of this license category does not: registering with the Department of Labor's Industrial Accident Board before a license issues, and posting a bond, cash bond or letter of credit equal to 6% of the contract amount.

Plumbing or HVACR License

Delaware licenses plumbing and HVACR work under a single combined board rather than two separate ones, and prices a Master Plumber and a Master HVACR license identically at $173. Unlike most licenses here, there is no grace period at all past the one-year lapse window — the license simply terminates.

Electrician License

A Master Electrician's $203 license costs roughly twice a Journeyperson's or Residential Electrician's $105, on a shared two-year cycle expiring every even year. Continuing education runs alongside it — 10 hours per cycle for Master and Limited license holders, 5 hours for Journeyperson and Residential.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Wilmington, DE; what each one involves is set out on the Wilmington permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across DE and are covered on the DE state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Wilmington?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs City of Wilmington Business License — Contractor/Subcontractor, Contractor Business License, Plumbing or HVACR License and Electrician License. A auto repair shop needs Sign Permit (erection permit plus annual maintenance renewal), City of Wilmington Business License — Gas Station/Auto Repair, Auto Body Shop Air Quality Permit and Auto Repair Shop License — Delaware position (general business license applies), which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Wilmington, DE, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops4044
Childcare centres2042
Coffee shops5045
Fitness studios2042
Food trucks5045
Restaurants5045
Retail stores2042
Salons and barbers3043
Veterinary clinics3043

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Wilmington permits page and the DE state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. City of Wilmington Application for Business License, fee table effective 1/1/2024 (~90 named license-type codes)City of Wilmington, Department of Finance, Wage/Business License Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  2. Delaware Division of Revenue — resident and non-resident contractor licensing and bonding requirementsDelaware Division of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  3. Delaware Division of Revenue — detailed list of license fees and gross receipts tax rates by classificationDelaware Division of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  4. Delaware Board of Plumbing, HVACR Examiners — license fees, expiring October 31 of even yearsDelaware Division of Professional Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  5. Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners — license fees by classificationDelaware Division of Professional Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  6. Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners — continuing education and renewal cycleDelaware Division of Professional Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.