11 permits · verified 2026-09-06
What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Evansville?
In short
A contractor or trade in Evansville, IN has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paper for the articles of incorporation. 3 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Evansville
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractor Certificate of Registration | Evansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission | Building Contractor $360 new / $210 renewal; Unlimited Roofing Contractor $360 new / $210 renewal; Residential Contractor $210 new / $150 renewal; specialty contractor categories (fire sprinkler, pool, framing, concrete, masonry, drywall, siding/gutters, etc.) $180 new / $90 renewal; Tradesman Master License $300 new / $125 renewal; Tradesman Journeyman $35 new / $25 renewal; Apprentice $25/year (years 1–5), $35 (year 6+); registering an out-of-jurisdiction state license $25–$60; Special Sub-Contractor $300 one-time. A late fee of $25 applies after January 31. | annual — 3 hours of continuing education required for renewal | 2026-09-06 |
| General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Positiononly if it applies to you | Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
| Plumbing Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to you | Indiana Plumbing Commission, Professional Licensing Agency | $100 biennial renewal; the initial license is $50 in an odd year or $100 in an even one, plus a $50 examination fee where the commission administers the exam | 2 years — expires 31 December of each odd-numbered year | 2026-09-03 |
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 Evansville
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | Evansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission | Varies — formula on the Evansville page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
| General Business License — Evansville Municipal Code Title 5 Positiononly if it applies to you | Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-06 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | Evansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission | No fee | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-06 |
| Improvement Location Permit (zoning) | Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission | Varies — formula on the Evansville page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
IN registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paper | no expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Entity Reportonly if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $32 every two years online; $50 on paper — a nonprofit pays $22 online or $20 on paper | biennial — due on the month and day the business was formed | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paper | no expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — State of Indiana Positiononly if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
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 Evansville?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a contractor or trade in Evansville, IN, 4 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.
3 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Contractor Certificate of Registration: Building Contractor $360 new / $210 renewal; Unlimited Roofing Contractor $360 new / $210 renewal; Residential Contractor $210 new / $150 renewal; specialty contractor categories (fire sprinkler, pool, framing, concrete, masonry, drywall, siding/gutters, etc.) $180 new / $90 renewal; Tradesman Master License $300 new / $125 renewal; Tradesman Journeyman $35 new / $25 renewal; Apprentice $25/year (years 1–5), $35 (year 6+); registering an out-of-jurisdiction state license $25–$60; Special Sub-Contractor $300 one-time. A late fee of $25 applies after January 31.
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Evansville permits page and the IN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Evansville?
Permits for a contractor or trade in Evansville, IN come from 5 separate offices: Evansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission, Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Indiana Plumbing Commission, Professional Licensing Agency. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Evansville-Vanderburgh Building CommissionIssues 3 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Contractor Certificate of Registration(812) 436-7867www.evansvillegov.org
- Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan CommissionIssues 2 permits on this page: General Business License — Evansville Municipal Code Title 5 Position, Improvement Location Permit (zoning)1 N.W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Room 312, Evansville, IN 47708 · (812) 435-5226www.evansvillegov.org
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, State Board of Cosmetology and Barber ExaminersIssues 1 permit on this page: General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Position402 West Washington Street, Room W072, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · (317) 232-2960www.in.gov/pla/professions/cosmetology-and-barber-home
- Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Business Entity Report, Articles of Organization (LLC), General Business License — State of Indiana Position302 West Washington Street, Room E018, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · (317) 234-9768inbiz.in.gov
- Indiana Plumbing Commission, Professional Licensing AgencyIssues 1 permit on this page: Plumbing Contractor License402 West Washington Street, Room W072, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · (317) 234-8800www.in.gov/pla/professions
What does a contractor or trade need in Evansville that other businesses do not?
3 of the 3 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Evansville: Contractor Certificate of Registration, General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Position and Plumbing Contractor License.
Contractor Certificate of Registration
Requires a $25,000 surety bond payable to the City of Evansville, plus general liability insurance ($1,000,000 for most master licenses, $500,000 for residential contractors, $300,000 for specialty contractors) and proof of workers' compensation or an exemption affidavit.
General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Position
There is no state fee to record here. The State of Indiana's Business Owner's Guide states that the only construction contractors licensed by the State of Indiana are plumbers, and that contractor licensing for everyone else is a local option that varies by city and county. The Professional Licensing Agency's professions page lists about forty regulated professions, and that list names no general contractor, builder, remodeler, roofer, electrician or HVAC license. Among construction trades, the professions title of the Indiana Code (title 25) has articles only for plumbers, water well drilling contractors and manufactured home installers. The state adopts an electrical code, but adopting a code is not licensing anyone. Everything therefore turns on the city or county, and a contractor crossing municipal lines can need several licenses.
Plumbing Contractor License
Plumbing is the only construction trade Indiana licenses, so this record carries more weight than its size suggests. The initial issuance fee is halved in an odd-numbered year because every license expires on 31 December of an odd year, so a license bought in an even year buys only about one year of validity. A journeyman pays $30 to renew and an apprentice $10 a year. Indiana offers no plumbing reciprocity with any other state for either journeyman or contractor. The trades Indiana does not license are the notable part — see the separate record.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Evansville, IN; what each one involves is set out on the Evansville permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across IN and are covered on the IN state page.
How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Evansville?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Contractor Certificate of Registration, General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Position and Plumbing Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Protection System Permits, Sign Permit and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — State of Indiana Position, which a contractor or trade does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a contractor or trade | Only a contractor or trade needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
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 Evansville permits page and the IN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Evansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission — Contractor License FeesEvansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Evansville Municipal Code section 5.70, ContractorsCity of Evansville · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — the complete list of professions it regulates, which contains no general contractor, electrical or HVAC entryIndiana Professional Licensing Agency · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Indiana Business Owner's GuideState of Indiana · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- 860 IAC 1-1-2.1 — plumbing license examination, issuance and biennial renewal fees (current Indiana Administrative Code)Indiana Plumbing Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.