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10 permits · verified 2026-10-15

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Lake County In?

In short

No permit applies to every contractor or trade in Lake County In, IN. All 10 depend on your premises, the work you do or how you are set up. Lake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building Department charges $300 with the application: the $50 application and processing fee plus the $250 initial examination fee under Ord. 1628 Sec. 3-1(p), which the 2026 Contractor Licensing Packet totals as an Application and Examination fee of $300. A second examination after a failed first one is $50; initial issuance of the license is $100; annual renewal is $50 plus a $25 processing fee (Sec. 3-1-1(e)). Before issuance the applicant files a $5,000 Unified License Bond with the Lake County Recorder and proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence or a $1,000,000 annual umbrella policy for the contractor and specialty contractor license (unincorporated lake county contractors board of licensing). 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-15 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Lake County In

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Contractor and Specialty Contractor License (Unincorporated Lake County Contractors Board of Licensing)only if it applies to youLake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building Department$300 with the application: the $50 application and processing fee plus the $250 initial examination fee under Ord. 1628 Sec. 3-1(p), which the 2026 Contractor Licensing Packet totals as an Application and Examination fee of $300. A second examination after a failed first one is $50; initial issuance of the license is $100; annual renewal is $50 plus a $25 processing fee (Sec. 3-1-1(e)). Before issuance the applicant files a $5,000 Unified License Bond with the Lake County Recorder and proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence or a $1,000,000 annual umbrella policycalendar year; all licenses expire at midnight December 31 (Ord. 1628 Sec. 3-1-1(a))2026-10-15
General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Positiononly if it applies to youIndiana Professional Licensing Agency, State Board of Cosmetology and Barber ExaminersNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-03
Plumbing Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youIndiana 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 exam2 years — expires 31 December of each odd-numbered year2026-09-03

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 Lake County In

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Disposal Permit (Lake County Health Department)only if it applies to youLake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions)Varies — formula on the Lake County In pageper installation or repair2026-10-15
Commercial Building Permit, Inspections and Certificate of Occupancy (Unincorporated Lake County)only if it applies to youLake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the Lake County In pagetwo years from the date of issuance (Building Code No. 18 § 12, Ord. 2158 approved 9/12/06); one renewal if requested and paid before expiry2026-10-15
Zoning Applications under Unified Development Ordinance No. 2560 (Unincorporated Lake County)only if it applies to youLake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the Lake County In pageper application2026-10-15

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paperno expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years2026-09-03
Business Entity Reportonly if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$32 every two years online; $50 on paper — a nonprofit pays $22 online or $20 on paperbiennial — due on the month and day the business was formed2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paperno expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years2026-09-03
General Business License — State of Indiana Positiononly if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-03

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 Lake County In?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a contractor or trade in Lake County In, IN, 0 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all.

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lake County In permits page and the IN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Lake County In?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Lake County In, IN come from 5 separate offices: Lake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building Department, Lake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions), 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.

What does a contractor or trade need in Lake County In 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 Lake County In: Contractor and Specialty Contractor License (Unincorporated Lake County Contractors Board of Licensing), General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Position and Plumbing Contractor License.

Contractor and Specialty Contractor License (Unincorporated Lake County Contractors Board of Licensing)

Under Lake County Contractor Licensing Ordinance No. 1628 Sec. 3-1, any business entity that conducts business in unincorporated Lake County as a contractor or specialty contractor must be licensed by the Unincorporated Lake County Contractors Board of Licensing, which the Plan Commission administers. The application, on the Board's forms, names one individual as the License Holder, carries two character recommendations from unrelated county residents and two passport-type photographs, and the applicant must pass the Board's written examination; under Sec. 3-1(g) plumbers holding a valid Indiana Plumbing Contractor's License, and other professions examined and licensed by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, are not required to take the written test but must still be licensed by the Board. As set in Ord. 1628 Sec. 3-1(p), the application and processing fee is $50 and the initial examination fee $250, which the 2026 Contractor Licensing Packet (posted on the county's Contractor Licensing page) states together as a $300 Application and Examination fee; a second examination is $50 and initial issuance $100. Before a license issues, the applicant files a $5,000 Unified License Bond with the Lake County Recorder (Sec. 3-1(j)) and proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence or a $1,000,000 umbrella policy (Sec. 3-1(k)). Licenses expire at midnight December 31; renewal costs $50 plus a $25 processing fee. Contracting without a license brings an immediate $500 fine. Plan Commission: (219) 755-3700.

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 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Lake County In, IN; what each one involves is set out on the Lake County In 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 Lake County In?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Contractor and Specialty Contractor License (Unincorporated Lake County Contractors Board of Licensing), General Contractor, Electrical and HVAC Licensing — State of Indiana Position and Plumbing Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs Weights and Measures Location License (Lake County Weights & Measures Department) and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — State of Indiana Position, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Lake County In, IN, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2032
Childcare centres1031
Coffee shops5035
Fitness studios1031
Food trucks3033
Restaurants6036
Retail stores2032
Salons and barbers1031
Veterinary clinics1031

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 Lake County In permits page and the IN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Contractor Licensing Ordinance No. 1628 (amended through Amendment #2312, August 10, 2010)Lake County, Indiana · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15
  2. 2026 Contractor Licensing PacketLake County Plan Commission, Indiana · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15
  3. Contractor LicensingLake County Plan Commission, Indiana · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15
  4. 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
  5. Indiana Business Owner's GuideState of Indiana · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  6. 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.