Arkansas Concrete Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Arkansas regulates concrete work through a broader contractor-license structure rather than a separate concrete board. Commercial rules list Concrete and Base and Paving > Concrete Paving specialties; commercial licensing applies at $50,000 including labor and materials. On a single-family residence, a Home Improvement license is generally required for specialty work over $2,000, subject to statutory exemptions.

Who Issues the Arkansas Concrete Contractor License?

Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board and Residential Contractors Committee (ACLB / RCC) issues and enforces the Arkansas concrete contractor license. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 17-25-101 et seq. (commercial contractors), 17-25-401 et seq. (contractors bond law), and 17-25-501 et seq. (residential contractors); 17 CAR Parts 255 and 295. The Contractors Licensing Board licenses commercial contractors and administers the Contractors Bond Law. Its Residential Contractors Committee administers residential builder, remodeler, and home-improvement licensing and classifications.

Official portal: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board and Residential Contractors Committee
Address: 4100 Richards Road, North Little Rock, AR 72117
Phone: (501) 372-4661

Arkansas Concrete Contractor License Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. Use the cited state or local route for business-entity, identity, and residency requirements.

Good moral character

Use the current application for the selected concrete route; it sets any character or disclosure requirements, and there is no separate concrete-specific standard.

Background investigation

Follow the actual issuing authority’s current application and disclosure rules; no universal concrete-specific fingerprint rule is stated here.

How Much Experience Do You Need for an Arkansas Concrete Contractor License?

Commercial applicants must demonstrate qualifications for the requested specialty. Residential specialty applicants demonstrate appropriate verifiable specialty experience, three references, or an appropriate examination.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Current ACLB commercial or residential application
Classification, experience, reference, examination, financial, and insurance records required for the selected route

Arkansas Concrete Contractor Exam Requirements

The examination requirement has not been established in this record. Confirm it with the authority before applying. Provider or process notes: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board / Residential Contractors Committee.

Examination fee: Confirm current commercial or residential application and testing fees with ACLB.

Retake policy: Testing and exemption rules depend on the commercial or residential path and classification selected.

Arkansas Concrete Contractor Insurance and Bond Requirements

The cited sources do not require a license surety bond for the Arkansas concrete contractor license, but a permit, contract, or public-works bond can still apply to a given job, so confirm bonding before you bid.

General liability

Commercial and residential Arkansas concrete routes have different current financial, bond, and insurance requirements. Confirm the selected ACLB or Residential Contractors Committee path rather than applying a generic trade limit.

Workers' compensation

Provide workers’ compensation documentation or the applicable certificate/exemption required for the actual contractor path.

How Much Does an Arkansas Concrete Contractor License Cost?

Fee	Amount
Application	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Initial license	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Renewal (every year)	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Arkansas concrete contractor.

Arkansas Concrete Contractor License Renewal and Continuing Education

The Arkansas concrete contractor license renews every year. The cited sources list no separate statewide renewal fee for the Arkansas concrete contractor license. Use ACLB’s current renewal instructions for the commercial or residential credential actually held.

Does Arkansas Accept Out-of-State Concrete Contractor Licenses?

Arkansas does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for the Arkansas concrete contractor license.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

Use ACLB’s current reciprocity and qualification rules for the selected commercial or residential path; there is no standalone concrete reciprocity program.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Concrete Contractor license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

How to Get an Arkansas Concrete Contractor License, Step by Step

Identify the governing concrete route. Use the ACLB commercial Concrete or Concrete Paving specialty, or the applicable residential route, based on project type and value.
Use the official application materials. Confirm the current classification, threshold, coverage, entity, fee, and qualifying-party requirements in the cited official materials.
Obtain project approvals. Complete the local permit, plan-review, inspection, and separately regulated-trade requirements before starting work.
Assemble the project-specific file. Keep the classification or registration record, insurance or bond evidence, contract scope, and the documents required by Arkansas's permitting authority together before applying for a permit or beginning work.
Keep state authority and project approval aligned. Do not let a broad contractor credential, registration, or specialty label substitute for the actual project permit, plan review, inspection, or separately licensed trade requirement.

Application Checklist

Have each of these ready before you file with ACLB / RCC:

Match the actual concrete scope, project type, and value to the cited state or local route
Complete the current business, registration, classification, bond, insurance, or qualifying-party requirements that apply
Confirm local permits, plans, inspections, and any separately regulated work before bidding
Project scope, value, and work location matched to the actual state route
Permit, inspection, zoning, right-of-way, and separately regulated-trade requirements confirmed

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the problems most likely to delay or derail a Arkansas Concrete Contractor application, drawn from the instructions of ACLB / RCC and the other sources cited on this page.

Using a different contractor classification

Concrete, paving, and broader contractor classifications can have different scopes. Use the official scope for the actual work.

Skipping the local project authority

State registration or a state classification does not replace local permits, inspections, or project-specific approval requirements.

Bidding outside the actual concrete scope

A classification, registration, or exemption must match the particular concrete scope and project facts; it is not blanket authority for unrelated or separately regulated work.

Study and Reference Materials

These references are cited in the Arkansas sources for this guide or commonly used to prepare for concrete work; CLR receives no compensation for listing them.

Arkansas Code of Rules — Commercial Classification and Experience — Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board and Residential Contractors Committee. Use this primary source to confirm the current concrete route and project-specific requirements.
Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board — Residential Application Guidance — Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board and Residential Contractors Committee. Use this primary source to confirm the current concrete route and project-specific requirements.
Arkansas Code of Rules — Residential Experience — Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board and Residential Contractors Committee. Use this primary source to confirm the current concrete route and project-specific requirements.

Concrete Contractor Pay and Employment in Arkansas

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 1,900 cement masons and concrete finishers work in Arkansas, earning a median of $46,230 a year ($22.23 an hour). That is 19% below the national median of $57,020, ranking 48th of 51 jurisdictions BLS published. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $34,260 and the top 10% earn over $59,340. The trade's share of Arkansas's workforce is close to the national average (location quotient 1.10).

Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers wages, Arkansas compared with the United States, May 2025
Measure	Arkansas	United States
Median annual wage	$46,230	$57,020
Median hourly wage	$22.23	$27.41
10th–90th percentile	$34,260–$59,340	$39,190–$85,480
Employment	1,900	206,170

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 47-2051 (Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers). Figures cover wage and salary employees and exclude self-employed owners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Arkansas have a separate concrete contractor license?

What route applies to this concrete project?

Use the ACLB commercial Concrete or Concrete Paving specialty, or the applicable residential route, based on project type and value.

Do permits still matter?

Yes. Confirm the project jurisdiction’s permit, plan-review, inspection, and separately regulated-trade requirements.

Does the statewide route replace local concrete permits or approvals?

No. The statewide route described here is separate from the permit, inspection, zoning, right-of-way, and project-specific contractor requirements set by Arkansas's permitting authority.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-08 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-07

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Corrections and updates

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Layout changes shared by every guide are listed in the template change log; they do not change source-check dates.

Concrete Contractor Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Arkansas's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Louisiana Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Louisiana Concrete Contractor — Concrete Construction / Related LSLBC Classifications
Mississippi Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Mississippi Concrete Contractor — MSBOC Concrete / Concrete Paving Specialty Classifications
Missouri Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Missouri Concrete Contractor — No Standalone State Concrete License
Oklahoma Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Oklahoma Concrete Contractor — Local Licensing Framework
Tennessee Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Tennessee Concrete Contractor — Classification and Monetary-Limit Path
Texas Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Texas Concrete Contractor — Local Licensing Framework

More guides for Arkansas contractors

Other Arkansas Trade Licenses

CLR also publishes these Arkansas licensing guides for other trades: