Arkansas Masonry License Requirements (2026)

Arkansas treats masonry as a specialty classification, but the proper statewide credential depends on the job. The Contractors Licensing Board says a commercial license is required when a commercial project reaches $50,000, including labor and materials; masonry is listed in the current commercial classifications. On a single-family residence, masonry is listed among the Residential Contractors Committee’s specialty classifications, and the Board directs contractors performing specialty work above $2,000 to the Home Improvement license route unless the broader residential builder or remodeler scope applies. State licensing does not replace local permits, inspections, zoning, or separately regulated trade requirements.

Regulatory Body

Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board and Residential Contractors Committee (ACLB / RCC) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under 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: https://labor.arkansas.gov/licensing/arkansas-contractors-licensing-board/apply-for-contractors-license-registration/
• Address: 4100 Richards Road, North Little Rock, AR 72117
• Phone: (501) 372-4661

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. No Arkansas-residency condition was identified in the current Board materials reviewed. Use the current application for the selected commercial or residential route and complete any business-registration requirements that apply to the entity.

Good moral character

The Board and Residential Contractors Committee review qualifications under their respective laws and rules. Follow the current application and any criminal-history, discipline, or waiver instructions rather than assuming a masonry-specific standard.

Background investigation

Use the current ACLB or Residential Contractors Committee application instructions. This audit does not treat a criminal-history disclosure as a statewide fingerprint requirement for masonry contractors.

Experience and Education

The sources cited here stop short of naming a year requirement; the operative standard is No universal two-year masonry-experience threshold was identified. Commercial applications are evaluated for qualifications including experience, ability, past performance, financial condition, equipment, and other criteria. Residential licensing uses the Committee’s applicable experience, reference, or examination routes for the credential requested..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Current commercial or residential application and classification request
• Qualifying-party, experience, reference, or examination documentation required for the selected route
• Financial, bond, and workers’ compensation documentation required by the Board or Committee

Education substitution

No statewide masonry-specific education substitution was identified. Use the current ACLB or Residential Contractors Committee requirements for the credential and classification sought.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board / Residential Contractors Committee testing process. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

• Board-required business and law examination for the requested license or qualifying party, unless an official exemption applies — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: The Board’s application page requires a business and law test for new commercial, residential builder, and residential remodeler applications. Confirm whether the selected masonry specialty route requires testing, and obtain the current fee and testing instructions from ACLB before scheduling.

Retake policy: Follow the current Board or Committee testing instructions. No masonry-specific NASCLA examination, score, or retake rule was substantiated in this audit.

Insurance and Bonds

Before the license is issued, the applicant must file a $10,000 contractor license surety bond in the form prescribed by the ACLB / RCC.

General liability

No universal Arkansas masonry-contractor general-liability minimum was identified in the Board’s current commercial or residential materials. A local authority, owner, lender, insurer, or contract can require coverage separately.

Workers' compensation

ACLB asks commercial licensees to provide a current workers’ compensation certificate if they have employees and expressly directs applicants to the Workers’ Compensation Commission or their insurer to determine legal coverage obligations. Confirm workforce status, coverage, and any certificate of noncoverage before filing.

Additional financial requirements

For commercial masonry, the rules distinguish unrestricted reviewed/audited financial statements from restricted compiled statements and set a $5,000 minimum business-related net worth for the Specialty classification; new applicants must have one-half of the minimum net worth in cash. The Board also offers an eligible bond in lieu of a commercial financial statement. Residential Builder and Unlimited Home Improvement applicants submit current balance-sheet information; verify the current residential classification, financial, and project-limit rules with the Committee.

Fee Schedule

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 masonry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

No one statewide renewal cycle governs the Arkansas Masonry Contractor Requirements — Commercial and Residential Classifications; the controlling schedule is the issuing board's or the local jurisdiction's. No separate statewide renewal fee is listed in the cited sources. Use the current ACLB renewal instructions for the license type. The Board says commercial, Residential Builder, and Unlimited Home Improvement renewals can require additional financial or bond information; local business and permit renewals are separate.

Continuing education: No universal Arkansas masonry continuing-education requirement was substantiated in the current ACLB and Residential Contractors Committee materials reviewed.

Reciprocity

For this classification, Arkansas does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Do not assume NASCLA or a named-state masonry reciprocity route. ACLB’s current reciprocal form lists specific conditions for designated qualifying parties, and the Board’s temporary-license process has its own requirements. Confirm the current form and classification before relying on another state’s credential or exam.

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

Masonry 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 Masonry License Requirements — Louisiana Commercial Masonry, Brick, Stone Subclassification (1.7) — LSLBC
• Mississippi Masonry License Requirements — Mississippi Certificate of Responsibility — Masonry, Brick and Stone (Commercial); Residential Remodeler/Builder When Applicable
• Missouri Masonry License Requirements — Missouri Masonry Contractor Requirements — Local Permits and Licensing
• Oklahoma Masonry License Requirements — Oklahoma Masonry Contractor — Local Requirements; No State Trade License
• Tennessee Masonry License Requirements — Tennessee Masonry Contractor License (BC-9 or Licensed Masonry Contractor)
• Texas Masonry License Requirements — Texas Masonry Contractor Requirements — Local Registration and Permits

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Classify the project before bidding. Identify whether the project is commercial or a single-family residence, whether the contract is prime or subcontract, the total cost including labor and materials, and the exact masonry scope. Those facts determine the Board or Committee route.
2. Use the correct statewide route. For commercial work at $50,000 or more, apply for the appropriate ACLB commercial license and masonry classification. A subcontractor working under a properly licensed commercial contractor may qualify for the Board’s subcontractor registration instead; a contractor with a direct owner contract is treated as a prime contractor. For single-family specialty masonry over $2,000, confirm the Home Improvement route; use Residential Builder or Residential Remodeler only when their broader construction/remodeling scope applies.
3. Select the qualifier and complete any testing. Use the current ACLB/RCC application to determine the qualifying party, required business and law examination, references, experience evidence, and any valid exemption. Do not rely on an unverified masonry trade examination claim.
4. Prepare financial responsibility materials. For commercial Specialty classification, provide the financial statement or eligible alternative required by the current rules. For residential work, provide the Committee’s current financial information for the chosen license type and project limit.
5. File the commercial bond when it applies. The Board’s current materials state that a $10,000 surety bond is needed for a commercial license. This bond is separate from an optional bond in lieu of a commercial financial statement; do not assume the commercial bond rule applies unchanged to single-family work.
6. Confirm workers’ compensation status. Provide the current documentation requested by ACLB and confirm coverage or noncoverage with the Workers’ Compensation Commission, insurer, or qualified adviser based on the business’s actual workforce.
7. Obtain local approvals. Check the city, county, or other authority having jurisdiction for masonry-related building permits, plans, structural review, inspections, zoning, business licensing, and adopted-code requirements before starting.
8. Renew and update the credential. Use the Board’s current renewal portal and instructions. Keep required financial, bond, workers’ compensation, classification, qualifier, and business-information records current, and do not let the license lapse while work is underway.

Application Checklist

Before submitting to ACLB / RCC, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

• Identify commercial versus single-family residential scope and total cost including labor and materials
• Determine whether the contract is prime work or qualifying subcontract work
• Choose the commercial masonry, residential Home Improvement, builder, remodeler, or subcontractor-registration route that fits the project
• Use the current ACLB/RCC application and verify qualifying-party, testing, experience, and reference requirements
• Provide commercial Specialty financial documentation or eligible alternative when applicable
• File the $10,000 commercial surety bond when required
• Confirm workers’ compensation coverage/noncoverage and provide requested evidence
• Obtain local permits, structural review, inspections, and business approvals for the project address

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the recurring mistakes that most often delay or reject a Arkansas Masonry application, based on the official instructions cited here.

Using the wrong threshold or project category

Commercial $50,000 licensing and single-family residential $2,000 licensing are different frameworks. Classify the property, scope, contract relationship, and total project cost before signing.

Assuming “masonry” automatically means a builder license

Masonry is a listed residential specialty, and the Home Improvement route can be the relevant path for specialty single-family work. Builder and remodeler licenses have different scopes.

Confusing commercial registration with a prime license

ACLB’s registration path is for subcontractors of properly licensed contractors. A direct contract with the owner is prime work and can require the appropriate commercial license.

Treating the $10,000 bond as the whole financial requirement

The commercial bond is separate from the financial-statement requirements or an eligible bond in lieu of a financial statement. Match the financial route to the requested classification.

Relying on a private or out-of-state test claim

Confirm the actual ACLB/RCC business and law, qualifier, specialty, and reciprocity requirements on the current application before paying for a course or exam.

Skipping local structural and permit review

State licensing does not replace locally administered permit, plan-review, inspection, zoning, or adopted-code requirements. Masonry walls, foundations, chimneys, fireplaces, and retaining structures can trigger different local reviews.

Study and Reference Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

• Arkansas commercial contractors law and rules — Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. Use the current classification, financial, bond, examination, and renewal rules for commercial masonry.
• Arkansas residential contractors law and rules — Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. Use the current specialty classifications and residential licensing routes for single-family masonry work.
• ACLB application and renewal materials — Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. Verify the current form, fee, testing, financial, bond, and qualifier instructions before filing.
• Project authority’s code and permit materials — Local authority having jurisdiction. Use the locally adopted code, structural-review, permit, and inspection rules for the actual project.

Other Arkansas Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these Arkansas licensing guides:

• Arkansas General Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Electrician License Requirements
• Arkansas Plumber License Requirements
• Arkansas HVAC Technician License Requirements
• Arkansas Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Painting Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Solar Installer License Requirements
• Arkansas Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• Arkansas Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Home Inspector License Requirements
• Arkansas Pool Contractor License Requirements
• Arkansas Handyman License Requirements
• Arkansas Pest Control License Requirements
• Arkansas Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Arkansas issue a masonry contractor classification?

Yes. Masonry is listed as a specialty classification in the current commercial and residential contractor rules. The appropriate commercial or residential credential still depends on the project type, cost, contract relationship, and scope.

When does commercial masonry need an Arkansas license?

ACLB says a commercial license is needed when a contractor performs $50,000 or more of work, including labor and materials, on a project that is not a single-family residence. The proper masonry classification must also be requested. A qualifying subcontractor working under a properly licensed contractor may use the Board’s registration route instead.

What license applies to masonry work on a single-family home?

For specialty work above $2,000, ACLB directs contractors to the Home Improvement license route; masonry is a listed residential specialty. A Residential Builder license is for building a single-family residence and also allows remodeling, while a Residential Remodeler license is for major structural changes or additions. Confirm the actual scope and any statutory exception with the Committee.

Is a $10,000 bond required for masonry contractors?

ACLB’s current forms page says a $10,000 surety bond is needed for a commercial license. It is distinct from a bond in lieu of a commercial financial statement. Verify the applicable bond rule for the exact commercial or residential credential before filing.

Does Arkansas require a NASCLA masonry exam?

This audit did not substantiate an Arkansas NASCLA masonry examination requirement or automatic NASCLA reciprocity. The Board’s application page identifies a business and law test for new commercial, Residential Builder, and Residential Remodeler applications; confirm the current testing requirement for the selected specialty route.

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