Indiana Masonry License Requirements (2026)

Indiana has no statewide masonry-contractor license. The State’s Business Owner’s Guide identifies plumbers as the only construction contractors licensed by Indiana and explains that contractor licensing outside that scope is local. Masonry contractors must therefore verify the contractor-registration, permit, insurance, bond, inspection, and code requirements of the city or county where work occurs. Indianapolis-Marion County uses a general-contractor listing for construction that is not reserved to its separately licensed electrical, heating-and-cooling, wrecking, or state-licensed plumbing trades; another Indiana jurisdiction can use a different process. Masonry work also requires job-specific safety compliance, including applicable respirable-crystalline-silica controls, and EPA RRP requirements for covered lead-paint-disturbing renovation work.

Who Regulates This Work

Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — City of Indianapolis / Marion County (BNS) is the primary authority or official reference used for this guide. The controlling authority cited here is Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County, Chapter 875 (Contractors) and Chapter 871 (Electrical). BNS issues municipal contractor, electrical, and HVAC licenses for Indianapolis and Marion County. Indiana has no state license for these trades, so BNS is the dominant licensing authority for Central Indiana.

• Official reference: https://www.indy.gov/agency/department-of-business-and-neighborhood-services
• Address: 1200 Madison Avenue, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46225
• Phone: (317) 327-8700

State and Local Eligibility Rules

There is no single statewide application for this work, so this guide does not impose a uniform applicant-age, identification, or tax-number rule. Check the business, specialty-trade, and local authorities that govern the actual project. No statewide masonry-contractor credential exists. Local contractor-registration and permit rules vary by jurisdiction.

State-level applicant screening

Not applicable to a statewide masonry license because Indiana issues none.

Background-check requirements

Not applicable to a statewide masonry license; a local registration program may set its own requirements.

Experience and Scope Requirements

No single statewide year-based experience threshold governs the local or scope-specific path described here. The controlling requirement is No statewide masonry experience requirement applies. A local registration, project owner, or public contract can set its own qualification requirements..

Relevant records and local documents

• Local registration or permit documents when required for the project
• EPA RRP firm and certified-renovator documentation for covered work

Testing Requirements

There is no single statewide trade examination for the local or scope-specific path described here. The applicable testing rule is: Indiana has no statewide masonry-contractor examination. Verify any local examination requirement directly with the project jurisdiction.

Examination fee: No statewide masonry examination fee. Local registration, permit, and EPA RRP costs vary by scope and jurisdiction.

Retake policy: Not applicable to a statewide masonry license.

Insurance, Bonds, and Project Requirements

No statewide contractor-license bond applies to the local or scope-specific path described here. A city, county, permit authority, public owner, or project contract may still require a bond, so confirm the actual project requirements before bidding.

General liability

Indiana sets no statewide masonry-contractor liability or bond minimum. The local registration, project owner, lender, or contract may require insurance or a bond. Indianapolis’s general-contractor listing includes a $10,000 surety-bond requirement; verify the current filing requirements with BNS before applying.

Workers' compensation

Indiana employers must obtain workers’ compensation coverage. A construction independent contractor can seek a statutory exemption only through the Indiana certification process and must still provide coverage for employees.

Financial or filing requirements

No statewide financial-statement requirement for masonry was identified.

State and Local Fees

To budget for the applicable registration, permits, insurance, and project requirements, open the cost calculator preloaded for Indiana masonry.

Renewal and Ongoing Compliance

The Indiana Masonry — No State License (Local Contractor Registration) runs on a year renewal cycle. There is no single statewide renewal fee for this path; local and scope-specific charges vary by authority. There is no statewide masonry-license renewal. Local registrations and permits have their own terms.

Continuing education: There is no statewide masonry CE requirement. Follow the renewal or refresher rules for each local registration and EPA RRP credential actually held.

Out-of-State Credentials and Local Recognition

Indiana has no single statewide credential for this path to transfer through NASCLA. An authority may consider an outside license, examination, or experience record only under its own current rules.

No statewide license exists to reciprocate. A local registration may recognize another local credential, but that is a jurisdiction-specific rule.

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 Indiana's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before bidding or beginning work:

• Illinois Masonry License Requirements — Illinois Masonry Contractor Licensing — Municipal Framework
• Kentucky Masonry License Requirements — Kentucky Masonry Contractor Requirements — Local Rules
• Michigan Masonry License Requirements — Michigan Residential Builder / Maintenance & Alteration Contractor (Masonry) — LARA
• Ohio Masonry License Requirements — Ohio Masonry — Local Registration Only (No State License)

Step-by-Step Compliance Roadmap

1. Set up the business as needed. Complete entity and tax registrations appropriate to the business and obtain an EIN when needed.
2. Check the rules for each project jurisdiction. Confirm the current contractor-registration, permit, insurance, bond, zoning, inspection, and code requirements with the city or county where masonry will occur.
3. Use the correct local contractor path. In Indianapolis-Marion County, review the current general-contractor listing and permit process. Do not apply electrical, HVAC, wrecking, or plumbing licensing rules to ordinary masonry unless that regulated work is also within scope.
4. Meet insurance and workers’ compensation obligations. Maintain any local or contract-required bond or insurance. Cover employees under Indiana workers’ compensation or follow the statutory independent-contractor exemption process when eligible.
5. Implement silica and masonry safety controls. Use the applicable respirable-crystalline-silica controls, including a written exposure-control plan when required, and address falls, scaffold, lifting, and mortar-related hazards.
6. Complete EPA RRP requirements for covered renovation work. For paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities, ensure the firm is EPA-certified and the work is directed by a certified renovator, unless an EPA exemption applies.
7. Maintain the credentials that apply. Track the renewal terms for each local registration, permit authorization, and EPA RRP credential held; there is no statewide masonry-license renewal.

Pre-Work Checklist

Before bidding or beginning work, confirm each item below with the authorities that govern the project location and scope:

• Business and tax registrations appropriate to the entity
• Local contractor-registration, permit, insurance, and bond review for each project jurisdiction
• Workers’ compensation coverage or independent-contractor exemption review
• Applicable silica exposure-control plan and job-specific safety procedures
• EPA Lead-Safe Firm and certified-renovator credentials for covered RRP work

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your compliance work is in progress.

Common Compliance Mistakes

The issues below are the most likely to create an unlicensed-work, registration, permit, or scope problem for Indiana Masonry work, based on the official sources cited on this page.

Assuming Indiana has a statewide mason credential

Indiana does not issue one. Confirm the city or county registration and permit rules before bidding or starting work.

Applying a regulated-trade license to ordinary masonry

Electrical, HVAC, wrecking, and plumbing work can require separate credentials. Ordinary masonry does not become one of those trades merely because it is part of the project.

Letting a local listing, bond, or insurance lapse

A local jurisdiction or contract can require current documentation before a permit is issued or work proceeds. Track each separate requirement.

Ignoring silica exposure controls

Masonry work can generate respirable crystalline silica. Apply the controls, respiratory protection, training, and written exposure-control plan required for the actual task.

Using generic code details instead of the approved design

Follow the applicable code, approved plans, engineering, and inspector direction for the project rather than a generalized tie, spacing, or material claim.

Official References and Preparation Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

• Indiana Business Owner’s Guide — State of Indiana. Statewide and local contractor-licensing overview.
• Indianapolis Contractor Licenses — City of Indianapolis. Current local contractor-listing information.
• OSHA Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction — U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Construction silica standard and compliance requirements.

Other Indiana Trade Licenses

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Indiana have a state masonry license?

No. Indiana does not issue a statewide masonry-contractor license. Contractor registration and permitting are local matters.

What does Indianapolis require?

Indianapolis-Marion County uses a general-contractor listing for construction that does not require one of its separate electrical, HVAC, wrecking, or state plumbing credentials. Review BNS’s current listing, bond, insurance, and permit instructions for the exact project.

Is an Indianapolis listing valid in other cities?

There is no statewide masonry license. Check the receiving jurisdiction’s current rules; it may require its own registration or may have a recognition policy.

Does Indiana enforce OSHA silica requirements?

Indiana’s IOSHA is the state occupational-safety enforcement agency. Masonry employers must comply with applicable construction silica requirements, including exposure-control measures and a written plan when required by the federal construction standard.

Do masonry code details vary by project?

Yes. The building code, permit documents, engineered design, and inspector determine the project requirements. Do not use a generic masonry-detail claim in place of the approved plans and applicable code.

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