Maryland Concrete Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Regulatory Body

Authority over this credential rests with Maryland Department of Labor — Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (MD DOL), which issues and polices it under Maryland Code, Business Regulation and Business Occupations Articles. Licenses home-improvement contractors for covered existing-residential concrete work; it is not a statewide commercial concrete board.

Official portal: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/
Address: 1100 North Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 230-6231

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. MHIC publishes no general Maryland-residency requirement. Business entities and trade names must provide the applicable Maryland registration documents with the application.

See the official sources for this guide

Good moral character

Applicants must report qualifying felony or home-improvement-related misdemeanor convictions and provide the records MHIC requests.

Background investigation

MHIC’s published application requirements call for conviction disclosure; confirm current application instructions for any additional records.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 2 years of At least two years of home-improvement, construction, or related education is required for a contractor license., and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

MHIC experience record and supporting application documents

Education substitution

Related education may count toward the published two-year experience, construction, or related-education requirement.

Exam Requirements

PSI Examination Services for the Maryland Home Improvement Commission administers the required examination. Each part below must be passed before the license will issue:

MHIC contractor examination — 55 questions, 120 minutes , passing score 70%

Examination fee: $63 standard PSI examination fee.

Retake policy: After an unsuccessful attempt, wait 30 days before reapplying; later requests require a 60-day wait. Pay the exam fee for each attempt. A passing score expires if no license application is made within two years.

Insurance and Bonds

See the official sources for this guide

There is no statewide surety bond tied to this credential in the cited record. Bonding can still surface at the project level — permit, license, or public-works bonds — so check before you bid.

General liability

Maryland Business Regulation §8-302.1 requires at least $500,000 in general liability insurance for an applicant and licensed home-improvement contractor.

Workers' compensation

Confirm workers’ compensation obligations with the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission for the business’s staffing arrangement.

Additional financial requirements

MHIC reviews financial solvency using the scope and size of the business, assets, liabilities, credit report, and net worth. An applicant not meeting its guidelines may obtain an indemnitor or surety bond.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$303.75
Examination	$63
Initial license	$403.75
Renewal (every 2 years)	$456.25

See the official sources for this guide

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 Maryland concrete contractor.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Maryland Concrete Contractor — MHIC for Existing Residential Work / No Separate State Commercial Concrete License must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $456.25. Current renewal charges shown by MHIC are $281.25 application plus a $175 two-year Guaranty Fund assessment. Maintain required liability insurance.

Continuing education: MHIC’s published contractor requirements do not list a general continuing-education requirement; verify current renewal instructions before filing.

Reciprocity

See the official sources for this guide

Maryland grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

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

MHIC publishes no general reciprocity program for out-of-state masonry or home-improvement licenses. Meet the normal MHIC requirements unless MHIC confirms an applicable expedited military pathway.

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

Concrete Contractor Licensing in Neighboring States

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

Delaware Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Delaware Concrete Contractor — Statewide Registration / No Separate Concrete Classification
District of Columbia Concrete Contractor License Requirements — District of Columbia Concrete Contractor — No Standalone State Concrete License
Pennsylvania Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Pennsylvania Concrete Contractor — HIC / Local Framework
Virginia Concrete Contractor License Requirements — Virginia CEM Concrete Contracting — DPOR Board for Contractors
West Virginia Concrete Contractor License Requirements — West Virginia Concrete Contractor Classification

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Confirm MHIC-covered residential scope. Driveways, patios, sidewalks, foundations, and retaining walls at an existing residence can be home improvement; new-home construction is outside MHIC.
Complete the MHIC contractor path. Use the published experience, examination, financial-review, insurance, application, and renewal requirements only when contracting for MHIC-covered residential work.
Check commercial and local requirements separately. Commercial concrete has no separate state concrete credential in the reviewed sources; local permits and project requirements still apply.
Assemble the project-specific file. Keep the classification or registration record, insurance or bond evidence, contract scope, and the documents required by Maryland'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

Before submitting to MD DOL, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

Confirm whether the project falls under the actual state-level license or registration path that governs concrete work
Complete the business, insurance, exam, or registration requirements tied to that underlying path
Verify whether residential and commercial work follow different state rules
Check city, county, or local permit requirements before bidding the concrete project
Permit, inspection, zoning, right-of-way, and separately regulated-trade requirements confirmed

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost Maryland Concrete Contractor applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Applying MHIC to new construction or commercial work

MHIC is a home-improvement credential; confirm the actual project type before applying its requirements.

Treating a statewide starting point as complete project authority

A contractor can still be outside the applicable scope or permit rules even after completing the state registration, classification, or other initial requirement.

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

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.

MHIC contractor requirements — Maryland Home Improvement Commission. Use the current MHIC materials only for covered existing-residential work.

Other Maryland Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional Maryland trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Maryland issue a dedicated concrete contractor license?

No. Maryland does not issue a standalone state concrete contractor license.

What is the main state-level path for concrete contractors in Maryland?

For residential projects with homeowners, driveways, patios, sidewalks, and similar concrete work generally point to the Maryland Home Improvement Commission path rather than a concrete-only license.

Do local permits or local contractor cards still matter in Maryland?

Commercial concrete work still may require local permits or broader contracting compliance, but Maryland does not maintain a dedicated statewide commercial concrete credential.

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 Maryland'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 presentation updates

2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.