Michigan Masonry License Requirements (2026)

Michigan licenses residential builder and maintenance-and-alteration contracting through LARA under Article 24 of the Occupational Code. An Individual Residential Builder may build a complete residential structure and perform maintenance and alteration work. An M&A contractor is licensed in one or more selected trades, including masonry. Both initial paths require 60 hours of approved prelicensure education, application approval, and the applicable PSI examination. This is a residential-builder/M&A credential; confirm commercial and local permit requirements separately.

Regulatory Body

Authority over this credential rests with Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — Bureau of Construction Codes (LARA BCC), which issues and polices it under Michigan Occupational Code, MCL 339.2401 et seq. (Article 24 — Residential Builders); Skilled Trades Regulation Act, MCL 339.5101 et seq.. LARA Bureau of Construction Codes administers Michigan licensing for residential builders, electricians, plumbers, and mechanical contractors through its trade-specific boards, adopts the Michigan building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical codes, and conducts disciplinary proceedings.

• Official portal: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc
• Address: P.O. Box 30254, Lansing, MI 48909
• Phone: (517) 241-9313

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The current individual application requires a physical Michigan business address. An applicant using an out-of-state photo ID must also submit the current notarized Consent to Service of Process form.

Good moral character

The application requires the current good-moral-character and disciplinary disclosures; submit any additional documentation LARA requests.

Background investigation

Follow the current LARA application’s conviction and disciplinary disclosure instructions rather than relying on a fixed background-check claim.

Experience and Education

The cited source set does not publish a fixed year-based experience threshold for this credential. The controlling requirement is No state experience requirement, but applicants must complete a LARA-approved 60-hour prelicensure course covering business management, building code, and Michigan law before sitting for the exam..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• 60-hour LARA-approved prelicensure course completion certificate
• Current individual application, state-issued photo ID, and required Michigan business address information

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI, after LARA approves the M&A Masonry application. 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:

• Selected Maintenance & Alteration Contractor Masonry examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: LARA’s current initial application fee is $195. PSI reports a $70 one-portion charge for M&A trade examinations; confirm the current selected examination charge when scheduling.

Retake policy: Follow current LARA/PSI retesting instructions. Veterans using the prelicensure-course waiver must complete the 60 hours before retesting if they do not pass the first examination.

Insurance and Bonds

No license surety bond is mandated statewide here under the cited sources, though project-specific or public-works bonding obligations can still attach to a given job.

General liability

The current individual builder/M&A application materials reviewed do not list a statewide general-liability certificate as an initial application item. Project owners, companies, and local authorities may impose separate requirements.

Workers' compensation

Workers’ compensation obligations are separate from the individual LARA builder/M&A application. Verify coverage obligations with Michigan’s Workers’ Disability Compensation Agency for the actual workforce arrangement.

Additional financial requirements

No financial statement required.

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 Michigan masonry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Michigan Residential Builder / Maintenance & Alteration Contractor (Masonry) — LARA must be renewed every 3 years. The fee to renew is presently $150. Individual builder/M&A licenses renew every three years by May 31. LARA lists $150 renewal, $170 late renewal, and $185 relicensure fees.

Continuing education: First and second renewal cycles require 21 hours of approved CE. Third and later renewal cycles require three hours; retain records in case of audit.

Reciprocity

Michigan grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

The current application allows an out-of-state photo ID with a notarized Consent to Service of Process form, but it still requires the current Michigan application path. The reviewed materials do not identify a general reciprocity pathway.

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 Michigan's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

• Indiana Masonry License Requirements — Indiana Masonry — No State License (Local Contractor Registration)
• Ohio Masonry License Requirements — Ohio Masonry — Local Registration Only (No State License)
• Wisconsin Masonry License Requirements — Wisconsin Dwelling Contractor Certification (Masonry Scope)

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Complete the 60-hour prelicensure course. Complete the approved subjects before examination or application, including business, design/building science, contracts/risk, marketing, project management, Michigan Residential Code, MIOSHA standards, and electives.
2. Choose the license path. Select M&A Masonry for that listed trade, or Individual Residential Builder for a complete residential structure and maintenance/alteration work.
3. Submit the LARA individual application. Submit the current application, ID, course certificate, required Michigan business address, and $195 fee. An out-of-state ID requires the current Consent to Service of Process form.
4. Pass the applicable PSI examination. After LARA approval, schedule the selected M&A Masonry examination with PSI.
5. Meet company and project requirements. A company needs its own company application and qualifying officer; separately confirm permits, insurance, and local requirements for each job.
6. Renew the individual license. Renew every three years by May 31. The first and second renewal cycles require 21 hours of CE; the third and later cycles require three hours.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to LARA BCC, confirm every item on this short list:

• LARA-approved 60-hour prelicensure course completion
• Selected M&A Masonry application, ID, Michigan business address, and $195 fee
• Applicable PSI examination result
• Company application and qualifying officer if operating through a company
• Project-specific permits, insurance, and local requirements

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

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost Michigan Masonry applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Skipping the prelicensure course

Complete the 60-hour approved course before examination or application unless an applicable veteran waiver has been granted.

M&A versus Residential Builder confusion

M&A is licensed by selected trade; the application states that an Individual Residential Builder can build a complete residential structure and perform maintenance/alteration work.

Using an out-of-state ID without the extra form

The current application calls for the notarized Consent to Service of Process form when the applicant presents an out-of-state photo ID.

Forgetting company qualification

An individual license is not a company application. A company needs its own filing and a qualifying officer who maintains the individual credential.

Assuming every renewal needs 21 hours

The first and second cycles require 21 CE hours, but the third and later cycles require three hours.

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.

• LARA approved Residential Builder prelicensure and CE courses — Michigan LARA. Use the current provider list and subject requirements.
• Michigan Residential Builders and M&A application materials — Michigan LARA. Use the current application and PSI scheduling guidance.

Other Michigan Trade Licenses

For a different Michigan credential, see these companion guides published by CLR:

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Michigan license masonry contractors?

For residential work, LARA lists masonry as an M&A trade. An Individual Residential Builder has broader authority to build a complete residential structure and perform maintenance and alteration work.

What is the prelicensure course?

It is 60 hours of LARA-approved education in the prescribed business, construction, residential-code, MIOSHA, and elective subjects, completed before examination or application.

Is a state masonry trade exam required?

The M&A applicant selects Masonry as a trade and completes the applicable PSI examination after LARA approval.

Are local registrations required?

Confirm the permit and local requirements for the specific commercial or residential project; this state guide does not treat the individual LARA license as a substitute for local approvals.

How does renewal work?

Individual builder/M&A licenses renew every three years by May 31. The first and second renewal cycles require 21 hours of CE; the third and later cycles require three hours.

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