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Home / General Contractors / District of Columbia
How to become a general contractor in District of Columbia
Most general contractors in District of Columbia start in an apprenticeship or a helper job and learn on the job. The contractor license comes later, if you run your own business.
Pick your way in
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In DC
- 10 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In DC
- 1 schools with programs
Start on a crew
Get hired as a helper by a licensed general contractor and log hours on the job.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- Start
- No experience needed
The license steps
Get hired or start training
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
Work as a general contractor
Run your own shop
None. The requirements list has no experience requirement.
- Issued by
- Dept of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) - Business Licensing
$86,520
a year is the median for general contractors in District of Columbia ($41.60 an hour, May 2025).3
Pay by city and percentileQuestions
Do you need a license to work on your own as a general contractor in District of Columbia?
Yes. District of Columbia licenses general contractors through the Dept of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP).1
Are general contractors in demand in District of Columbia?
Projections Central expects about 100 general contractor openings a year in District of Columbia through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2
Find an apprenticeship near you
10 registered programs in District of Columbia. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for general contractors in District of Columbia
Sources
- Dept of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) - Business Licensing contractor licensing (code.dccouncil.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, District of Columbia, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)