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Home / General Contractors / Washington

How to become a general contractor in Washington

Washington licenses general contractors through the WA L&I.1 All construction contractors must register with L&I (RCW 18.27.020).

13apprenticeship programs$52.68median an hour in Washington

The license steps

Contractor license from the WA L&I.

  1. Get the experience

    None for contractor registration (age 18+, valid UBI).

    Issued by
    WA L&I - Contractor Registration
  2. Line up the bond and insurance

    General contractor $30,000 (RCW 18.27.040, effective 7/1/2024; specialty contractors $15,000; assignment of savings account allowed). General liability: $200,000 public liability + $50,000 property damage, or $250,000 combined single limit.

    Washington bond and insurance
  3. Apply for the license$150.20

    Registration application $150.20.

    Issued by
    WA L&I - Contractor Registration
    Cost
    $150.20
    Washington contractor license steps

How do you start as a general contractor in Washington?

There are three ways in: a registered apprenticeship (13 programs and 8 companies in Washington), trade school (16 schools with general contractor programs), or a helper or trainee job with a licensed general contractor.

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay
From day one
In WA
13 programs + 8 companies
Find a program near you
Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay
You pay tuition
In WA
16 schools with programs
Compare 16 schools
Helper

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
How to get started
Pay once you're working

$109,570

a year is the median for general contractors in Washington ($52.68 an hour, May 2025).3

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Mount Vernon–Anacortes$62.88
  2. Kennewick–Richland$60.88
  3. Seattle–Tacoma$58.24
  4. Bremerton–Silverdale$55.45
  5. Bellingham$51.84
Washington median $52.68 an hour

More questions about becoming a general contractor in Washington

Do you need a license to work on your own as a general contractor in Washington?

Yes. Washington licenses general contractors through the WA L&I.1

Are general contractors in demand in Washington?

Projections Central expects about 1,820 general contractor openings a year in Washington through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

13 programs and 8 companies in Washington. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.

Find a program

More for general contractors in Washington

Sources

  1. WA L&I - Contractor Registration: contractor licensing (app.leg.wa.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  3. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Washington, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)