Nebraska contractor registration, not a license: what it lets you do, and where a handyman must stop

Published November 3, 2026 · Law checked November 3, 2026

• Free to read, nothing to download. The "can I take this job?" table below is the tool.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Every rule here links to the statute, ordinance or agency page it comes from. Ask the Department of Labor, your city's permit office or a Nebraska attorney before you bet a job on my reading.

Nebraska has no state general contractor license. What you hold is a registration with the Nebraska Department of Labor, required before construction work once you earn $5,000 a year or more from it.¹ It costs $40 a year, has no exam, and puts no dollar limit or job-type limit on your work.^1,2 It also doesn't license you for any trade. Electrical work for a customer needs a state electrical license at any job size, and since July 18, 2026 knowingly doing it without one can be a felony.^6,7 Cities license plumbing and HVAC, and Omaha also requires its own Class A to E contractor license.¹⁰

I couldn't find Nebraska owners asking about this on Reddit. The research behind our articles counted zero threads, so this one is built from the statutes and city codes, read on November 3, 2026. Here's what the registration lets you take, where it stops, and what crossing the line costs. The contract side (the cancel notices and the deposit) is its own article: Nebraska contract template and deposit rules.

Is there a Nebraska general contractor license? No, it's a registration

The Contractor Registration Act is short. Before doing any construction work in Nebraska, a contractor registers with the Department of Labor.¹ "Construction" means work on real property, "including new work, additions, alterations, reconstruction, installations, and repairs." A contractor is anyone in the business of building, altering, repairing or demolishing "buildings, roads, bridges" and "every other type of structure, project, development, or improvement," and that includes subcontractors and anyone "providing or arranging for labor."¹

What you file: your name and tax ID, business address and phone, entity type, owners or officers, a description of the business, your sales tax option, and proof of workers' compensation (or a signed statement that you don't need it).¹ No exam. No experience test. No state bond. The number you get is five digits plus two for the year it was issued, you need a separate number for each business name, and you renew every year.¹

The fee went up this year. The statute now caps it at $40, effective July 18, 2026, and the Department charges $40 from August 1, 2026.^1,2 Older guides still say $25.

What the registration lets you do

Everything the Act calls construction, with no limits written into it: residential or commercial, a $300 repair or a $3 million building, remodels, additions, new houses, structural work. The state puts no cap on job size and no split between remodelers and builders. Any limits you meet come from somewhere else: the trade licenses below, and city licenses like Omaha's classes.

Don't sell it as a quality badge, either. The Department says it plainly: "While the registration is a requirement, it does not ensure quality of work or protect against fraud."²

Workers' comp, the one thing the registration checks

"All contractors with one or more employees must provide a current Workers' Compensation Certificate of Insurance (ACORD 25) with the Department of Labor listed as the certificate holder."² If the policy lapses, the Department revokes the registration as of the cancellation date unless a new certificate arrives first, and you drop off the public list.^1,2 Separately, an employer who willfully fails to carry workers' comp commits a Class I misdemeanor and can be fined up to $1,000 a day by the court.⁴

Your subs and helpers register too

Your registration covers your business only. Every sub who earns $5,000 a year from construction registers on their own. Skipping that check costs you, not just them. Under the Employee Classification Act, a person doing construction labor for you is presumed to be your employee unless they meet the unemployment-law test for independence, have a tax rate assigned or an exemption, and "registered as a contractor ... prior to commencing construction work for the contractor."³ Calling that person a sub anyway is a violation: up to $500 per misclassified person the first time and up to $5,000 per person after that.³

One more box on the form: your sales tax option

The application asks for your "contractor option election" for sales tax on building materials.¹ Pick one on purpose. If you don't, the Department of Revenue treats you as Option 1: you hold a sales tax permit and charge tax on the materials, and your labor isn't taxed as long as it's a separate line on the invoice. Option 2 and Option 3 contractors pay tax when they buy the materials and charge the customer no tax.⁵

Where a handyman must stop in Nebraska: the $5,000 line

The Act carves out two groups. "Any person who performs work or has work performed on his or her own property or any person who earns less than five thousand dollars annually for construction services is not a contractor."¹ If you're registered, this section is about the people around you: helpers, the guy who wants to sub punch lists for you, the part-timer you might hire.

How Nebraska counts the $5,000

• Per year, across all your jobs. It's an annual total, so splitting one job into three small invoices changes nothing.
• Labor and materials: the statute doesn't say. It uses "earns," which it never defines, and there's no Department of Labor rule on it. A part-timer near the line should count everything customers pay, materials included, until the Department says otherwise.
• Register before the work, not after. The Act says "before performing any construction work."¹ Once you can see the year passing $5,000, register before the next job.
• Being under the line doesn't exempt you from tax withholding.¹

The $5,000 line doesn't apply to the trades

This is where Nebraska handyman advice usually goes wrong. The $5,000 exemption is from registration, nothing else. The electrical license has no dollar threshold at all, and neither does Omaha's plumbing license. A $90 light fixture swap for a customer needs a licensed electrician anywhere in Nebraska, and a faucet swap for a customer in Omaha needs a licensed plumber. Both are in the next section.

Omaha adds one more line. Its contractor license exempts "routine maintenance," which the code defines as "repair work to an existing structure that is required to maintain a safe and habitable environment," including deck board replacement and roof repairs under two squares. Anything beyond that, done for an owner or tenant inside Omaha or its three-mile zone, needs one of the city's license classes.^10,11 A handyman working as a subcontractor for a licensed Omaha contractor is exempt from the city license.¹⁰

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC: the licenses your registration doesn't replace

Electrical: a state license at any size

The State Electrical Act is the only trade license Nebraska issues at state level. "No person shall, for another, wire for or install electrical wiring, apparatus, or equipment" unless licensed as an electrical contractor, Class B electrical contractor, Class A master electrician or fire alarm installer. The electricians doing the work need their own journeyman licenses and must be employed by one of those (apprentices register and work under supervision).⁶

Read the exemptions closely, because the obvious one isn't there. The Act defines "routine maintenance" as replacing existing electrical equipment "of the same size and type for which no changes in wiring are made." Like-for-like work escapes state inspection.⁶ It doesn't escape the license. I found no small-job or like-for-like exemption from licensing anywhere in the Act. What is exempt:⁶

• An owner working on their own principal residence, if it's no bigger than a single-family home, or on farm property (not commercial or public-use buildings).
• Plugging in an appliance "where approved electrical outlets are already installed." Setting a new fridge or a plug-in range is fine.
• Work by someone holding a city license that meets the Act's standard, inside that city's limits.

Then the penalty, which changed this year. Under LB889, effective July 18, 2026, it is a Class IV felony "to knowingly and willfully" do any of a list of things, including "to perform electrical work for another without a proper license for such work while claiming to have such license" and "to fail or neglect to comply with the act."⁷ A Class IV felony carries up to two years in prison plus 12 months of post-release supervision, a $10,000 fine, or both.⁸ Before the change these were Class I misdemeanors.⁷ The Act carves out electrical work for close relatives from the claiming-a-license offense, but not paid work for customers.⁷

Plumbing: city licenses, and in Omaha even a faucet

Nebraska doesn't license plumbers at state level. State law tells cities how to run plumbing boards: Omaha must have one, Lincoln may, and smaller cities and villages may.⁹ Where a city or village has set one up, "it shall be unlawful for any person to do any plumbing ... unless the person holds a proper license," and breaking that rule is a misdemeanor with a fine of $50 to $500 per violation.⁹

Omaha spells out how small "any plumbing" goes. A licensed plumber may do minor repairs without a permit, and "it shall be unlawful for any person, including businesses and companies, to perform minor plumbing repair work ... without first having obtained a license." Only "an unlicensed property owner or the owner's employees" may repair or replace faucets and toilets in place, or pull a trap to clear a stoppage, without one.¹² So in Omaha, a handyman swapping a customer's faucet is doing unlicensed plumbing. Water heaters sit inside Omaha's definition of the plumbing system, and a replacement takes a plumbing permit.¹²

Lincoln licenses plumbers too, with exams for journeyman and master plumbing contractor.¹⁵ Outside the cities with a plumbing license, state law requires none. Ask the city or village before you assume you're in one of those places.

HVAC and gas: city licenses again

No state HVAC license exists either. Omaha makes it "unlawful for any person ... to engage in the business of installing, altering, repairing, servicing, or adding to, or changing in any manner any air conditioning and air distribution system" without a master ACAD license, with an exception for homeowners.¹³ Lincoln licenses mechanical journeymen and master mechanical contractors by exam.¹⁵ The wiring side of HVAC equipment falls under the State Electrical Act anywhere in the state.⁶

Gas piping goes to a licensed trade, and which trade depends on the city. Bellevue's general contractor classes leave out electrical, mechanical, plumbing and "liquefied petroleum or natural gas work."¹⁶ Lincoln's plumbing code deletes the fuel gas piping chapter of the model code it adopts, so gas is handled outside the plumbing code there.¹⁵ Ask the permit office which license covers a gas line before you quote one.

City licenses on top: Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Kearney and others

Omaha: a Class A to E contractor license

Omaha makes it "unlawful for any person to act as a contractor ... in the city or within the three-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction of the city, without having first obtained a license."¹⁰ A contractor is anyone who contracts with an owner or tenant "to build, construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, or otherwise improve any building or structure." City-licensed tradesmen working in their trade, subcontractors of a licensed contractor, and routine maintenance are exempt.¹⁰

Every class also needs a $10,000 surety bond, licenses last up to three years, and renewal takes nine hours of continuing education.^10,14 The city's online fees add an 8% tech fee on top.¹⁴ For a new remodeler that means Class C, since Class D is closed to new applicants. A handyman who does windows, doors, decks and fences can get Class E without an exam.

Two more Omaha rules matter for small jobs. A licensed contractor may not work without "each required permit for such work, containing the name of the contractor," and the license holder "shall supervise, and shall be responsible for, all work performed under his or her license."¹⁰ And homeowners may do their own work on a home they live in, but "may not obtain permits in their name and use unlicensed contractors to perform the work."¹⁰ If a customer offers to pull the permit so you don't need the license, that's the rule they'd be breaking.

Lincoln

Lincoln licenses the trades by exam: plumbing, mechanical (HVAC) and fire suppression. Electrical licenses come from the state.¹⁵ Plumbing, HVAC, electrical and several other contractors file a certificate of insurance with at least $500,000 per occurrence, naming the City of Lincoln as an additional insured.¹⁵ For a residential building permit, a new contractor fills in the city's Contractor Form and sets up a Citizen Access account.¹⁵ I found no Lincoln exam or license for general contractors on its Building and Safety pages.

Bellevue, Kearney and the rest

Bellevue requires a building contractor license inside the city and its two-mile zone, with classes from A (general contractor unlimited) to E (roofing), each set by height and building type.¹⁶ Kearney requires "all plumbers, electricians and building contractors" to register with its Building Services Division before starting work.¹⁶ I didn't check every town. Before your first job in a new one, call the building department.

Lead paint and asbestos: certifications your registration doesn't include

Lead paint (EPA's RRP rule)

Nebraska doesn't run its own renovation program, so EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies directly.¹⁷ Disturb paint for pay in a home built before 1978 and your firm needs EPA certification, with the work directed by an EPA-certified renovator. EPA says it covers "all firms, even sole proprietorships." The exception is minor repair: "6 square feet or less of painted surface per room for interior activities or 20 square feet or less" outside. Window replacement never counts as minor, and jobs "in the same room within the same 30 days must be considered the same job."¹⁷ One owner's post opens with the line nobody wants to write: "I recently got caught scraping and painting a small area on pre 1978 house" (r/Contractor). The civil penalty is up to $49,772 per violation at EPA's current inflation adjustment.¹⁷

Lead abatement, meaning permanent removal rather than renovation, is a Nebraska license. The Department of Health and Human Services licenses those firms under its own rules.¹⁸

Asbestos

Under Nebraska's Asbestos Control Act, removing, enclosing or encapsulating asbestos is an "asbestos project" unless it affects "three square feet or less or three linear feet or less" of asbestos-containing material, or it's done by a homeowner, their family or an unpaid volunteer on their own home of four units or fewer.¹⁹ Anyone who works on an asbestos project needs an individual license from DHHS, and a business needs its own license once its projects reach 160 square feet or 260 linear feet.¹⁹ Paid work isn't covered by the homeowner exemption. The state's environment department says it directly: "If a homeowner hires a contractor to remove ACM in their home, the contractor may be subject to the DHHS Nebraska Asbestos regulations."²⁰ Test a textured ceiling, old pipe wrap or 9-by-9 floor tile before you scrape it.

Can I take this job? A table for registered Nebraska contractors

The verdicts assume you're registered, you don't hold a trade license, and the house is a single-family home. The middle column is the statewide answer. The Omaha column adds the city's rules, as an example of what a city can stack on top. Permits are set by each city or county, so the Omaha permit notes don't carry over to other towns.

Sources for the table: registration,¹ electrical,⁶ plumbing,^9,12 HVAC,¹³ Omaha's license classes and permit exemptions,^10,11 Lincoln street use,¹⁵ lead,¹⁷ asbestos.¹⁹

What happens if you cross the line

Working unregistered

• A citation and a fine. The Department of Labor cites any contractor it finds unregistered, or registered with information that isn't "substantially complete and accurate." The administrative penalty is up to $500 for a first violation and up to $5,000 for each one after. You have 15 working days to contest.¹
• Off the public list. A contractor who doesn't comply is removed from the Department's database, which is where customers and general contractors look you up.¹
• Getting paid: the Act says nothing about it. I found no section that voids an unregistered contractor's contract or bars a lien, and the Construction Lien Act gives a lien to "a person who furnishes services or materials pursuant to a real estate improvement contract" without mentioning registration.^1,21 I didn't search Nebraska case law, so don't treat that as a promise.

Doing licensed trade work without the license

• Electrical: knowingly and willfully, a Class IV felony since July 18, 2026: up to two years plus 12 months' supervision, $10,000, or both.^7,8 Skipping a required inspection request adds a $250 late fee, and if you still don't file within 14 days the Division sends it to the county attorney.⁶
• Plumbing in a city with a plumbing board: a misdemeanor, $50 to $500 per violation.⁹ In Omaha, plumbing started before the permit stops until there is one, and the late permit costs $100 or four times the normal fee, whichever is more.¹²
• Omaha contracting without the city license: you get licensed and pay four times the regular fee, "in addition to any criminal penalties."¹⁰ Violations of Omaha's building chapter carry up to $500, six months in jail, or both, and each day is a separate offense.¹¹
• Asbestos without a license: a civil penalty of $5,000 to $25,000 for a business's first offense, $500 to $5,000 for an individual, with each day a separate offense. Doing it again after a penalty is a crime.¹⁹

Lending your license

Someone will ask you to pull a permit for a job you're not running. An electrician may not "lend his or her license to any person or knowingly permit the use of such license by another."⁶ An Omaha plumbing license used by someone else to "secure a plumbing permit" is cause for revocation, and Omaha contractor licenses are "non-transferrable."^12,10 The best answer to the question came from a GC on Reddit: "Never attach your name to anything in a legal way that you don't have control over... Just a recipe for disaster" (r/GeneralContractor).

Insurance

The state registration asks for workers' comp only, and only if you have employees. It doesn't require general liability insurance. Cities do: $300,000 to $1,000,000 in Omaha depending on class, and $500,000 for Lincoln's trade contractors.^10,15 I found no Nebraska rule on what unlicensed trade work does to your coverage. That's in your policy, so ask your agent in writing: "Does my policy cover work that needs a license I don't hold?" Keep the reply.

Where your registration number has to appear

• Contracts, quotes, ads and trucks: no rule in the Contractor Registration Act. I read every section.¹ Put it on your quotes anyway. Customers can check it in the public database, which also shows whether you carry workers' comp.¹
• A notice at the job site or your place of business. Every contractor posts the Employee Classification Act notice, in English and Spanish, telling workers they have the right to be classified correctly.³
• Omaha permits carry the contractor's name.¹⁰ Omaha plumbing businesses also put the license holder's or company name on both sides of every vehicle, in letters at least two inches high.¹²
• Cities can require a copy of your state electrical license on file.⁶
• The cancel notices a home sale needs are in the contract article.

Before the next job

1. Look yourself up on the Department of Labor's contractor search. If you have employees, check that it shows your workers' comp.
2. Check the sales tax option on your registration, and set up your invoices to match it.
3. Line up a licensed electrician now, and a licensed plumber and HVAC contractor if you work in a city that licenses them. Don't wait for the first bathroom.
4. Check each sub's registration in the same database before they start.
5. Working in Omaha or its three-mile zone? Get Class E for windows, doors, decks, fences and roofs, or Class C for anything bigger.
6. If you'll disturb paint in pre-1978 homes, get the firm EPA-certified and take the certified renovator course.
7. Put your registration number, and any city license number, on every quote and invoice.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it doesn't know Nebraska law. It won't track your year against the $5,000 line, flag a quote line that needs a licensed electrician, or check a sub's registration. What it does help with: the shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every quote, and the invoice footer is copied onto every invoice, so your registration number and Omaha license class go on every document without retyping. Price book items are marked service or material, each line can be taxable or not, and tax is charged on taxable lines only, so an Option 1 contractor can keep labor on its own untaxed line. Quotes can carry options, the customer approves and signs on screen, and an optional card deposit is credited on the final invoice. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team, with scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments, and customer and equipment records; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices (pricing).

Frequently asked questions

Does Nebraska require a contractor's license?

Not a general contractor license. Nebraska doesn't have one. It has a registration: before doing construction work, anyone who earns $5,000 a year or more from construction registers with the Nebraska Department of Labor. The fee is $40 a year from August 1, 2026, there's no exam, and the registration has no dollar limit or job-type limit. Electricians need a state license from the State Electrical Board. Plumbing and HVAC are licensed by cities, and some cities, Omaha and Bellevue among them, also license general contractors.

Do handymen need a license in Nebraska?

No state handyman license exists. A handyman who earns $5,000 or more a year from construction services has to register with the Department of Labor, the same as any contractor. The trade rules apply at any size: changing a light fixture for a customer needs a state electrical license, and in Omaha even a faucet or toilet swap for a customer needs a city plumbing license. In Omaha a handyman doing more than routine maintenance also needs a city contractor license.

How much can a handyman make without registering in Nebraska?

Less than $5,000 a year from construction services. The law says a person who earns less than that annually is not a contractor for the Contractor Registration Act. It's a yearly total across all your jobs, so splitting a job doesn't help. The statute doesn't define earns, so the safe reading counts everything customers pay you, materials included. The line only applies to registration: electrical and city plumbing licenses have no dollar threshold.

What qualifies you as a contractor in Nebraska?

Being in the business of building, altering, repairing or demolishing buildings or other structures on property that isn't yours. The definition includes subcontractors and anyone who provides or arranges labor for that work. Two groups are left out: people working on their own property and people who earn less than $5,000 a year from construction services.

How do I renew my contractor registration in Nebraska?

Log in to your profile at dol.nebraska.gov/conreg and choose Renew Registration. The registration renews every year, and the fee is $40 from August 1, 2026. If you have employees, keep a current workers' compensation certificate (ACORD 25) on file with the Department of Labor as certificate holder: a lapsed policy takes you off the list of registered contractors.

Do independent contractors need to register in Nebraska?

Yes, once they earn $5,000 a year from construction. It matters to you as well: under the Employee Classification Act, someone doing construction labor for you is presumed to be your employee unless, among other things, they registered as a contractor before starting work for you. Misclassifying a worker can cost up to $500 per person for a first offense and up to $5,000 per person after that.

Do I need a license for electrical work in Nebraska?

Yes, for any electrical work you do for someone else, with no small-job exception. The State Electrical Act requires a state license to wire or install electrical wiring, apparatus or equipment for another person. Like-for-like replacements only skip state inspection, not the license. Since July 18, 2026, knowingly and willfully breaking the act is a Class IV felony. Homeowners may wire their own single-family home, and plugging an appliance into an existing outlet needs no license.

How do I look up a contractor's registration in Nebraska?

Search the Department of Labor's database at dol.nebraska.gov/conreg/Search. It shows whether a contractor is registered and whether they carry workers' compensation insurance. Electrical licenses are on the State Electrical Division's licensee search, and city licenses such as Omaha's are on the city's own license search.

Sources

1. Contractor Registration Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-2101 to 48-2117: 48-2103 (construction, contractor), 48-2104 (register "before performing any construction work"; own property and under $5,000 a year "not a contractor"; withholding still applies), 48-2105 (application contents, including the contractor option election and workers' compensation proof; annual renewal), 48-2107 (fee "not to exceed forty dollars," effective July 18, 2026), 48-2108 (registration number), 48-2110 (revocation when workers' compensation lapses), 48-2114 (citation; up to $500, then up to $5,000; 15 working days to contest), 48-2117 (public database; removal for noncompliance). No section on contract contents, advertising or the right to collect. nebraskalegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
2. Nebraska Department of Labor, "Who Needs to Register" (ACORD 25 for "one or more employees"; removal from the list when coverage expires; "Contractor Registration annual fee increases to $40.00 effective August 1, 2026"; "it does not ensure quality of work or protect against fraud"; registration and renewal at dol.nebraska.gov/conreg). dol.nebraska.gov, read November 3, 2026.
3. Employee Classification Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-2902 (contractor includes subcontractors), 48-2903 (presumption of employee status unless the individual "has been registered as a contractor ... prior to commencing construction work"), 48-2904 (violation), 48-2907 (up to $500 per misclassified individual, then up to $5,000), 48-2910 (posted notice in English and Spanish). nebraskalegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
4. Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-145.01 (willful failure to secure workers' compensation: Class I misdemeanor; penalty up to $1,000 per violation, each day a separate violation). nebraskalegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
5. Nebraska Department of Revenue, "Nebraska Construction Contractors FAQs" (Option 1 contractors hold a sales tax permit and collect tax on materials; separately stated contractor labor isn't taxable; Option 2 and 3 contractors pay tax on materials and collect none; "If an option has not been selected, the contractor is deemed, by law, to be an Option 1 contractor"). revenue.nebraska.gov, read November 3, 2026.
6. State Electrical Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-2101 to 81-2144: 81-2102 (definitions, including Class B limits and "routine maintenance"), 81-2106 and 81-2108 (license required to plan or to "wire for or install" for another; journeyman employed by a licensed contractor; no lending a license), 81-2113 (apprentices register and work under supervision), 81-2121 (exemptions: appliances at existing outlets, owner's single-family principal residence or farm, city license holders within the city), 81-2124 and 81-2125 (inspection; none for routine maintenance), 81-2126 ($250 late inspection request; referral to the county attorney), 81-2130 (cities may require a copy of the license on file). nebraskalegislature.gov; State Electrical Board Rules, April 2024, electrical.nebraska.gov. Both read November 3, 2026.
7. Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-2143 as amended by LB889 (2026), effective July 18, 2026: Class IV felony "to knowingly and willfully" commit the listed acts, including (b) electrical work for another without a license "while claiming to have such license" and (e) failing to comply with the act; (2) relatives exception. nebraskalegislature.gov; State Electrical Division, "Legislative Bill 889, adopted on April 18, 2026, becomes effective on July 18, 2026," electrical.nebraska.gov; Unicameral Update, "Electrical licensing penalties, deadlines updated" (elevated "from a Class I misdemeanor to a Class IV felony"; passed 41-8), update.legislature.ne.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
8. Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-105 (Class IV felony, maximum: "two years imprisonment and twelve months post-release supervision or ten thousand dollars fine, or both") and 28-106 (Class I misdemeanor: up to one year, $1,000, or both). 28-105, 28-106, read November 3, 2026.
9. Neb. Rev. Stat. 18-1901 (plumbing boards: required in cities of the metropolitan class, optional in the primary class and smaller cities and villages), 18-1907 (license by examination), 18-1910 ("unlawful for any person to do any plumbing" where a plumbing board exists without a license), 18-1914 (misdemeanor; $50 to $500 per violation). 18-1901, 18-1902 to 18-1915, read November 3, 2026.
10. Omaha Municipal Code, chapter 43, article IX, Contractors, sections 43-271 to 43-290: 43-272 (license required in the city and three-mile zone), 43-273 (contractor defined; exemptions for city-licensed tradesmen, subcontractors of a licensed contractor and routine maintenance; Classes A to E), 43-275 (ICC exam for A, B and C; Class D renewals only; no exam for E), 43-276 (fees), 43-279 ($300,000 to $1,000,000 insurance; $10,000 bond), 43-280 (term up to three years), 43-281 (nine hours of continuing education), 43-287 (permits carry the contractor's name; license holder supervises; licenses non-transferrable), 43-288 (homeowners), 43-290 (four times the fee for working without a license). library.municode.com (version of August 31, 2026), read November 3, 2026.
11. Omaha Municipal Code 43-6 (violations punished under 1-10, each day a separate offense), 43-71 and 43-72 (building permit exemptions: painting, papering and floor covering; routine maintenance including deck boards and roof repairs under two squares; whole window units need a permit; same-size driveway and walk replacement; new paving under 200 square feet outside the front setback; sheds up to 75 square feet), 43-94 (penalty fee for work started without a permit), library.municode.com; and 1-10 (general penalty: "a fine of not exceeding $500.00, or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both"), library.municode.com. Read November 3, 2026.
12. Omaha Municipal Code chapter 49, Plumbing: 49-200 and 49-203 (plumbing businesses licensed; work done by or under a master plumber), 49-211 (license misappropriation, including securing a permit for another), 49-212 (name on both sides of vehicles, two-inch letters), article II; 49-300 (permit required), 49-301 (minor repairs: license required except for "an unlicensed property owner or the owner's employees"), 49-304 (water heater replacement permit fee), 49-306 ($100 or four times the fee for work started without a permit), article III; 49-413 and the "plumbing system" definition (includes domestic water heaters), article IV. Read November 3, 2026.
13. Omaha Municipal Code chapter 40, article II, Air Conditioning and Air Distribution: 40-7 (definitions) and 40-26 (master ACAD license required for the business of installing, altering, repairing or servicing; homeowner exception). library.municode.com, read November 3, 2026.
14. City of Omaha Planning Department, "Licensing Information" (building contractor fees plus an 8% tech fee; $10,000 bond for all license types; insurance by class; Omaha electrical licenses require a current State of Nebraska license). planning.omaha.gov, read November 3, 2026.
15. City of Lincoln, "What it Takes to Become a Licensed Trade Professional" (plumbing, mechanical and fire suppression licenses by exam; "All Electrical Licenses are handled by the State of Nebraska Electrical Division"), lincoln.ne.gov; "Contractor Bond, Insurance, and Registration Requirements" ($500,000 per occurrence; City of Lincoln as additional insured), lincoln.ne.gov; "Residential Contractor" (Contractor Form and Citizen Access account), lincoln.ne.gov; Lincoln Municipal Code chapter 24.12, Lincoln Plumbing Code, table of contents (24.12.475, "Chapters 12 and 14 Deleted; Fuel Gas Piping, Firestop Protection"), online.encodeplus.com. All read November 3, 2026.
16. Bellevue City Code 8-131 (building contractor license required in the city and two-mile zone; Classes A to E; Class A excludes "electrical, mechanical, plumbing and liquefied gas or natural gas work"), codelibrary.amlegal.com; City of Kearney, "Building Services" ("All plumbers, electricians and building contractors performing work in the City's jurisdiction are required to register with the Building Services Division prior to starting work"), cityofkearney.org. Both read November 3, 2026.
17. EPA, "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (states authorized to run their own program; Nebraska isn't one; "all firms, even sole proprietorships"), epa.gov; 40 CFR 745.83 ("minor repair and maintenance activities": 6 square feet per room inside, 20 outside, never window replacement; same room within 30 days is one job), law.cornell.edu; 40 CFR 19.4, Table 1 (15 U.S.C. 2615(a)(1): $49,772 for penalties assessed on or after January 8, 2025), law.cornell.edu. All read November 3, 2026.
18. Nebraska DHHS, "Lead Rules and Regulations" ("Contractors and firms conducting lead-based paint activities in the state are required to be licensed in Nebraska"; Title 178, Chapter 23; Residential Lead-Based Paint Professions Practice Act, 71-6318 to 71-6331.01; RRP certification for renovation in pre-1978 homes). dhhs.ne.gov, read November 3, 2026.
19. Asbestos Control Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-6301 ("asbestos project" excludes three square feet or three linear feet or less, and work by a homeowner, family member or unpaid volunteer on their own residence of four units or fewer), 71-6302 (business license; none for projects under 260 linear feet or 160 square and linear feet combined, but employee training required), 71-6310 (individual license required to work on an asbestos project), 71-6312 (civil penalties; criminal penalties for repeat offenses). nebraskalegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
20. Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, "Demolition, Renovation and Asbestos" (residential buildings of four or fewer units exempt from NESHAP; "If a homeowner hires a contractor to remove ACM in their home, the contractor may be subject to the DHHS Nebraska Asbestos regulations (Title 178)"). dwee.nebraska.gov, read November 3, 2026.
21. Nebraska Construction Lien Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-131 ("A person who furnishes services or materials pursuant to a real estate improvement contract has a construction lien") and 52-137 (record within 120 days of last furnishing). nebraskalegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.