Bathroom Remodelers Grand Rapids MI: Who Holds a State License

1. Open LARA's lookup.
2. Choose "Search for Licensee".
3. Enter the license number and search.
4. Confirm business name, license type and expiration date match your bid.

Use the bathroom bid comparison worksheet, which has rows for license number, type and date checked.

• Both are licensed under Article 24 of the Occupational Code, Public Act 299 of 1980 (MCL 339.2401 to 339.2412), through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes.
• MCL 339.2401: a residential builder, for compensation other than wages for personal labor only, undertakes the erection, construction, replacement, repair, alteration, addition, improvement, wrecking or demolition of a residential structure. A residential maintenance and alteration contractor undertakes repair, alteration, addition, improvement, wrecking or demolition of a residential structure.
• MCL 339.2404(3) lists the M and A crafts and trades: carpentry; concrete; swimming pool installation; waterproofing a basement; excavation; insulation work; masonry work; roofing; siding and gutters; screen or storm sash installation; tile and marble work; and house wrecking.
• For a bathroom: ask which license type the company holds and, for M and A, which trades are on it (for example tile and marble work or carpentry). Only 18 of the 393 licenses here are M and A company licenses.
• LARA's lookup lists Plumbing Contractor and Electrical Contractor as separate license types; ask who does that work and look them up too.
• Licenses are issued for 3 years (MCL 339.2404(5)); the expiration dates here all fall on May 31 of 2027, 2028 or 2029.
• MCL 339.2403 exemptions include an owner working on a structure for the owner's own use and occupancy, and work where the total contract price for labor, material and other items is less than $600.
• MCL 339.2412(1): a builder or M and A contractor cannot bring a court action to collect payment for work requiring a license without alleging and proving it was licensed during the work.

General information, not legal advice.

How do I verify a bathroom remodeler's license in Grand Rapids?

Ask for the Michigan license number, search it on LARA's public lookup under "Search for Licensee", and confirm the name, license type and expiration date match your bid. It is free.

What license type does a bathroom remodel need?

Michigan licenses residential remodeling contractors as Residential Builders or Residential Maintenance and Alteration contractors; contracts under $600 are exempt. A Residential Builder license is the broad one; an M and A license covers listed trades such as tile and marble work or carpentry. Plumbing and electrical contractors are licensed separately.

What does Article 24 cover?

Article 24 of Michigan's Occupational Code (Public Act 299 of 1980) covers residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors: who needs a license, the M and A trades, the exemptions, and the rule that an unlicensed contractor cannot sue to collect for work that required a license.

Does being on this list mean a company is recommended or does bathrooms?

No. It is a copy of a public register. It says nothing about quality, pricing, specialties or complaints.

A company I am considering is not listed. Is that a problem?

Not necessarily. Individual license holders and companies with an address outside Grand Rapids are not shown. Search LARA directly.