A.R.S. 32-1102: Arizona Contractor License Classifications

A contractor license in Arizona is not one-size-fits-all. A.R.S. 32-1102 splits licenses into seven classifications so the state can match the license to the work. The two questions the classifications answer are what kind of property you work on (residential, commercial, or both) and how much of the job you take on (the whole structure as a general contractor, or one trade as a specialty contractor). For a custom home, the key class is general residential contracting, often called the B license.

What this statute says

The statute builds the seven classes from two splits. First, property type: residential, commercial, or dual (both). Second, scope: general (the whole structure) or specialty (a single trade). Here is the operative definition of the general residential class:

General residential contracting, which is engaging in the contracting business by any general contractor or subcontractor who undertakes to construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve, move, wreck or demolish any residential structure or appurtenances ... including swimming pools, on or within residential property lines.

That single sentence is why one B-licensed builder can run an entire home project, from grading the lot to setting the pool, while a specialty contractor is limited to a defined trade like roofing, plumbing, or electrical.

What this means for you

If you hire a builder to put up a custom home in Scottsdale or Fountain Hills, that builder should hold a general residential (B) license. That class lets them take on the full structure and the trades under them. For example, a builder with a B license can pull the permit and run a 2,800 square foot home build, then hire a C-37 plumber and a C-11 electrician (both specialty residential licenses) for those scopes. The builder coordinates, and the specialty contractors do their trade.

The classifications also matter when you check a license. A roofer with only a specialty residential roofing license is not licensed to frame or pour a foundation. A commercial-only contractor is not licensed to build your house. The work has to fall inside the held class, or the contractor is working outside their license even though they hold one. The seven classes split three ways by property type, residential, commercial, and dual, and each type has a general option for the whole structure and a specialty option for one trade.

How this connects to the rest of the law

This section follows directly from the broad definition of a contractor in A.R.S. 32-1101 : once you are a contractor, 32-1102 tells you which license you need. To get any of these classes, you have to meet the qualifications in A.R.S. 32-1122 , and the license is issued and tracked by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors . If you are sorting out who does what on your project, see custom home builder vs general contractor and how to verify an Arizona contractor license with the ROC .

Full text and source

Read the current version, including every classification and any amendments, on the legislature's site: View A.R.S. 32-1102 on azleg.gov .

Which classification a specific job needs depends on the scope, so confirm with the ROC before relying on it.