DE ยท contractor licensing ยท 20 trades tracked
Delaware: 14/20 trades need a state license
Open-data reference from Delaware Division of Revenue. 70% of tracked construction trades carry a state-issued credential in this snapshot - verify live status on the board roster before you hire.
- 14/20
- Trades licensed
- 70%
- Coverage share
- 3
- Exam mandates
- #34
- Strictness rank
Delaware ยท mid-pack coverage lane (#34/51 by trades licensed)
Delaware requires a state-issued license for 14 of 20 tracked trades (70%), making it broader than most states in this corpus - #34 on the strictness ranking (score 4/10).
- 14
- trades require a state license
- 3
- of those also mandate an exam
- 1
- also require a surety bond
- 4/10
- strictness score (rank listed above)
Source: state licensing boards ยท snapshot 2026-06-27. Specialty trades may still need credentials even where no statewide general contractor license exists.
Delaware licensing coverage
According to Delaware licensing-board records compiled with NCSL and NASCLA guidance, Delaware marks 14 of 20 tracked trades as requiring a state license (70%), strictness rank #34 (4/10).
According to the same board-sourced directory (snapshot 2026-06-27), Delaware runs a statewide licensing regime covering 14 of 20 specialty trades. Among those licensed trades, 3 also mandate an exam and 1 list a surety-bond requirement. Confirm the live board roster and classification before treating a directory row as current.
Consumer Protection Strength Score
How broadly Delaware regulates the trades it licenses, from 3 of 3 tracked dimensions.
- Trade licensing coverage 14 of 20 tracked trades licensed 70/100 ยท C
- Surety bond coverage 1 of 14 licensed trades bonded 7/100 ยท F
- Liability insurance coverage 14 of 14 licensed trades insured 100/100 ยท A
Each dimension is this state's own coverage rate over its tracked-trade universe (not a corpus percentile); a higher score means broader licensing coverage and more of those licensed trades requiring bonding/insurance.
Among 14 state-licensed trades
Trade licensing coverage
Requirement status across 20 tracked trades in Delaware
Source: Delaware licensing board ยท NCSL
Screens stacked on licensed trades
Among 14 state-licensed trades in Delaware
National placement
Where Delaware sits on trade-license coverage
Delaware licenses 14 of 20 tracked trades (corpus rank #34 of 51 by trades licensed). Highlighted bar is this state among the densest peers in the published snapshot.
Counts are trades marked required in the PlainHireCheck matrix (snapshot 2026-06-27), not live board roster size. How coverage is counted.
Licensing Board
Board Name
Delaware Division of Revenue
License Requirements by Trade
14 of 20 tracked trades require a license in Delaware. Click any trade name to see full requirements details.
| Trade | License | Exam | Bond | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenter | โ | No | No | Yes |
| Demolition | โ | No | Yes | Yes |
| Electrician | โ | Yes | No | Yes |
| Elevator Mechanic | - | - | - | - |
| Excavation | โ | No | No | Yes |
| Fire Protection | - | - | - | - |
| Flooring Installer | โ | No | No | Yes |
| General Contractor | โ | No | No | Yes |
| Glazier | โ | No | No | Yes |
| HVAC Technician | - | - | - | - |
| Insulation Installer | โ | No | No | Yes |
| Landscaper | โ | No | No | Yes |
| Mason | โ | No | No | Yes |
| Painter | โ | No | No | Yes |
| Pest Control | โ | Yes | No | Yes |
| Plumber | โ | Yes | No | Yes |
| Pool Contractor | - | - | - | - |
| Roofer | - | - | - | - |
| Solar Installer | - | - | - | - |
| Tile Setter | โ | No | No | Yes |
Licensed Trade Details
Carpenter
Carpentry Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Demolition
Demolition Contractor License
License fee: $100-$300
Electrician
Electrical Contractor/Master Electrician License
License fee: $50-$200
State-licensed in virtually all states. Journeyman to master pathway.
Excavation
Excavation Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Flooring Installer
Flooring Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
General Contractor
General Business License + Contractor
License fee: $75-$200
Business license + liability insurance.
Glazier
Glazing Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Insulation Installer
Insulation Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Landscaper
Landscape Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Mason
Masonry Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Painter
Painting Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Pest Control
Pesticide Applicator License
License fee: $75-$250
Licensed in all 50 states + DC. EPA 7 categories: general pest, termite, fumigation, etc.
Plumber
Master Plumber License
License fee: $50-$250
Journeyman to master pathway. Some states also require contractor registration.
Tile Setter
Tile Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
Barrier stack read for Delaware
Delaware lands in the mid-pack coverage lane (#34/51 by trades licensed), licensing 14 of 20 tracked trades (70%). Strictness rank #34 (4.0/10). Among those licensed trades, 3 mandate an exam, 1 a surety bond, 14 a liability floor, and 3 continuing-education hours , pointing to insurance-focused (14/14 set liability floors). Confirm live credentials on the Delaware Division of Revenue roster before hire.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Contractor Licensing Tracker + state licensing board public records Delaware contractor licensing requirements (trade-by-trade) + national strictness composite ยท 2026 State licensing boards update requirements rotationally; PlainHireCheck cross-references NCSL aggregated data with each state board's public roster. Strictness composite weights license breadth, exam mandates, bond size, insurance floors, and continuing-education obligations.
Quick Facts
Trade-Specific Requirements
Coverage peers
States whose licensed-trade counts sit nearest to Delaware's 14/20, not a fixed guide strip.
- Montana 12/20 ยท ฮ0
- Vermont 13/20 ยท ฮ1
- West Virginia 13/20 ยท ฮ1
- Kentucky 14/20 ยท ฮ2
- Maine 14/20 ยท ฮ2
Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only. Requirements change, always verify directly with Delaware Division of Revenue before hiring.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Nationwide states with similar coverage or strictness
Two peer sets for Delaware: licensed-trade count and composite strictness score, distinct from the sidebar coverage peers above.
Similar trade coverage
Nearest nationwide jurisdictions by count of tracked trades requiring a state license (14/20 here).
- Montana ยท 12/20 trades
- Vermont ยท 13/20 trades
- West Virginia ยท 13/20 trades
- Kentucky ยท 14/20 trades
Similar strictness composite
Nearest nationwide jurisdictions by contractor-licensing strictness score (4.0/10 here).
- North Dakota ยท 3.8/10 strictness
- Vermont ยท 4.3/10 strictness
- Montana ยท 4.5/10 strictness
- New Hampshire ยท 4.5/10 strictness
| Publisher | PlainHireCheck |
| Sources | Public state contractor licensing board records |