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State packet

Alaska Contractor Packet

What you need to start and run a trade business in Alaska, in one printable PDF: a first 30 days checklist, everyday forms, the rules in plain English, and a calendar of what’s due.

$17

Instant PDF download · 47 pages · Digital product, all sales final (policy)

What’s inside

Getting set up

  • First-30-days checklist
  • Which trades need a state license, and who to call
  • The workers’ comp decision, and what you have to file

Pricing and taxes

  • Who pays sales tax on your materials, and on your labor
  • A yearly calendar of filings and due dates

Forms and checklists

  • Business setup sheet and a before-your-first-job checklist
  • New job sheet, estimate, invoice and change order forms
  • Sub information sheet and a home contract checklist

If a customer doesn’t pay

  • What to collect on day one of every job
  • Your lien rights and deadlines, for when you need them
  • Printable job tracker

Where to check

  • The agencies and statutes behind the rules, with links
  • Checked November 3, 2026

What you won’t get from a quick search

  • A first 30 days checklist for Alaska, in the order to do it
  • Everyday forms you can copy and use: a new job sheet, estimate, invoice, change order and sub information sheet
  • Contractor registration in the right order: the entity, then the $25,000, $20,000, $10,000 or $5,000 bond, the insurance minimums, and when you need the residential endorsement
  • Workers’ comp at one employee, the 10% owner rule for LLC members and corporate officers, and how an uninsured sub lands on you
  • No state sales tax or individual income tax, what local sales tax rates still mean for your pricing, and quarterly unemployment tax if you hire
  • The notice Alaska wants on a separate page of a home build or remodel contract to keep your right to offer a fix, printed word for word, plus the five-business-day door-to-door rule
  • How the 120-day lien clock can drop to 15 days when an owner records a notice of completion, the optional notice that protects you, and the 6-month suit deadline, worked out on real dates

What this packet doesn’t cover

We only state rules we could confirm. All sales are final, so here’s what’s not in it. The packet tells you who to ask.

  • Whether a Saturday or Sunday counts as a holiday when a lien deadline lands on one. Alaska’s counting law moves a deadline past a holiday but doesn’t define the word in that section. Record on an earlier business day, or ask an Alaska construction attorney.
  • How the homestead law applies when a lien is foreclosed on someone’s home, and the current homestead dollar figure, which can change with an index. The law appears to leave statutory liens alone. Ask an Alaska construction attorney.
  • What the licensing division accepts as comp proof from an LLC or corporation with no employees. The contractor application asks for proof, while the comp law exempts owners with at least 10%. Ask the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing before you apply.
  • Whether a short-term helper fits the comp exception for part-time or transient help. The statute names the exception and the Division reads it narrowly. Ask the Division of Workers’ Compensation before you go without coverage.
  • Changes to Alaska’s contractor law after September 21, 2023, and the current registration renewal fee. Check with the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
  • How each city or borough taxes contractors’ materials and labor. Local rates here come from a January 2025 state report. Ask the sales tax office where you work.
  • Which court hears a lien suit. Two sections of the lien chapter point to different courts. Have an Alaska construction attorney choose well before your deadline.
  • Payment bond rights on public jobs, where the lien chapter doesn’t address bonds. Ask an Alaska construction attorney before you start the work.

Informational only. This packet should not be considered legal, financial, tax or business advice. Check with a licensed professional in your state before you rely on it.