Skip to content
State packet

Georgia Contractor Packet

What you need to start and run a trade business in Georgia, 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 · 44 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 Georgia, 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
  • The three-employee comp rule, and how you can still owe comp to your sub’s injured worker
  • Why you pay sales tax at the supply house, and why you still register with the state before your first job
  • A checklist for your Georgia home contract, with the construction defect notice wording and the written warranty rule for licensed residential contractors
  • Which work needs a state license, where the $2,500 residential line sits, how the repair exception really works, and why working unlicensed can cost you the contract and your lien rights

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.

  • The late window for renewing a contractor license. The board’s page, its rule and the statute give different dates. Renew by June 30 and ask the State Licensing Board before relying on any late period.
  • The current LLC filing and annual registration fees. An older copy of the code lists $100 and $50, and online totals can run higher. The Secretary of State’s Corporations Division shows the amount at checkout.
  • Georgia’s current income tax rate, payroll withholding dates, and local sales tax rates. Ask the Department of Revenue or a CPA.
  • Whether you, as an owner or LLC member, count toward the three employees, and how an LLC member elects in or out of comp. Ask an insurance agent or the State Board of Workers’ Compensation.
  • Which trades the board treats as exempt specialty work, and its license fees. Ask the State Licensing Board.
  • Licensing requirements and dollar thresholds for electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage and utility work. Ask the State Construction Industry Licensing Board.
  • Unemployment tax rates and wage base. Ask the Georgia Department of Labor.
  • Rules resting on a 2016 copy of the code, not the 2025 code: weekend counting for lien deadlines, the comp elections and filing penalty, the construction defect notice, the job-money crime, the 4% state sales tax and dealer rules, and the unemployment threshold. Have a Georgia construction attorney or the agency confirm them, and ask the attorney whether a Georgia home-solicitation rule adds to the federal 3-day rule.
  • Public jobs and payment bonds, and the separate lien rules for laborers (§44-14-380 to -382). Ask a Georgia construction attorney before you rely on a lien or bond on those.

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.