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State packet

New Hampshire Contractor Packet

What you need to start and run a trade business in New Hampshire, 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 · 41 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 New Hampshire, 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
  • Your first steps here: the $100 LLC, the April 1 annual report, the $50 late fee that can’t be waived, and your trade name
  • Which trades are state-licensed, why a journeyman electrician can’t go out alone, and where general contractors stand: no state license turned up in what was read, which is a reading to confirm with the state and your town
  • No sales tax on your New Hampshire invoice, plus the 7.5% Business Profits Tax and 0.55% Business Enterprise Tax and who has to file
  • Workers’ comp from the statute: who counts as an employee, when LLC owners don’t count, what a 1099 won’t fix, and the penalties
  • How a New Hampshire lien really works: no recorded claim form in the lien chapter, a 120-day life, and a court attachment to secure it

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.

  • General contractor, remodeler, roofer and handyman licensing. No state license turned up in what was read, but that is a reading, not a rule the state has stated. Confirm with the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification and your town.
  • How a court attachment works in practice: how long it takes, how long it lasts, and how homestead rights affect it on someone’s home. Chapter 511-A gives only the outline. Ask a New Hampshire construction attorney.
  • Your unemployment tax rate. It depends on state schedules and your record, and only New Hampshire Employment Security can give you yours.
  • This year’s Business Profits Tax filing line. The statute prints $92,000 and the state adjusts it every two years. Get the current figure from the Department of Revenue Administration.
  • This year’s Business Enterprise Tax filing line, and which return first uses the $400,000 line that takes effect January 1, 2027. Ask the Department of Revenue Administration.
  • New Hampshire’s RSA 361-B. The consumer protection act points to it, but its text isn’t covered here. Ask your attorney whether a sale at the customer’s home falls under it.
  • A few details rest on agency rules whose available copies show a past expiration date: comp timing and the posting form, Form NH 1040, the ten-foot plumbing limit, and quarterly unemployment dates. Confirm with that agency.
  • The fee to register a trade name. Check the Secretary of State’s form when you file.

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.