The 10 Best Kansas City, MO General Contractors

The state of Missouri does not licensed general contractors. You must hire a city -licensed Residential Building Contractor in Kansas City to construct, structurally alter or enlarge residential buildings, including any detached accessory buildings over 400 square feet.

Kansas City’s Department of City Planning & Development: Permits Division is responsible for contractor licensing. In order for a company to obtain a residential building contractor’s license, the company must have a full-time management/supervisory employee who holds a Residential Building Supervisor certificate of qualification. To become certified, one must be 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, adequate proof of the necessary skills, knowledge and relevant past experience and must pass an exam testing knowledge of the trade. Certifications must be renewed every four years for a $167 fee. To receive a license following certification, a contractor must have a certain level of cash deposits and general liability insurance coverage with a minimum aggregate limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence.

Residential building contractors are required to hold general liability insurance coverage with a minimum aggregate limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Although not required by state law, you should only hire a contractor who also holds an active workers’ compensation policy. Request copies of each of these insurance certificates for your records before any work begins on your property.

Permits are needed for most construction and home improvement projects in Kansas City. Generally, all new construction, major remodels and additions, particularly those making structural changes, and demolition work require a permit. Common projects that require a permit include building accessory structures over 200 square feet in roof area, retaining walls more than 4 feet in height, and replacing more than 32 square feet of wall or roof sheathing. If you are unsure whether your project requires a permit, you should check with Kansas City’s Permit Offices at 816.513.1500

The Kansas City Department of City Planning & Development: Permits Division is responsible for issuing permits and ensuring project compliance with all applicable codes and ordinances. The Permit Division provides a variety of services to guide you through the permitting process. This includes a permit hotline and a Development Assistance Team to answer questions in the early stages of project planning. Multiple permitting processes are available depending on the project’s scope and scale. Some minor projects may be eligible to receive same day ‘Scope of Work’ permits and/or to use electronic plan submission. Most residential permits require the review of construction plans. More details are available on the Kansas City Permits Division’s website.

Residential building contractors in Kansas City are not required to hold a bond in order to work on residential properties. There is no Missouri recovery fund to provide assistance to eligible homeowner who have suffered a financial loss caused by the dishonest or incompetent conduct of a general contractor.

The BuildZoom score is based on a number of factors including the contractor's license information and building permit data, gathered from the Kansas City Department of City Planning & Development: Permits Division; and feedback and behavior we have observed in the BuildZoom marketplace and in other, third-party review sites.

We have analyzed every licensed contractor who has worked in Kansas City, Missouri. Using this information, we’re able to save you time, money and lessen your risk by providing you with a simple and straight-forward way to gather and receive multiple bids from vetted general contractors in Kansas City. Click here to get started by providing us with a few details about your project.