The 10 Best Minneapolis, MN General Contractors

You must hire a licensed contractor for most construction or home improvement projects in Minneapolis. Generally, all residential construction work must be performed by licensed, bonded, and insured contractors and their employees.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry licenses residential building contractors. Contractors acting as sole proprietors, or qualifying persons for a construction related business entity must pass a 2 part examination on building code and Minnesota business and law, complete 14 hours of continued education each 2 year licensing period and pay a licensing fee.

The City of Minneapolis also licenses residential specialty contractors who do not meet the state requirements. Applicants are required to have a $10,000 bond and a certificate of liability insurance and workers’ compensation.

All contractors in Minneapolis are required to have workers’ compensation and general liability insurance. All licensed residential building contractors (or companies) must hold liability insurance with a minimum policy limit of $100,000 for each occurrence, $300,000 aggregate limit for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage. City licensed residential specialty contractors must have liability insurance with limits of $100,000 for injury or death for one person and $300,000 for each occurrence. Request a copy of each insurance certificate for your records before any work begins.

A permit is always required in Minneapolis for new construction, additions, and when work is structural in nature, such as adding or replacing beams, posts, joists or rafters. Common projects that require a permit include roofing, siding, kitchen and bath remodels, fences over 6 feet high, retaining walls more than 4 feet high, replacing windows and doors, the repair or replacement of brick/stone facades, most decks, stairways, skylights, garages, accessory buildings more than 120 square feet, certain pools, the demolition of buildings over 1,000 square feet and the conversion of an attic or a basement into habitable space. If you are unsure if your project needs a permit, contact the Department of Planning and Economic Development at 612.673.3000.

The Minneapolis Development Review in the Department of Planning and Economic Development is responsible for issuing permits and ensuring project compliance with all applicable codes and ordinances. Licensed contractors are required to take out all permits needed for jobs they have been hired for. The Department offers a variety of methods for acquiring a permit. For residential projects that do not require site plan reviews, a permit can be applied and paid for online by a licensed contractor. Most projects require the submission of construction plans for review by a city planner. More details are available on the Minneapolis Department of Planning and Economic Development’s website.

Hiring a licensed contractor provides access to the Minnesota Contractor Recovery Fund, which reimburses consumers who suffer financial losses as a result of a licensed contractor’s misconduct, including unsatisfactory or incomplete work. All licensed contractors pay a fee to the fund. Claims are limited to $150,000 per contractor and $75,000 per claim. If multiple claims are filed against the same contractor, they are prorated. In these situations, you may not be able to recover your entire loss. Builders and remodelers are also legally required to warrant that a new home or home renovation project is free from different types of defects for varying lengths of time. Although no government agency has the authority to enforce this warranty law, a homeowner who feels their contractor has failed to meet the warranty can pursue private, civil action to seek damages. Additionally, city licensed residential speciality contractors must hold a $10,000 bond.

The BuildZoom score is based on a number of factors including the contractor's license information, which is gathered from the State of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry; building permit data, gathered from the Minneapolis Department of Planning and Economic Development; 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 Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 Minneapolis. Click here to get started by providing us with a few details about your project.