Handyman Business Permit Requirements in Kailua, HI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source for EIN (Employer Identification Number) (opens in a new tab)

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Hawaii Department of Taxation — General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Hawaii has no sales tax. Instead the state levies a General Excise Tax on the gross income of the business itself, and unlike a sales tax it reaches services, commissions and rent as well as goods. Every business must register for a GET licence with the Department of Taxation on Form BB-1 before doing business. The rate is 4% statewide, rising to 4.5% on Oahu because of the 0.5% county surcharge, and it is owed on gross income whether or not it is passed on to the customer.

   Official government source for Hawaii Department of Taxation — General Excise Tax (GET) License (opens in a new tab)

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)·Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)

   Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

2. Hawaii Contractors License Board — Contractor License

   A contractor license from the Hawaii Contractors License Board (DCCA/PVL) is required to offer or perform construction work. The exemption is narrow: no license is needed only where the aggregate contract price including labor, materials and taxes is $1,000 or less and no building permit is required, and it never covers electrical or plumbing work requiring a permit. Separate C-classifications cover electrical (C-13), plumbing (C-37), HVAC (C-52) and other trades. Applicants must show four years of supervisory experience in the classification.

   Official government source for Hawaii Contractors License Board — Contractor License (opens in a new tab)

   $50 application fee, $75 per examination part (most classifications require two parts), and a license fee of $494–$663 for a contracting entity or sole proprietor ($334–$438 for a responsible managing employee), depending on where the issue date falls in the two-year licensing cycle·Applications filed by the first Tuesday of a month are reviewed at the following month's Board meeting (the Board does not meet in December); the qualifying individual must pass the exams within six months of approval

   $50 application fee, $75 per examination part (most classifications require two parts), and a license fee of $494–$663 for a contracting entity or sole proprietor ($334–$438 for a responsible managing employee), depending on where the issue date falls in the two-year licensing cycle

   Applications filed by the first Tuesday of a month are reviewed at the following month's Board meeting (the Board does not meet in December); the qualifying individual must pass the exams within six months of approval

1. Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Kailua is within the City and County of Honolulu, which does not issue a general business license. The near-universal requirement is instead the State of Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) license from the Department of Taxation, a one-time registration rather than an annual renewal. GET itself is charged on gross business income at 4% plus a 0.5% Oahu county surcharge and is remitted periodically.

   Official government source for Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) License (opens in a new tab)

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)·Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)

   Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

2. Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting — Building Permit (for regulated work)

   Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and structural work needs a permit from the Department of Planning and Permitting — there is no separate "Honolulu County" building department and no City of Kailua. A handyman must not perform work reserved to a licensed contractor: Hawaii requires a Contractors License Board classification unless the aggregate contract price is $1,000 or less and no building permit is needed, and permits themselves are pulled by the licensed contractor.

   Official government source for Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting — Building Permit (for regulated work) (opens in a new tab)

   Valuation-based under ROH 18-6.2 — $20 for work valued at $500 or less, rising to roughly $230 on a $10,000 job and about $980 on a $50,000 job; when plans are required, a plan review fee of 20% of the permit fee (capped at $25,000) is added. DPP publishes an online Building Permit Fee Calculator.·Some small-scope work qualifies for DPP's instant online permits; applications requiring plan review take longer

   Valuation-based under ROH 18-6.2 — $20 for work valued at $500 or less, rising to roughly $230 on a $10,000 job and about $980 on a $50,000 job; when plans are required, a plan review fee of 20% of the permit fee (capped at $25,000) is added. DPP publishes an online Building Permit Fee Calculator.

   Some small-scope work qualifies for DPP's instant online permits; applications requiring plan review take longer

Official Sources

• City and County of Honolulu — Permits and Licenses
• Hawaii Contractors License Board — Contractor License

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