Johnson County, Kansas Contractor Licensing

Johnson County Contractor Insurance and Certificate Requirements

Short answer. A Johnson County contractor license requires general liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence with $1,000,000 completed operations, plus workers comp with $100,000 employer's liability if you have employees, or a notarized waiver if you don't. The certificate must name Johnson County Contractor Licensing, 111 South Cherry Street, Suite 1000, Olathe, Kansas 66061-3486, as certificate holder. TradeGuard writes these policies and issues the certificate the same day in most cases. Call (913) 689-5474 or request a quote.

Who needs a Johnson County contractor license

Johnson County Contractor Licensing, part of the county's Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development, issues 11 types of contractor licenses under Resolution No. 076-24 (effective February 1, 2025). The regulations state: “Unless provided otherwise by this chapter, only a contractor licensed under the provisions of this article may obtain a building permit.” The license is issued to your company, which must designate a qualifying individual who works at least 30 hours a week and meets the exam or education requirement for the license type.

The county's current application lists these participating jurisdictions: De Soto, Edgerton, Fairway, Gardner, Leawood, Lenexa, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Shawnee, Spring Hill and unincorporated Johnson County.

Overland Park requires an active Johnson County contractor license for covered building permit work. Confirm any exception with the city. Olathe's code makes it “unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, association, or combination thereof to engage in work as a contractor in the city without first having received a contractor license issued by Johnson County, Kansas.”

The county's regulations exclude employees working under a licensed contractor's supervision, and homeowners working on the single-family home they live in. Kansas City, Missouri is not on the county's list; see Kansas City, Missouri contractor license insurance.

License classes for roofing, framing and general contractors

Pick the class that matches your work. A company may hold more than one, and each license type has its own qualifying requirement and fee. The trade classes are electrical (DE), mechanical (DM), plumbing (DP), fire suppression (DF), fire alarm (DFA) and swimming pool (DS). The building and specialty classes:

Class A, General Contractor.

Construct, remodel, repair and demolish any structure. The company or its full-time employees “may perform framing, roofing, swimming pool construction, non-structural remodeling, tenant finish, or repairs of all structures, regardless of occupancy or height.” No HVAC, plumbing, electrical or fire protection work.

Class B, Building Contractor.

The same scope as Class A, limited to structures “not exceeding three (3) stories in height.”

Class C, Residential Contractor.

Single-family and duplex homes and their accessory buildings, including framing and roofing on them.

Class DR, Roofing Contractor.

Roofing only, “for all structures regardless of occupancy or height.” The county recognizes the ICC Roofing Contractor/Subcontractor exam (Exam ID KGP). Roofers also need a separate state registration; see Kansas roofing registration insurance.

Class DW, Wood Framing Contractor.

Wood framing and rough carpentry, including sub-flooring, siding, exterior staircases, decks and guard rails, framed walls, ceilings and roof assemblies, doors, windows and sheathing. The county recognizes the ICC Framing Contractor exam (Exam ID KGJ).

The insurance every Johnson County license requires

Your company must provide a certificate of insurance before the license is issued and “maintain and carry in force, for the duration of the license, insurance coverage and a COI verifying such coverage.”

General liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 completed operations.

The county requires “a minimum of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage and a minimum one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) completed operations provisions.” The heading reads “Required for All Licensed Contractors,” so the limit is the same for every class.

A carrier licensed in Kansas.

Resolution No. 076-24 says the policy “shall be written with an insurance company licensed to do business in the state of Kansas.”

Workers compensation with $100,000 employer's liability, if you have employees.

“Worker's Compensation as required by Kansas Statutes. Employer's Liability is $100,000.00 each occurrence.”

No employees: a notarized waiver.

The county provides a notarized waiver for contractors without employees. If you have employees but believe you are exempt under Kansas law, confirm with Contractor Licensing what documentation it will accept. For the state rules, see Kansas contractor workers comp requirements.

The county's general liability requirement also says to “include all state's endorsements.” When we write your policy, we confirm with the county what that requires.

This page covers the county licensing submission. Your projects, vehicles and contracts can carry separate insurance requirements.

Who the certificate must name

The county asks for an ACORD certificate listing its office as certificate holder in this format:

Johnson County Contractor Licensing
111 South Cherry Street, Suite 1000
Olathe, Kansas 66061-3486

The instructions follow the address with this notice language:

“Prior to any reduction in coverage or limits, or cancellation, the Board of County Commissioners, Johnson County, Kansas, its officers, commissions, agents and employees will be given thirty (30) days advanced written notice by registered mail to the stated address of the certificate holder.”

Listing the county as certificate holder does not by itself create that notice, so where it is required we ask the insurer for it.

The county also warns that the “insured” name and address on the certificate “need to read exactly as the company information is listed with our office.” The 2022 packet named the Board of County Commissioners c/o Contractor Licensing, Room 1000, as holder. If you are copying an old certificate, update it to the format above.

Fees and renewal

  • Application fee, new licenses only: $100
  • New license fee: $225 per license type
  • Annual renewal fee: $225 per license type
  • Late renewal fee, applied on February 1: $75 per license type
  • Inactive renewal: $100 (an inactive license cannot pull permits)

The county states that “contractor licenses are valid for one year.” Under Resolution No. 076-24 you can renew from one month before expiration through one month after, and a license not renewed within one year after expiration requires a new application. Each qualifying individual must complete eight hours of approved continuing education per license type for the company to renew.

What happens if your insurance lapses

Keep required coverage and certificates current throughout the license term. Resolution No. 076-24 states that “the CLRB may suspend or revoke a contractor's license if the CLRB concludes, following a hearing, that the contractor's action or inaction is: (1) A serious or repeated violation of the provisions of this article.”

If you are not working, the regulations exempt a contractor with an inactive license from the insurance requirement. You can declare a license inactive during the renewal period for $100 once continuing education is complete, but an inactive license cannot pull permits.

How TradeGuard handles Johnson County contractor licensing

  1. 1You call or submit the form with your company name and address exactly as the county has them, your license classes, and whether you have employees.
  2. 2We quote general liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence with completed operations, and workers compensation if you have employees, from insurers authorized in Kansas, and we confirm each policy meets the county's requirement.
  3. 3We bind the policy and request any required endorsements or notice wording from the insurer.
  4. 4We issue the ACORD certificate to Johnson County Contractor Licensing at the Suite 1000 address, with your insured name matching the county record, the same day in most cases once the policy is bound. If a general contractor needs its own certificate with additional insured, primary and non-contributory, or waiver of subrogation wording, we issue that too.
  5. 5You file your application in person or by mail with the certificate, the notarized waiver if you have no employees, your qualifying individual's documents and the fees.
  6. 6We track your policy renewals. When your policy renews, we send Johnson County Contractor Licensing an updated certificate.

Already insured with us? Request a certificate of insurance for the county or your general contractor. TradeGuard Insurance is a licensed insurance agency (NPN 22154473) based in Leawood, Kansas, and can quote and place policies in all 50 states.

Get a Quote for Your Johnson County Contractor Insurance.

Call (913) 689-5474 or request a quote.

Request a Quote Call (913) 689-5474

Frequently asked questions

At least $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage, and at least $1,000,000 in completed operations coverage. The county lists general liability as required for all licensed contractors, and its regulations require the insurer to be licensed to do business in Kansas.

Johnson County Contractor Licensing, 111 South Cherry Street, Suite 1000, Olathe, Kansas 66061-3486. The 2022 county packet listed the Board of County Commissioners c/o Contractor Licensing, Room 1000, so update any older certificate. The county says the insured name and address must read exactly as your company is listed with its office.

The county provides a notarized workers compensation waiver for contractors without employees, which you submit with your application. If you have employees but believe you are exempt under Kansas law, confirm with Contractor Licensing what documentation it will accept.

Overland Park requires an active Johnson County contractor license for covered building permit work; confirm any exception with the city. Olathe's municipal code makes it unlawful to work as a contractor in the city without a Johnson County contractor license. The county's application lists both cities among its participating jurisdictions. Kansas City, Missouri is not on the county's list.

A single general liability policy can meet both if its limits, roofing coverage, insurer and certificates satisfy each program. Johnson County requires at least $1,000,000 per occurrence with $1,000,000 completed operations, and Kansas roofing registration requires a liability certificate of at least $500,000. Workers comp requirements are separate.

A $100 application fee plus $225 per license type, so $325 for one type. Renewal is $225 per license type, with a $75 late fee per type applied on February 1. Your insurance premium is separate.