Kansas City, Missouri Contractor Licensing

Kansas City, Missouri Contractor License Insurance Requirements: $1,000,000 Liability and City Endorsements

Short answer. Kansas City, Missouri requires $1,000,000 in liability insurance for licensed plumbing, demolition, fire protection class I and II, sign and residential building contractors, from an insurer licensed in Missouri and rated at least B+ V by A.M. Best. The City must be added as additional insured and given 30 days' written notice of any change or cancellation, each by separate endorsement (residential building contractors need the additional insured endorsement only for work in the public right-of-way). You file a current certificate with the City every year, even though the license runs four years. TradeGuard can quote the policy and issue your certificate once it is bound: call (913) 689-5474 or request a quote.

Which KCMO contractor licenses require insurance

Information Bulletin 118 from City Planning and Development (CPD) lists 17 contractor license categories. Section 18-327(b)(1) of the Kansas City Building and Rehabilitation Code makes a certificate of insurance “a condition precedent to issuance, maintenance, or renewal of a license” for these classes:

  • Demolition contractor, class I and class II
  • Fire protection contractor, class I and class II
  • Plumbing contractor
  • Residential building contractor
  • Sign contractor

These are the license classes with an insurance requirement under Section 18-327(b), not the only insurance rules in the city code. Information Bulletin 135 notes that house moving contractors must also maintain insurance to obtain their business licenses and house moving permits, under Section 18-16(a)(2).

Electrical, elevator, fire protection class III, gas-fired appliance, mechanical and pipe fitting contractors need a license but are not on the Section 18-327(b) insurance list.

None of the 17 categories in Information Bulletin 118 is a general contractor license, and roofing is not listed as a category. Information Bulletin 152 says the Residential Building Contractor license “is required for anyone contracting to construct, structurally alter or enlarge any one- or two-family detached dwelling or townhouse,” and that “A Business License for Construction is the only city license required for a contractor performing swimming pool construction, uncovered deck construction, retaining walls, non-structural remodeling, installation of roof mounted solar panels with no or limited structural work, and commercial building permits.”

Do not assume roofing work is exempt from residential building licensing. Confirm the license and permit requirements for your actual scope, particularly structural alterations. If your classification is unclear, ask Contractor Licensing at cdlicensing@kcmo.org or (816) 513-1500, ext. 1, option 2.

This page covers Kansas City, Missouri only. Kansas City, Kansas is part of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, which licenses contractors separately. For the Kansas side of the metro, see Johnson County contractor license insurance.

What the policy must include (Section 18-327(b))

The requirements are in the ordinance, and CPD repeats them in Information Bulletin 135, revised March 19, 2026:

The $1,000,000 liability insurance requirement.

Section 18-327(b)(2)a states: “The policy shall provide for liability insurance with a minimum aggregate limit of $1,000,000.00 per occurrence.” Information Bulletin 135 uses the same phrase. Confirm the required certificate limits with Contractor Licensing before the certificate is issued.

The City as additional insured, by separate endorsement.

Information Bulletin 135, item 2: “The City shall be added as an additional insured to such policy by separate endorsement. Except that no such endorsement shall be required for a residential building contractor unless such contractor will be performing work in the public right-of-way.” Section 18-327(b)(2)b sets the same rule.

30 days' written notice to the City, by separate endorsement.

Section 18-327(b)(2)c requires “a separate endorsement requiring the insurance company to notify the city in writing of any change in or cancellation of such policy at least 30 days prior thereto, or ten days in the event of cancellation due to nonpayment of premium.” The notice covers any change, not only cancellation.

An insurer licensed in Missouri and rated B+ V or better.

Section 18-327(b)(2)d requires a company “having a current A.M. Best rating of B+ V or better and licensed to do business in the state of Missouri.” Information Bulletin 135 adds: “an insurance certificate from an unapproved provider shall not be accepted as proof of insurance.”

A current certificate every year.

Section 18-327(b)(2)e: “Before the license is issued, and annually thereafter, the contractor shall deposit with the city a certificate of insurance evidencing that the coverage required by this subsection is in force and that the endorsements required by subsections (b)(2)b and c of this section have been issued.” Under Section 18-330, the license itself is valid for four years.

Who the certificate should name

Information Bulletin 118 says the certificate “Names the City of Kansas City, Missouri as additional insured.” Use the City's name as written there.

CPD's bulletins do not publish certificate holder wording or an address. Information Bulletin 135 tells contractors to contact Contractor Licensing Branch staff at (816) 513-1500 “if you have any questions or need a sample insurance certificate.” Request CPD's sample insurance certificate, and we issue yours to match it. Ask Contractor Licensing about any certificate format question before you file.

For certificates to general contractors and project owners, see certificates of insurance.

Workers compensation and your city business license

Section 18-332(a)(13) requires every licensed contractor “To always maintain one or more up-to-date business license(s).” The Finance Department requires construction companies to provide workers compensation paperwork with the business license application.

Missouri's construction workers comp threshold is one employee (RSMo 287.030.1(3)): construction industry employers “shall be deemed an employer for the purposes of this chapter if they have one or more employees.” Business license paperwork does not replace that state requirement. See Missouri construction workers comp.

Cash deposits, fees and renewal

Plumbing contractors and fire protection contractors class I and II must post a $500 cash deposit before seeking a license (Information Bulletin 134, citing Section 18-327). Contractors doing excavation or utility work in the public right-of-way may be required by Water Services and Public Works to post a $500 to $2,500 cash deposit and/or a $50,000 bond.

License fees from Information Bulletin 118 (revised March 19, 2026, page 3):

  • Contractor license application: $60, nonrefundable
  • Contractor license issuance: $181
  • Contractor license renewal: $181, every four years
  • Change of company name, ownership or organization: a new application, a $60 application fee, a $181 issuance fee and a new insurance certificate

Confirm current fees with the City before applying.

Section 18-330 makes contractor licenses valid for four years and states that “It shall be a violation of this chapter to perform any regulated work after expiration of a license.” The city business license is separate and expires December 31 each year.

What happens if your coverage lapses

Section 18-327(b)(3): “Failure to maintain the required insurance shall be grounds for automatic suspension of a license and for denial of further permits and inspections.”

Information Bulletin 135 states that a contractor's failure to provide a valid, up-to-date insurance certificate and/or to maintain the required coverage “shall be grounds for automatic, immediate suspension of permit and trades privileges; for suspension of that contractor's license(s); and for the City's refusal to schedule or perform inspections. It may also interfere with a contractor's eligibility to renew its business license(s) with the Finance Department.”

How TradeGuard handles KCMO contractor license insurance

  1. 1You tell us which KCMO license you hold or are applying for, and whether you work in the public right-of-way.
  2. 2We quote general liability for the City's $1,000,000 liability insurance requirement, and we check that the insurer is licensed in Missouri and meets the A.M. Best B+ V rating requirement.
  3. 3We request the City's additional insured endorsement, where your license requires it, and the City's notice endorsement from the carrier.
  4. 4Once the policy is bound, we issue your certificate to match CPD's sample insurance certificate, the same day in most cases and often within minutes for policies written through TradeGuard.
  5. 5If your general contractor needs a certificate, we issue it with the wording their contract requires: additional insured, primary and non-contributory, waiver of subrogation, and the certificate holder listed exactly.
  6. 6We track your policy renewal and send an updated certificate when it renews. Filing that certificate and renewing the license itself are yours to do with the City.

TradeGuard Insurance is a licensed insurance agency (NPN 22154473) based in Leawood, Kansas, licensed in Missouri, and able to quote and place policies in all 50 states.

Get a Quote for Your Kansas City Contractor Insurance.

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

Request a Quote Call (913) 689-5474

Frequently asked questions

None of the 17 contractor license categories in Information Bulletin 118 is a general contractor license. Information Bulletin 152 says a Business License for Construction is the only city license required for a contractor performing commercial building permits, among other listed work. Contracting to construct, structurally alter or enlarge a one- or two-family detached dwelling or townhouse requires a Residential Building Contractor license. If your classification is unclear, ask Contractor Licensing at (816) 513-1500.

Section 18-327(b)(2)a and Information Bulletin 135 both state "a minimum aggregate limit of $1,000,000.00 per occurrence." Confirm the required certificate limits with Contractor Licensing at (816) 513-1500 before the certificate is issued.

Only for work in the public right-of-way. Information Bulletin 135 states that no additional insured endorsement "shall be required for a residential building contractor unless such contractor will be performing work in the public right-of-way." Section 18-327(b)(2)b says the same. Residential building contractors are still on the list of classes that must carry the liability insurance and file the certificate.

No. Section 18-327(b)(2)c requires the policy to contain a separate endorsement requiring the insurer to notify the City in writing of any change or cancellation at least 30 days before, or 10 days for nonpayment. Section 18-327(b)(2)e requires the annual certificate to show that the endorsement has been issued.

Plumbing contractors do. Electrical and mechanical contractors are licensed but are not on the Section 18-327(b) insurance list. Construction companies still submit workers compensation paperwork with their city business license application, and a general contractor may set insurance requirements in its subcontract.

Same day in most cases once the policy is bound, and often within minutes for policies written through TradeGuard. The City requires endorsements on the policy itself, so tell us which license you are applying for when you request a quote.