Report a claimGet a certificateMake a changeLog in
riza
802-GOT-RIZAget started
Pen-and-ink Arizona scene: a stucco house with a ladder, a toolbox and a repaired gate on one side, tall saguaros and a pickup truck on the other, mesas behind.

Arizona handyman insurance

handyman in
Arizona? here’s
what you need.

The exemption, the ads rule and the coverage, in plain English.

get started

MARKETS WE PLACE THROUGH

Progressive Commercial
Chubb
Travelers
Nationwide
AmTrust
CNA
biBerk
ERGO NEXT
THREE

the short answer

Arizona handymen can skip the ROC license only on small jobs that meet the exemption: under $1,000 in total, no permit, and not part of a larger project. The state doesn’t require general liability, but homeowners and property managers often ask for a certificate before you start.

what Arizona requires.

The rules that come with handyman work here.

License

Not for jobs that qualify for the exemption: under $1,000 in total, labor and materials, no permit, and not part of a larger project. Gas and specified fire‑safety work fall outside it.

Advertising

Working under the exemption, your ads must say you’re not a licensed contractor.

Bond

Only once you hold an ROC license. The bond is a separate obligation, not liability coverage.

how Arizona bonds work
Workers’ comp

Required from your first employee, with statutory exceptions. Casual help and subcontractor labels need a closer look.

General liability

No state rule. Your customers and their contracts set the limits.

Sources: Arizona Registrar of Contractors, A.R.S. §32-1121, A.R.S. §23-902, A.R.S. §32-1152. Last reviewed September 2026.

what your customers will ask for.

Tap a coverage to see what it does on a handyman job and who asks for it.

What it covers

general liability.

Damage to a customer’s property or injuries to people who aren’t your employees, like water damage from a loose fitting under a sink.

Who asks: Homeowners, property managers and HOAs, often before the first job.

get started

what’s different about
handyman work in Arizona.

good to know.

Straight answers for Arizona handymen.

Do handymen need a license in Arizona?
Not always. Arizona’s handyman exemption lets you work without an ROC license on small jobs that meet every condition, including a total price under the statute’s limit, no required permit, and work that isn’t part of a larger project. Gas and specified fire-safety work fall outside it. Anything else needs a licensed contractor, so check the scope with the ROC before bidding.
What is Arizona’s handyman exemption?
It’s the part of Arizona’s contractor law that lets unlicensed workers take small jobs. The whole job, labor and materials, has to stay under the price limit, need no permit and stand on its own, not as a slice of a bigger project. Your ads must say you’re not a licensed contractor. Insurance doesn’t change any of this.
Do handymen in Arizona need insurance?
The state doesn’t require liability insurance to work under the exemption. Workers’ comp applies once you have an employee, with some statutory exceptions. In practice, many homeowners and property managers ask for a certificate before you start, and a small job can still cause a big claim, like water damage from a loose fitting.

Sources: Arizona Registrar of Contractors, A.R.S. §32-1121, A.R.S. §23-902. Last reviewed September 2026.

Insurance words, in plain English: ghost policy

Go deeper, go back up, or see other trades in Arizona.

see what your
program is missing.

Most have gaps. Find yours with a policy review.

get startedor call 802-GOT-RIZA