Mississippi requires a Remodeler licence for improvements to an existing residence exceeding $10,000, and a Residential Builder licence for new construction exceeding $50,000 (Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-1). Most full foundation repairs clear the $10,000 line comfortably.
What the statute actually separates, why the threshold catches more work than people expect, and what a licence does not tell you.
What the statute says
The definitions sit in Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-1. A residential builder is defined by reference to constructing a residence of not more than three floors where the total cost of the undertaking exceeds fifty thousand dollars. A remodeler is defined as undertaking the construction of improvements to an existing residence where the total cost of the improvements exceeds ten thousand dollars.
Foundation repair on a house that already stands is improvement to an existing residence. So the figure that governs it is the lower one, and $10,000 is beneath the cost of most full repairs in this market.
Which classification applies to your job
| Project value | What is required | Typical foundation work at that level |
|---|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | Classification not required at that value | Crack repair, drainage correction, concrete leveling, localised piers |
| Over $10,000 | Remodeler licence | Most full piering and slab repair jobs |
| New construction over $50,000 | Residential Builder licence | Not applicable to repair work |
Worth noticing without cynicism: a scope priced at $9,800 does not require the classification. Plenty of jobs genuinely cost that. But it is a fair question what happens to the number when the walls open and more of the footprint turns out to be over active material than the survey assumed.
Checking it, and what checking proves
Ask for the licence number and verify it with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors rather than reading it off a card. The request takes one sentence, and a company's reaction to it is informative in its own right.
What the check proves is narrow, and overselling it would be its own small dishonesty. A licence establishes that a statutory requirement was met. It does not establish that the elevation survey covered the whole footprint, that the pier layout follows the readings rather than the visible cracks, or that the pier log will record what each pier landed on. Verify the licence first, then read the scope — the scope is where the quality actually lives.
Licensing, answered plainly
Does foundation repair require a license in Mississippi?
Improvements to an existing residence exceeding $10,000 require a Remodeler licence from the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, under Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-1(c). Most full foundation repairs exceed that figure, so for most jobs the answer is yes.
What is the difference between a Residential Builder and a Remodeler licence?
The statute separates them by the work. A Residential Builder constructs a new residence of not more than three floors where the undertaking exceeds $50,000. A Remodeler undertakes improvements to an existing residence exceeding $10,000. Foundation repair on a standing house is the second.
What if my quote is under $10,000?
Then the Remodeler classification is not required at that value. Plenty of legitimate repairs cost less. It is still worth asking whether the company holds one, and worth asking what happens to the price if more of the footprint turns out to need support than the quote assumed.
How do I check a licence?
The Mississippi State Board of Contractors maintains the register. Ask the company for its licence number and confirm it there rather than accepting a number on a business card. A company that hesitates at that request has answered a different and more useful question.
Does a licence mean the work will be good?
No, and it would be dishonest to imply otherwise. A licence is a floor - it establishes that a legal requirement was met. It says nothing about whether the elevation survey was thorough or whether the pier layout follows the readings. Verify the licence, then read the scope.
Get a free Hattiesburg elevation survey
Tell us which rooms are affected and which are not. On interbedded ground that contrast is the most useful thing you can give us — a house where the front is fine and the back bedroom is dropping is telling us something about what each end is sitting on. Same working day reply.