Tennessee · 14 Board contractor classifications
Apply for your Tennessee contractor license without the maze.
GCFile walks you through every requirement, one stage at a time. An independent CPA reviews your financials before you file, so your application arrives complete.
Not a government site. The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors makes every licensing decision, and approval is never guaranteed.
Your application
Acme Builders LLC · sample- ✓ProfileApproved
- ✓Business entityApproved
- ✓ExamsApproved
- 4Financial statementCPA reviewing
- 5Insurance and documentsLocked
- 6Review and fileLocked
Each stage opens when the one before it is approved.
Six stages, one at a time
Nothing gets missed, and you always know what is next. Your progress is saved to your account.
- Stage 1
Profile
Choose your classification and the size of project you want to take on.
Automatic - Stage 2
Business entity
Upload your charter and Secretary of State records so your name matches everywhere.
Reviewed by an admin - Stage 3
Exams
Record your Business and Law exam and the trade exam (or course) for your classification, and name your qualifying agent.
Reviewed by an admin - Stage 4
Financial statement
Pay the platform and CPA review fees, then an independent CPA reviews your books. That review decides the project limit your numbers support.
Reviewed by a CPA - Stage 5
Insurance and documents
General liability sized to your limit, workers compensation, a reference letter and the notarized affidavit.
Reviewed by an admin - Stage 6
Review and file
Your CPA gives final approval, then you file with the state using a ready-made packet.
Approved by a CPA
Have these ready
You do not need everything on day one. Upload each item when you reach its stage.
- Charter or articles of organization
- Secretary of State certificate
- Local business tax license, if you have one
- Business and Law exam results, plus the trade exam (or course) for your classification
- Your business books, for the CPA review
- General liability certificate of insurance
- Workers compensation proof or exemption
- A letter of reference, not from family
- The contractor affidavit, notarized by every principal
Every cost, shown separately
You see each line before you pay it. The platform fee and the CPA review fee are paid together at stage 4, before your CPA starts the review.
Platform fee
Set at launch
Covers the guided workflow, checks and filing packet.
CPA review fee
Agreed with your CPA
Paid before the review starts, for the review itself. It never depends on whether you are approved.
State application fee
$250
Paid by you directly to the state when you file.
For contractors
One place for every stage, with a saved history of your applications. Instead of piecing requirements together from state web pages, you follow the steps and see what is left.
For CPAs
A review queue that shows the report, the limit the numbers support and your independence confirmation before you approve. Only a CPA with an active credential can approve the financial stages.
Questions
Does GCFile file for me?
No. You file in the state portal using the packet we assemble. We prepare, check and organize; the state decides.
Do I need a license?
In Tennessee you need one to bid or contract as a prime contractor on projects of $25,000 or more.
Who reviews my numbers?
A CPA with an active credential who is independent of your business. Their fee never depends on whether you are approved.
When do I pay?
The platform fee and the CPA review fee are paid together at stage 4, just before the CPA review begins. The CPA fee is for the review and never depends on the result. You pay the state's $250 fee yourself, directly to the state, when you file.
Can I use it in other states?
Tennessee comes first, covering all 14 of the Board's prime contractor classifications. More states are planned.