Watley Insurance Group

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Watley Insurance Group Independent agency in Shreveport since 2019. We read the contract before we quote the policy. Licensed in LA, TX, AR, MS, AL, GA, TN, OK.

Contractors, medical transport, and small business, plus home and auto.

10/24/2026

When Do You Renew an Arkansas Contractor License?

Every year. You file the renewal application online, then email the rest to the board. For a commercial license that means a current CPA financial statement (the Building classification carries a $50,000 net worth requirement) and, if you have employees, a current workers' comp certificate. Residential builder and unlimited home improvement licenses send a current balance sheet and the same certificate. Renewal is where people get caught: the policy is active, but the certificate the board has on file is last year's.

Want your coverage and your license file reviewed together? Book a free review at the link.

Book a free insurance review: https://calendar.app.google/VAXw1WFmRwkG2zjS7
Free Arkansas contractor guide: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/contractor-insurance/arkansas

Information verified 10/18/2026 against the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board's own applications. Licensing rules change. Confirm your own situation with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.

🎉 Belated Happy Birthday, Kellye Brandl! 🎂Kellye leads our Personal Lines renewals team and takes such good care of our ...
10/24/2026

🎉 Belated Happy Birthday, Kellye Brandl! 🎂

Kellye leads our Personal Lines renewals team and takes such good care of our clients come renewal time. We are thankful for all she does for Watley Insurance Group and the families we serve.

Help us wish her a happy belated birthday in the comments! 🎈

10/24/2026

Why Do Websites Disagree About Arkansas Contractor Insurance?

Two reasons, and both are honest mistakes. First, people mix up what the state requires with what the job requires. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board will license you without general liability insurance, but a general contractor or a client will often not let you on site without it. Second, other Arkansas boards do require it for their own trades: licensed elevator contractors need general liability of at least $1,000,000 (Ark. Code 20-24-108), and asbestos abatement licensing has its own insurance rules. Different boards, different rules.

When in doubt, read the board's own application.

Free Arkansas contractor guide: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/contractor-insurance/arkansas
Book a free insurance review: https://calendar.app.google/VAXw1WFmRwkG2zjS7

Information verified 10/18/2026 against the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board's own applications. Licensing rules change. Confirm your own situation with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.

10/23/2026

Do Arkansas Roofers Need a Home Improvement License?

Not if roofing is all you do. Residential roofing-only work in Arkansas takes a Residential Roofing Registration with the board's Residential Committee, not a home improvement license. Do roofing plus any other residential work, like siding or gutters, and you need the license that covers that work too (a home improvement license for most specialty trades). That catches roofers who expand.

If you added a trade this year, confirm your license still fits.

Free Arkansas contractor guide: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/contractor-insurance/arkansas
Book a free insurance review: https://calendar.app.google/VAXw1WFmRwkG2zjS7

Information verified 10/18/2026 against the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board's own applications. Licensing rules change. Confirm your own situation with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.

10/23/2026

What Insurance Does the Arkansas Contractors Board Actually Require?

One document. For a commercial license, and for residential builder and unlimited home improvement licenses, the board asks for a current certificate of insurance showing workers' compensation coverage, and only if you have one or more employees. The board's commercial application (August 2025 edition) says to list the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board as the certificate holder. No employees, no certificate required by the board. Everything else you carry comes from a contract or from your own decision.

Pull your certificate and check the holder line.

Free Arkansas contractor guide: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/contractor-insurance/arkansas
Book a free insurance review: https://calendar.app.google/VAXw1WFmRwkG2zjS7

Information verified 10/18/2026 against the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board's own applications. Licensing rules change. Confirm your own situation with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.

10/22/2026

What Is the Commercial Contractor License Threshold in Arkansas?

$50,000. In Arkansas, commercial work of $50,000 or more, labor and materials included, needs a commercial license or registration, for prime contractors and subcontractors alike. Commercial is broader than most people think: it is any project that is not a single-family residence, and the board counts one to four units as single-family. Apartment buildings of five units or more, offices, retail, churches and warehouses are all commercial.

Check which side of $50,000 your next job falls on.

Free Arkansas contractor guide: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/contractor-insurance/arkansas
Book a free insurance review: https://calendar.app.google/VAXw1WFmRwkG2zjS7

Information verified 10/18/2026 against the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board's own applications. Licensing rules change. Confirm your own situation with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.

10/22/2026

Arkansas Contractor License Requirements in 2026

In Arkansas, residential work over $2,000, labor and materials included, needs a license. That number is set by statute (Ark. Code 17-25-513), not by board policy, and it is lower than most people expect. Not $20,000. Not $50,000. Plenty of small remodel jobs cross it. This week I'm going through the Arkansas contractor license requirements one at a time: thresholds, insurance, bonds, roofing and renewal.

Follow for the rest of this series.

Free Arkansas contractor guide: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/contractor-insurance/arkansas
Book a free insurance review: https://calendar.app.google/VAXw1WFmRwkG2zjS7
New on the blog, the full Arkansas breakdown: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/blog/arkansas-contractor-license-insurance-requirements

Information verified 10/18/2026 against the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board's own applications. Licensing rules change. Confirm your own situation with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.

10/21/2026

Is a Contractor Surety Bond the Same as Insurance?

No. A commercial license or a subcontractor registration in Arkansas needs a $10,000 surety bond filed with the board, in the exact name and EIN of the entity applying. The bond is payable to the State of Arkansas and backs your tax, unemployment and workers' comp obligations (Ark. Code 17-25-404). It does not protect you. If the bond pays a claim, the surety generally comes back to you for the money. Insurance is what protects you, and having a bond tells you nothing about whether you have it.

If you think your bond covers you, it doesn't. Ask your agent.

Free Arkansas contractor guide: https://watleyinsurancegroup.com/contractor-insurance/arkansas
Book a free insurance review: https://calendar.app.google/VAXw1WFmRwkG2zjS7

Information verified 10/18/2026 against the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board's own applications. Licensing rules change. Confirm your own situation with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.

Address

905 Francais Drive
Shreveport, LA
71118

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+13188615910

Website

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