WILMINGTON, NC — As home renovation costs continue to rise, a growing number of Wilmington-area projects are crossing a legal line that many homeowners do not know exists. Under North Carolina General Statute 87-1, any person or firm that undertakes to construct, superintend, or manage the construction of a building or improvement for a fee, where the cost of the undertaking is $40,000 or more, is considered a general contractor under state law. That threshold, written into statute, has practical implications for homeowners planning larger renovations, because it determines who may legally manage their project.
The statute includes an exception for people who build or alter a building on their own land when the building is intended solely for occupancy by the owner and family, provided they comply with G.S. 87-14. For most homeowners hiring a company, however, the key question is project size. A single bathroom update may fall well below the threshold, while a kitchen gut, an addition, or several rooms combined into one contract can cross it.
Local remodeling company Bartholomew Home Improvement & Remodeling is encouraging homeowners to understand the threshold before agreeing to a larger project. Allan Bartholomew, who founded the company in 2004 and oversees home renovation in Wilmington, NC, said scope is the first thing to settle on any larger project. "People tend to think about cost at the end, but the size of the project decides a lot of things up front, including what the law requires of whoever is building it," Bartholomew said. "I'd rather walk through the full scope on the first visit so nobody is surprised later."
Kitchens are where budgets most often grow. A kitchen remodel in Wilmington that moves plumbing, adds circuits, or opens a wall can expand quickly once demolition begins. Additions carry the same consideration. Projects through the company's home additions service involve structural work, permits, and inspections from the start. "My advice to a neighbor is to get the whole scope in writing and look the contractor up before you sign," Bartholomew said. "It takes five minutes, and it's the easiest step in the whole process."
Smaller projects are part of the same conversation. Bathroom remodeling in Wilmington often stays modest in scope, but homeowners who bundle several rooms into one contract should be aware of where the total lands. Outdoor work counts toward the total as well. Coastal deck builders in Wilmington, especially larger multi-level decks or covered structures, are priced as part of the overall undertaking when combined with interior work.
The state licensing board also offers a safeguard for homeowners. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors maintains a Homeowners Recovery Fund that provides assistance to eligible North Carolina homeowners who have suffered a financial loss caused by the dishonest or incompetent conduct of a licensed general contractor. The board's website also offers a search tool that matches whole and partial names of licensees, allowing homeowners to verify whether a contractor holds a valid license.
For homeowners, the implications are straightforward: as renovation budgets climb, more projects fall under the $40,000 threshold, meaning the person or firm managing the work must be a licensed general contractor. Verifying that license and understanding the scope of a project before signing can help homeowners avoid financial loss and ensure their renovation is handled legally and competently. Bartholomew Home Improvement & Remodeling is a locally owned, owner-operated remodeling company based in Wilmington, North Carolina, founded by Allan Bartholomew in 2004. The company provides kitchen and bathroom remodeling, home additions, and deck building, with an in-house crew handling carpentry, painting, flooring, and trim. It serves Wilmington, New Hanover County, and Brunswick County, including Leland, Porters Neck, Ogden, Murraysville, Myrtle Grove, and Kings Grant.
