Check the state license first, then compare written, itemized estimates for the same scope, the warranty in writing, and how the company handles measurement and install day. In Arkansas, a contractor needs a Home Improvement license for residential work over $2,000.
Updated October 2026. General information, not medical, tax, insurance or legal advice.
Choose a bath remodeler by checking the state license first, then comparing written, itemized estimates for the same scope, the warranty terms in writing, and how the company measures and installs. In Arkansas the Contractors Licensing Board requires a Home Improvement license for residential work over $2,000, which covers virtually every bathroom project. This guide lists what to check, what to ask and the warning signs to walk away from.
A Home Improvement license from the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. The board's application states that “A Home Improvement license is required when a contractor performs work over $2,000, including labor and materials, on a residential project.” It comes in two levels: a Limited license “limits contractors to projects less than $50,000”, and an Unlimited license allows a project of any size. Larger structural work and additions fall under a Residential Remodeler license.
The penalty for working as a residential or home improvement contractor without first being licensed is $100 to $400 per day, which tells you the state takes the rule seriously. Because almost every bath project costs more than $2,000, the license question applies to you. Ask for the license number in writing, and match its level to your project: a Limited license holder should not be signing a contract for $50,000 or more.
Use the board's own search before you sign. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board publishes a Find a Licensed Contractor search on its website, and the board can be reached at (501) 372 4661. Look up the company by name or license number and confirm three things: the license is active, the license type covers home improvement or remodeling work, and the name on the license matches the name on your contract.
Two related checks help. The application notes that Residential Builders and Unlimited Home Improvement contractors with one or more employees must show proof of workers compensation insurance to get a license; ask who will be working in your home and how they are covered. And ask whether any part of the job, such as electrical or plumbing changes, will be done by another licensed trade. A company that answers these questions quickly and in writing is usually organized in the rest of its work too.
A good estimate is specific enough that two companies can be compared line by line. It should name the products, including the base, wall system, door and fixtures; list the safety features, such as grab bars, a seat and a low threshold; describe removal and disposal of the old tub or shower; state what happens if damage is found behind the wall; give the expected install time; and spell out the payment schedule and the warranty.
Itemizing also protects you with outside programs. The VA HISA grant asks for an itemized estimate of labor, materials, permits and inspections, and IRS Publication 502 only counts costs that accommodate a home to a medical condition, not “Additional costs for personal motives, such as for architectural or aesthetic reasons”. An estimate that separates safety features from finish choices makes both easier. Measurement matters too: a price given over the phone without seeing the bathroom is a guess, not an estimate.
Typical Bath Planet installed ranges give a useful yardstick: $10,000 to $18,000 for a tub to shower conversion, $14,000 to $20,000 for a walk in tub, $10,000 to $18,000 for a walk in shower and $15,000 to $24,000 for a low step walk in shower. Those are typical ranges, not quotes, and Bath Planet of Arkansas quotes them the same across the state. Ask each bidder whether the price includes removal of the old unit, new fixtures, wall panels and haul away, so the totals you compare cover the same work.
A bid far below the typical range for the same scope deserves a question about what is missing, and a bid far above it deserves a question about what is added. Compare bids for the same products and features, not just the bottom line.
| What to check | Why it matters | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Home Improvement license | Required for residential work over $2,000 | Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board search |
| License level | Limited covers projects less than $50,000 | License record and contract amount |
| Itemized written estimate | Lets you compare the same scope and supports HISA or IRS records | The estimate itself |
| Warranty in writing | Defines what is covered and for how long | The warranty document |
| Typical price range | Flags bids that are missing or adding scope | Cost index on this site |
Source: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board application (1/2025); VA HISA; IRS Publication 502; Bath Planet typical ranges.
Ask the same questions of everyone so the answers can be compared. Who measures the bathroom, and is the system made for my space? Who installs it, and how is that crew covered? How long will the bathroom be out of use? What happens if you find damage behind the wall, and how is that priced? What exactly does the warranty cover, materials, installation or both, and for how long? Is any financing offered zero interest or deferred interest?
Listen for specifics. A company that shows you the base and wall samples, explains the install step by step and puts the warranty terms on paper is giving you something you can hold it to. Bath Planet acrylic systems, for example, carry a limited lifetime warranty on the product and the Good Housekeeping Seal, stated in writing. Ask every company you consider for the same kind of written terms and compare them side by side.
Walk away from a contractor who cannot give a license number for residential work over $2,000, who asks you to pull the permit or sign as your own contractor, or whose license level does not match the size of the job. Be cautious with a price that is only good today, a large cash deposit before anything is measured, or a contract that leaves the products and features blank.
Financing deserves its own check. The CFPB warns that an offer reading no interest if paid in full is deferred interest: “if you do not pay off the entire balance of the promotional purchase”, interest back to the date of purchase is added to the balance. Ask in writing which kind it is. Finally, look for a real local presence, a showroom you can visit, and reviews that describe the install day rather than only the sales visit.
Yes, for almost any bath project. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board requires a Home Improvement license when a contractor performs work over $2,000, including labor and materials, on a residential project. A Limited license covers projects less than $50,000 and an Unlimited license covers any size. Working without the required license carries a penalty of $100 to $400 per day.
Use the Find a Licensed Contractor search on the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board website, or call the board at (501) 372 4661. Confirm the license is active, that its type covers home improvement or remodeling, that the license level fits your project size, and that the business name matches the name on your contract. Do it before you sign or pay a deposit.
Two or three written, itemized estimates for the same scope is usually enough to see the range. Make sure each names the products, the safety features, removal of the old unit, the install time, the payment schedule and the warranty. Typical Bath Planet installed ranges, such as $10,000 to $18,000 for a standard tub to shower conversion, give you a yardstick for spotting a bid that is missing or adding scope.
Ask for the warranty in writing and read what it covers: the materials, the installation labor, or both, and for how long. Bath Planet acrylic systems carry a limited lifetime warranty against material defects, and Bath Planet of Arkansas backs the installation. Whatever company you choose, the warranty document should name the products, the coverage and how to make a claim, and the company should still be reachable years from now, which is one reason a local showroom matters.
Yes. A licensed contractor normally handles the permits and inspections for the work it performs. Being asked to pull the permit yourself, or to act as your own contractor, can shift responsibility for the work onto you. The Arkansas licensing law exempts owners acting as their own contractor on their own property, which is exactly why a contractor might ask. Get the license number and let the licensed party own the job.
Both arrangements are common, and what matters more is that whoever signs your contract holds an Arkansas Home Improvement license, which the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board requires for residential work over $2,000. Ask the contractor in writing whether the people working at your home are hired directly or come through a subcontractor, and get the license number for the company on the contract. A limited license covers projects under $50,000, so compare the license record on the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board search with your contract amount. Confirm that the warranty terms, including the Bath Planet limited lifetime warranty on the acrylic, are written into the estimate, because that document defines coverage no matter who does the work. Scope changes such as moving plumbing or adding wall surrounds can add installer visits and days, while a standard tub to shower swap can install in as little as one day. A free in home consultation is a good time to ask all of this. Bath Planet of Arkansas installs with its own crews and holds Arkansas contractor license #0331090627.
Arkansas requires a Home Improvement license for residential work over $2,000, and you can confirm it yourself before signing anything. According to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, a Limited license level covers projects less than $50,000, so compare the license record with the amount on your contract. Search the company on the Board's license lookup, then ask for a current certificate of insurance and check that its dates cover your install. Most tub and shower projects pass the $2,000 line, so the requirement applies to nearly every project. Also get an itemized written estimate and the warranty in writing, since those show exactly what is included and for how long. Scope, layout changes and material choices move a project toward a higher contract amount, which can change the license level that applies. Bath Planet of Arkansas, serving Arkansas since 2000, offers a free in home consultation, and the Bath Planet acrylic it installs carries a limited lifetime warranty. Bath Planet of Arkansas is licensed (Arkansas contractor license #0331090627) and insured, and installs with its own crews.
Get four things in writing before you sign: the contractor's license number, an itemized estimate, the warranty document, and a start and finish date. According to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Arkansas requires a Home Improvement license for residential work over $2,000, and you can verify it in the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board search. The board's application notes a Limited license level covers projects less than $50,000, so compare that against your contract amount. An itemized estimate lets you compare the same scope across bids and supports HISA or IRS records. Ask what the warranty covers, for how long, and whether it names both materials and installation. Ask whether the price includes demolition, wall repair, plumbing changes and permits, because layout changes and material upgrades move bids the most. Ask how long the install takes, since a one day install and a multi day custom job run on different schedules. Bath Planet of Arkansas offers a free in home consultation and backs its installation, and the Bath Planet acrylic it installs carries a limited lifetime warranty.
Free in home design consultation, a written price, and an install that usually takes one day. Showrooms in Hot Springs and Little Rock.
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