Let's see;
Indianapolis Master's/Contractor license is $200 bi-annually
Surety bond is $200 bi-annually ($10K bond min)
Liability insurance, Worker's Comp, vehicle insurance, etc (in a pkg) runs $4200 a year
The Indpls license is officially good only in Indpls, but a lot of the smaller communities recognize it and most have a recip agreement if they require a license to work.
Permits in Indpls vary by some weird political recipe, but for small work and resi, they run $25 to $75. Inspections are part of the deal, except for accelerated or re-inspections. If it doesn't get inspected within 48 hrs after you call, go ahead and cover it up!
The county where my shop is asks for a $20K surety bond to be "listed" as a contractor. I told them at the county meetings about licensing that was a de-facto license without regulation, and I refused to "buy" one. I have the homeowner get the permit there.
