New License Applications
Complete preparation and filing of new PCAB applications — assembling the technical, financial, and corporate requirements into an application that passes evaluation.
Corporate & Commercial
No PCAB license, no contracting. We take contractors through the entire licensing process — qualification, application, and renewal — so the business can bid, build, and collect without a cloud over it.
Overview
Republic Act No. 4566, the Contractors' License Law, requires anyone engaging in contracting in the Philippines to first secure a license from the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board. Licenses are issued by category and classification, which determine the size and type of projects a contractor may lawfully undertake — from small specialty jobs to large general engineering and building works. The license is not a formality: it is the legal foundation of the entire contracting business.
Qualifying takes real preparation. The firm must field a qualified Sustaining Technical Employee and an accredited Authorized Managing Officer, demonstrate the financial capacity and net worth required for its category, and put its corporate documents in order — which is why PCAB work pairs naturally with our incorporation practice when a construction company is being formed. The license must then be renewed annually, with continuing compliance shown each cycle.
The cost of skipping it is severe: administrative and criminal penalties under RA 4566, disqualification from government projects, and serious complications enforcing the construction contract and collecting payment. As part of our corporate and commercial practice, we handle PCAB applications end-to-end for our contractor clients — many of whom we also serve on retainer — from first qualification through every annual renewal.
Scope of Work
Complete preparation and filing of new PCAB applications — assembling the technical, financial, and corporate requirements into an application that passes evaluation.
Advice on the right category and classification for your business — the designations that determine the size and type of projects you may lawfully undertake.
Qualifying your Sustaining Technical Employee and Authorized Managing Officer — the personnel requirements on which every application stands or falls.
CPA-lawyer review of net worth and capitalization against the requirements of your target category — and guidance on structuring the books to support it.
Calendared, complete renewal filings every year — audited financial statements, personnel records, and updated documents — so the license never lapses mid-project.
Advice and representation where work was done without a license — assessing penal and contractual exposure under RA 4566 and charting the path back to compliance.
Common Questions
Anyone engaging in contracting in the Philippines — general engineering, general building, or specialty contracting — must first be licensed by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board under Republic Act No. 4566, the Contractors' License Law. This covers corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietors alike, whether the projects are private or government. If your business undertakes construction work for others, offers to do so, or bids for construction contracts, it needs a PCAB license before it starts.
The core requirements fall into three groups. First, technical qualification: the firm must have a qualified Sustaining Technical Employee — typically a licensed engineer or architect with the required experience — and an Authorized Managing Officer who takes the required accreditation course. Second, financial capacity: the firm must show the net worth and capitalization required for its desired category. Third, documentary compliance: SEC or DTI registration papers, audited financial statements, and the supporting records of the STE and AMO. We assemble and defend the complete application.
Yes. A new corporation can apply for a PCAB license once it is registered with the SEC and can satisfy the technical and financial requirements — a qualified Sustaining Technical Employee, an accredited Authorized Managing Officer, and the net worth required for the category applied for. New contractors generally enter at the lower categories, which limit the size of projects they may undertake, and move up as their track record and financial capacity grow. We regularly incorporate a construction company and secure its PCAB license as a single engagement.
The consequences are serious on three fronts. Contracting without a license is punishable under Republic Act No. 4566 with administrative and criminal penalties. An unlicensed contractor is disqualified from government projects, which require a valid PCAB license to bid at all. And most painfully, an unlicensed contractor faces serious complications enforcing its construction contract and collecting payment — a dispute the contractor might otherwise win can be lost at the threshold. The license costs far less than any one of these risks.
PCAB licenses run on an annual cycle and must be renewed every year to remain valid, with renewal applications filed within the schedule set by the Board. Renewal is not automatic: the contractor must show continuing compliance, including its audited financial statements and the continued engagement of its qualified personnel. Letting a license lapse mid-project creates the same exposure as never having been licensed. We calendar and process renewals for our contractor clients so their licenses never gap.
Work With Us
Reach us via Call, Viber, or WhatsApp at 0917-187-1951 to discuss a new PCAB application, an upgrade, or your annual renewal.
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