Whether a developer is required to obtain a contractor license
to enter into a development management agreement ("DMA")
must be viewed through a state-specific (and in some instances, a
county- and/or municipality-specific) lens. The short answer is ...
it depends.
Washington
This question is of particular importance in Washington since
contractors can sue owners to recover compensation or for breach of
contract only "if the contractor is properly registered, and
the contractor holds the burden to allege and prove their
registration." Coronado v. Orona, 137 Wash. App. 308,
311, 153 P.3d 217 (2007).
Under RCW 18.27.010(1)(a), a contractor includes any
"person, firm, corporation, or other entity who or which,
in the pursuit of an independent business undertakes
to, or offers to undertake, or submits a bid to,
construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve,
develop, move, wreck, or demolish any building,
highway, road, railroad, excavation or other
