(a)

(1) As used in this chapter, "contractor" means any person, firm, partnership, copartnership, association, corporation, or other organization, or any combination thereof, that for a fixed price, commission, fee, or wage attempts to or submits a bid to construct or demolish, or contracts or undertakes to construct or demolish, or assumes charge, in a supervisory capacity or otherwise, or manages the construction, erection, alteration, demolition, or repair, or has or have constructed, erected, altered, demolished, or repaired, under his or her, their, or its direction, any building, apartment, condominium, highway, sewer, utility, grading, or any other improvement or structure on public or private property for lease, rent, resale, public access, or similar purpose, except single-family residences, when the cost of the work to be done, or done, in the State of Arkansas by the contractor, including, but not limited to, labor and materials, is fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or more.

(2) However, when a person or an entity acts as a contractor in the construction, erection, alteration, demolition, or repair of his or her own or its own property, such action shall not result in the person's or entity's being required to obtain a license, but the person or entity shall comply with all other provisions of this subchapter.

(b) However, the fifty-thousand-dollar exception shall not apply to any project of construction in which any of the construction work necessary to complete the project, except any in-progress change orders, is divided into separate contracts of amounts less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), a purpose being to circumvent the provisions of this chapter.

(c) It is the intention of this definition to include all improvements, demolition, or structures, excepting only single-family residences.

(d)

(1) Materials purchased by a prime contractor from a third party shall not be considered as part of the subcontractor's project if the prime contractor has the proper classification listed on a current contractor's license for the work being performed by the subcontractor.

(2) Materials purchased by a person or an entity acting as a contractor in the construction, erection, alteration, or repair of his or her own or its own property from a third party shall not be considered as a part of the subcontractor's project, provided that the subcontract is for wood framing, shingle roofing, painting, floor covering, concrete labor, or installation of playground equipment.