If you are an independent carpenter, electrician, plumber, painter or interior tradesperson who wants to take work directly from restaurant owners, the key is to choose ways of finding work that suit how you operate, and to pin down the contract terms before you start.
A direct contract means the craftsman and the restaurant owner sign the construction contract with each other, with no main contractor or other company in between. You can negotiate price and schedule directly, but starting with a vague scope or no agreed payment terms is a common route to disputes.
This article compares the ways to find work, explains what makes restaurant jobs different, lists the licences and registration each trade needs, and sets out what to agree before you start — all from a practical point of view. For more on the working style itself, see “A Craftsman’s Guide to Spot Work on Restaurant Fit-outs” and “How Interior Craftsmen Earn More with Direct Jobs”.
Four ways to find restaurant work
Independent craftsmen mainly find shop-fitting work in four ways: subcontracting for a main contractor, matching sites, introductions from materials stores and similar, and referrals from people you know or past clients. Each differs in job size, effort to win work, fees and contract type, so combine them to suit your availability and strengths.
| Route | What it is | Pros | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subcontracting for a main contractor | Taking on part of the work, regularly, from a builder or fit-out company | Work comes in without you having to sell / a chance to work on larger sites | Rates tend to be set by the contractor / less freedom over dates |
| Matching sites | Connecting with restaurant owners through a website and taking jobs from them | Easy to find one-off small jobs for your free days | Registration may be free, but a fee on confirmed jobs is common / on jobs put out to several quotes, you can spend time on site visits and quotes and still not win. Narrow down the areas and job sizes you apply for |
| Introductions from materials stores and similar | Being introduced to owners looking for craftsmen by a store that sells shop materials | You meet owners who are actively opening or renovating / easy to take on just your trade | Registration terms and fees vary by provider / how many introductions you get depends on area and season |
| Referrals from people you know or past clients | Being recommended by past clients, acquaintances or local restaurant owners | You start with trust already in place / no introduction fee | Work becomes patchy if referrals dry up / it can be awkward to talk money with people you know |
Three things that make restaurant work different
Unlike home renovation, restaurant work has to fit around trading hours, food hygiene, and the standards of the public health centre and fire station.
- Lots of out-of-hours work: repairs and refits in a trading restaurant often happen before opening, in the afternoon break, on closed days or late at night, so noise, dust and smells don’t reach customers. Check working hours and any neighbour considerations in advance, and protect the surroundings properly with sheeting.
- Health centre and fire standards apply: kitchen plumbing and sinks fall under the public health centre’s standards (hand-washing facilities, number of sinks and so on — these vary by municipality). Walls and ceilings may be subject to non-combustible material rules (interior finish restrictions under the Building Standards Act), and curtains and carpets to flame-retardant product rules under the Fire Service Act. Work that misses these can stop the owner getting a business licence, so check before you start.
- A programme worked back from opening day: rent start dates and opening days are often fixed in advance, so delays cost the owner money. If materials are late or you find damaged substrate after strip-out, talk to the owner straight away and agree a new schedule.
Licences and registration by trade, and the construction permit threshold
A construction business permit is a permit under the Construction Business Act that you need to take on construction contracts above a certain value. If you only take on “minor construction work” — under ¥5 million per contract (for general building work, under ¥15 million, or a timber house under 150㎡ of floor area) — you can do so without a permit. These amounts include consumption tax (source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, what a construction business permit is (Japanese), checked 9 October 2026).
Regardless of contract value, however, electrical, water supply, drainage and gas work each require their own licence or registration.
| Trade / work | Licence or registration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical (adding outlets, lighting circuits, moving switches) | A licensed electrician (depending on how the building takes its power supply, a Class 1 electrician or equivalent may be required) | If you take on electrical work as a business, you must register as an electrical contractor with the prefectural governor or equivalent — this applies to sole traders too (source: Aichi Prefecture, new registration of electrical contractors (Japanese), checked 9 October 2026. Businesses holding a construction permit file a notice instead). |
| Water supply (new, extended or relocated supply pipes) | A “designated water supply installer” appointed by the water utility | “Minor changes” with no pipework, such as replacing a single tap or a washer, are excluded (source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, designated water supply installer scheme (Japanese), checked 9 October 2026). |
| Drainage (new, extended or relocated drain pipes) | In most municipalities, a “designated drainage contractor” appointed by the city or town | Set by each municipality’s sewerage ordinance. A plan approval may be required before work starts. |
| Gas (extending gas lines, adding gas outlets) | City gas: the gas company or its designated contractor / LPG: a licensed LPG equipment installer | Check with the gas company or LPG supplier first. |
| Carpentry and joinery (fitting shelves, building counters, adjusting doors) | As a rule, no licence needed | A construction business permit is required if the contract value reaches the threshold above. |
| Wallpaper, flooring and painting (rewallpapering, floor tiles, painting) | As a rule, no licence needed | Check the interior finish restrictions (Building Standards Act) for walls and ceilings, and the flame-retardant product rules (Fire Service Act) for curtains, carpets and floor coverings. |
* In multi-tenant buildings, some areas can only be worked on by the building’s nominated contractor. Check with the management company or the relevant authority before starting.
Six things to agree before a direct contract
With no main contractor in the middle, you have to settle the scope and payment terms yourself and put them in writing. Verbal agreements alone often end in “that’s not what we agreed” or “we can’t pay for extras” once the job is done. Note that under Article 19 of the Construction Business Act, the parties to a construction contract must set out the scope, price and other terms in writing and exchange copies — this is not limited by permit status or contract value (source: e-Gov Japanese law search, Construction Business Act (Japanese), checked 9 October 2026).
- Quote and scope: write down what you will do and how far. For “build the counter”, say whether painting, strip-out and waste disposal are included.
- Materials and owner-supplied items: decide whether you or the owner supplies the materials. If owner-supplied items are missing parts or arrive late and work stops, agree in the quote notes or contract how waiting time is handled.
- Schedule and working hours: start date, completion date and daily working hours (early morning, night). In a trading restaurant, include time for protection and clean-up.
- Payment timing and method: one payment on completion or a deposit plus a final payment, the due date, and who pays bank transfer fees.
- How extra work is handled: how you will report problems such as damaged substrate found after strip-out, and a rule that no extra charges are made without prior agreement (you issue an additional quote).
- A contract, or an order and acceptance: even for small jobs, get the owner to sign the quote or exchange a simple construction contract.
Registering as a craftsman with Tenpos
Tenpos Kawaguchi Interior Materials accepts registrations from independent craftsmen who want restaurant fit-out and small repair work.
- Trades and area: every trade involved in a restaurant fit-out — carpentry, electrical, plumbing, interiors, painting, joinery and more — anywhere in Japan. You can take just one trade, such as electrical or plumbing only, and side or moonlighting work is fine.
- Fees: registering on the site and the interview (online) are free. A fee applies to you if a job is confirmed (we explain the details at the interview).
- Licence checks: you don’t need licence documents to register. When we introduce a job, we check the licences that work requires.
- Contracts and pay: you and the owner agree pay between you, and the contract and payment are direct between you, too. If there’s a problem, Tenpos generally doesn’t step in, but depending on the issue we may mediate.
About craftsman registration → Register as a craftsman →