Contractor’s License – Important Information When Choosing a Vendor
In this post we cover details about contractor license and why its critical to only work with companies and contractors who are licensed. Protect yourself and your business from predatory unlicensed companies. When choosing a plumbing specialist its a good idea to find out of they have contractor license and are in current good standing. Anything other than this is a red flag and caution should be used. If you are considering a plumbing installation for your home or commercial business we highly recommend that you work with a Linceansed company. Here are details regarding how State Contractors licensing works:
1. Who can become a licensed contractor?
To qualify to become a licensed contractor an individual must be 18 years of age or older and have the experience and skills necessary to manage the daily activities of a construction business, including field supervision. Or, you must be represented by someone else with the necessary experience and skills, who serves as your qualifying individual.
The contractor or other person who will act as the qualifying individual must have had, within the ten years immediately before the filing of the application, at least four full years of experience at a journey level, or as a foreman, supervisor, or contractor in the classification for which he or she is applying. The experience claimed on the application must be verifiable and individuals who have knowledge of the experience must certify the accuracy of the experience information provided by the applicant.
Who must be licensed as a contractor?
All businesses or individuals who construct or alter any building, highway, road, parking facility, railroad, excavation, or other structure must be licensed by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) if the total cost (labor and materials) of one or more contracts on the project is $500 or more. Contractors, including subcontractors, specialty contractors, and persons engaged in the business of home improvement must be licensed before submitting bids. Licenses may be issued to individuals, partnerships, corporations, or joint ventures.
Is anyone exempt from the requirement to be licensed?
Work on a project for which the combined value of labor, materials, and all other costs on one or more contracts is less than $500 falls within the minor work exemption. Also any company which provides an installation or finished products that do not become a fixed part of the structure.
Many construction and plumbing journeymen, and builders operate without a contractors licensee. Its always smart to ask a potential partner if they have a license and if not…why? A company that has a CA license does not always mean guaranteed great work and a satisfactory product. However it should give you or your business piece of mind that your next construction or plumbing project weather home remodel or drain unclog will be completed by a reputable company with a secured contractors license.
