It might have been ‘either/or’ for our first contractor who will learn it’s really ‘neither/nor’ in his ‘General’ answer. An aspiring contractor discovers if his degree is experience enough for a license. We ‘renew’ the hopes of a contractor leaving the state that his license will ‘travel’ with him…
Q: I currently have a “B” General Building license and I just hired a new employee that has an “A” General Engineering license. We want to form a new entity, in which I will be the majority owner. We specialize in concrete work, mainly driveways. Would you suggest that we use my “B” qualification for the new license or his “A” qualification?
A: Actually neither. If you are only doing driveways you would want to apply for a “C-8” Concrete license. There are a few classifications in which you can request a Waiver of the Trade exam based on the current classification that you hold, and the “C-8” is closely related to both the General licenses, so either of you could apply to add that to your license and once added, apply for the new entity’s license. Let me know if you’d like assistance with this two-step process.
Q: My son recently graduated from college with a degree in Construction Management and he eventually wants to take over my construction company. He worked for me while attending school but not full time. How much credit does the CSLB give him for his degree?
A: The CSLB may grant up to three years of work experience toward the four years that are required. How much time they credit your son will depend on the course work he took, so he will be required to submit official sealed transcripts.
Since his degree is in the construction field, I would suggest that your son be prepared to show at least two years of practical experience in addition to his four year degree.
Q: I am moving to Nevada at the beginning of the year and I plan on applying to get my contractor’s license. I have been licensed in California for over twenty years but the license expires on November 30th. I want to use my CA license to apply for Reciprocity but I don’t want to pay the renewal fee since I won’t be using it any longer. Will the couple month lapse disqualify me for Reciprocity? Also, I noticed that Nevada has a “B” and a “B-2” license; what’s the difference?
A: The rule between California and Nevada with regards to Reciprocity is that you have to have been actively licensed for five out of the last seven years and you have to have passed the equivalent trade exam. So no, a couple month lapse shouldn’t affect your ability to qualify.
Regarding your second question, the “B” classification in Nevada is equivalent to California’s General Building classification. The only difference in the “B-2” is that it limits you to structures under three stories. In order to qualify for the full “B” you have to have experience doing work on structures over three stories in height.