Contractor Licensing FAQs

The Capitol Connection is our weekly Q & A column for contractors that focuses on topics pertaining to contractor's licensing.

Stock or Asset Sales, Qualifier Qualifying and Sharing Contractor’s Bonds

Not only sure, I am ‘surety’ about this answer that corrects a contractor’s mistaken ‘impression.’ Another contractor will have to ‘divide’ his experience in his request to ‘subtract’ a Qualifier and ‘add’ another, and I give a ‘concrete’ example of why your ‘state’ of mind matters in answering questions from across the West!… Q:  We are…

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Out of State Qualifiers, Reviving Expired Licenses and Certified License History

Fresh, new and original. Same old rules with new booming economic opportunity adding players to the contractor ranks of the Golden State. As some find talent outside the state others are coming back to the ‘game’ in CA. Another question isn’t fresh, new or all that original, unfortunately… Q:  I will be setting up a new…

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Underground Cable, CSLB Active License Search and Multiple DBA’s

Some things in law don’t seem to make sense but it’s how the rules are ‘interpreted’ that really matter to our first contractor. I will ‘excel’ as expert in offering not one, but two solutions for a contractor, then ‘multiply’ for another before ‘adding’ up our last answer… Q:  My company does a specialized type of work…

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License Sharing, Failing to Show Up for Exams and RME Scope of Work

You can ‘share’ almost anything on social media, but contractor’s licenses are not one of those things. I remind a frazzled contractor why it’s important to keep your ‘snail-mail’ address up to ‘speed’ with the Contractor’s Board. And we wrap with how a ‘name’ gives direction, and just because others are jumping off the cliff doesn’t…

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Changing Business Structure, Names & Required Home Improvement Contracts

A new year brings new opportunity. Opportunity often brings changes in life and business. Like a rock thrown in water, change also has a ‘ripple effect’ that might affect your contractor licensing. Sometimes it takes an expert to know how far those changes go in changing the past, present and license futures… Q:  My partner and I…

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Online Renewals, DBA’s, Selling or Installing and Adding Classes to General Building CA Licenses

While you can get many things on the web, some exceptions remain. With economic growth comes new opportunity for contractors. One new venture ‘flushes’ out an answer on the difference between selling and installing as a contractor, another discovers he can ‘do business as’ usual with a small addition to his license… Q:  I currently have a…

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Subcontractor Payments, License Partners, Education Experience Credit and Low Voltage Cabling Rules

While Capitol Services has assisted contractors for more than 30 years and authored more than a thousand Q/A columns, what is old is also new again. Welcome to those of you who are new readers. A reminder about many of the complex rules contractors must work under is always helpful for many including those with low…

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