Contractor Licensing FAQs

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

Qualifier Exam Waiver Rule, AZ Licenses and Fingerprinting ‘Alien’ Corporate Officers

We help a Vice President ‘waive’ goodbye to the former owner and ‘qualify’ to grab a higher rung in his rise to better things! However, it’s a yes and no answer, like our second question from a contractor ‘moving’ on to a new state. The fingerprint requirement is just the first hurdle a ‘foreign’ contractor must…

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Multiple Entity Licensing for Joint Ventures and Qualifying a Fourth License

It’s not ‘smoke and mirrors’ but a General needs to ‘reflect’ on my answer before taking action!  While not a ‘marriage’ breaking up is still hard to do when you’ve got a shared license between you. First, we ‘engineer’ a solution by breaking down this three-part question… Q:  Can you tell me whether a licensed General…

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HVAC, Plumbing & Cooling Towers and a Warning on Unlicensed Contractors in Disaster Areas

While it sometimes feels like a disaster movie living here, people in the Golden State aren’t shaken easily, and are often rebuilding after fire, flood or earthquake. This opens the door for scammers and they have been warned! First, we ‘plumb’ the depths of license rules for a business buyer… Q:  I am in the process…

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When To Begin Work, Retail Licensing, Solar and Inactive Licenses

Starting, stopping and starting again is part of many projects so the ‘suspense’ of being a licensed contractor is always intense. You can’t get a license ‘wholesale’, especially if you don’t need one. Unfortunately, another contractor learns what he thought was his isn’t… Q:  I am a licensed contractor and I was recently going to start…

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Loopholes

Why the ‘buddy’ system doesn’t work for contractor’s licensing! Another ‘unlicensed’ inquiry that includes a ‘kickback’ in the answer…  Q:  For many years I have been doing unlicensed construction, most of the work under $500.  I have a corporation already set up.  I have an opportunity to take a large home improvement contract but it would…

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Worker Comp Exemption Changes, SoS Matching, NV Financial Statements and Reciprocity

Let’s play ‘match game’! We’ll take ‘multiple choice’ in answering this contractor. Worker’s compensation insurance is just the first step for those previously ‘exempt’ from the need. Taking work outside CA often requires a little ‘two step’ to cross the ‘gaap’ in taking advantage of reciprocity while getting a NV license application right ‘on the money’……

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Operating Agreements, Qualifying Three Licenses, LLC Bonds and Name Rules

First, if you’re going to be an ‘operator’ you have to have ‘agreement’ on licensing.  While we have had this question before it’s a new area for CA contracting that likely needs reinforcing with stronger ‘bonds’ and wrap up with what’s in a ‘business’ name… Q:  We are going to be forming a new Limited Liability…

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College Experience, JV’s & LLC’s Licenses, Suspensions and Agents for Service

Contractor’s law can sometimes make for some funny, even strange, changes when you reorganize, as you will see, logic does not always apply. Accurate, up-to-date documents are essential to ‘win’ bids or work, so you already know what happens when you take your eye off the ‘prize’, while we all learn a ‘secret’ about replacing an…

Read MoreCollege Experience, JV’s & LLC’s Licenses, Suspensions and Agents for Service