Contractor Licensing FAQs

Are you holding your breath over the new diesel equipment regulations? Have you been ‘stung’ by unfair competition from an unlicensed individuals calling themselves a contractor? These were among the top agenda items at the latest meeting of the Contractors State License Board… The CSLB held its full Board meeting in Sacramento on September 10. Among…

Statistics from the Federal government show construction related deaths in the workplace dropped 41 percent last year. One in five California workplace deaths are construction related. You might guess roofers taking a tumble were particularly at risk, but strong emphasis on safety education, skewed the result away from this trade as the answer. According to statistics…

While some law is subject to interpretation in implementation, most rules & regulations mean exactly what they say. Two answers for our first contractor every licensed entity should remember. Unlicensed contractors make everyone look bad, but when they prey on disaster victims they are really playing with ‘fire’. For anyone who considers themselves ‘owner builders’ a…

For one type of California contractor, can they “B” all things to all people when it comes to self-performing work? We’ll ‘brush up’ the experience rules for painters and expand on the feedback from a previous question. First, let’s learn more about the many ways a qualifier can use their license as RME… Q: We will…

After a vacation in the wilds of Alaska, I’m back to answer a quick question – with a short answer that goes a long way to helping everyone understand how many licenses one contractor can qualify. A roofing contractor wants a ‘waiver’ for an additional class and, as always, my answer is ‘on the house’… Q:…

While ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ might be the longest word you may know, thanks to Disney’s “Mary Poppins”, for contractors ‘reciprocity’ means much more. Did you know that you might get a license in one state, even if you’ve only been licensed for 24 hours in another?… Q: Since, 2000, we have had licenses in Utah, California, Arizona, and…

As the end of this column suggests, one contractor has discovered the secret of success! He quickly learned how knowledge of license law can be a significant ‘tool’ itself. Another wants to find out how to keep their business ‘all in the family’. They also help us all remember why we go to experts when we…

This may be known in the future as the Summer of Smoke. While some areas have been stricken with devastating fires, nearly all Californians experienced the fallout as ash and smoke blanket our state. We have also literally ‘sweated out’ this last week in California and the West as temperatures reached highs well beyond 100 in…

As a highly mobile society keeping in touch with everyone is often difficult. However, you should always remember to update your address with the CSLB or expect to pay a price. Another contractor discovers that while you may be forgiven, government computers never forget. I hear from a lot of people about getting their contractor’s license,…