Maine Again Says No To Contractor Licensing

KentWhitten

Though I understand a little more why they said no. It is still politics.

For many of the small communities here, code enforcement is slim. The town I live in still follows the 1986 BOCA code book. And even then, the CEO does not have much pull. They can put a stop work order on something and it can potentially be ignored for the most part and nothing really happens.

Larger communities and cities, this doesn't happen much, but the code is for the most part followed. Strict adherence, not really.

There has been rumor that we will adopt the IBC and IRC, but when I went to a NH meeting about the 2009 IBC code implementation, builders were freaking out since there were parts that stated about sprinkler systems.

So one of the big reasons licensing did not pass was stated by on of the representatives

I don't agree with the last part. You don't need a certification test. We didn't need it in WA and they are one of the strict states IMO. And it states something about the UBC code, not the IBC. I sure hope that they don't **** this up. They need to get with the IBC.

This states the obvious to me. There's a problem, let's fix it.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/bill...010-03-11.html

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

mnjconstruction

13 years i have been in buisness in northern maine. 13 years ive been watching the guys with a skill saw and hammer call themselves contractors for a summer. 13 years i get to fix the "summer" contractors mistakes.13 years i have wished contractors had to have a licence in maine. ..............

Mike Finley

A state wide license with experience requirements and testing gives legitmate contractors a level playing field to work in.

bwalley

Without testing and proof of knowledge in the trade you are going to be licensed in, there is no real point in licensing.

If you can't prove your knowledge in the trade you are working in, you shouldn't be able to be a contractor.

KentWhitten

I don't disagree at all and that is a good point. I think that we all should have specific requirements. I'm not into politics much, but it makes me wonder after trying all these times why they haven't figured out the order of priority and just get it done.

From what I am reading, the only requirements after the proposed licensing is certification on the building and energy code. Though that doesn't necessarily make a person "knowledgeable" Kind of like a drivers license, just because you have one and took the test, doesn't make you a good driver.

What were your requirements to get licensed in your state? Like I said, WA state had zero, so in hindsight, the question to ask is "what is the purpose except to gain tax revenue"

For now, anyone with a hammer can be a GC, or a framer, or a deck builder. So people who get laid off go right into the construction workforce at the same level I am at. At least if someone has to pay for a license, it will make them work for it a little, and maybe some will just say forget it.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

bwalley

My 1st license was a Certified Building Contractors license, and the requirements are

4 years proven field experience, 1 year of that as a supervisor or foreman.

the test was over a 2 day period, 2 sections each day at 4 hours 45 minutes each section.

open book exam, that covered not only in depth technical trade knowledge, but also in depth business, accountng, workers compensation, lien laws, etc.

after I got my 1st license, then I took the trade knowledge section for A/C and then for Plumbing.

again in each of those fields I had to have 4 years proven experience in the field with 1 year as a supervisor or foreman.

Then after the test it is a very extensive application process, with credit reports, fingerprints, a criminal background check and verification of your experience.

The pass rate in Florida for contractors is not very high, plumbers pass at a rate of less than 33%, can't recall what the others are, I remember the pass rate for plumbers because I took that test and passed it 1st attempt, (as I did with my other 2 licenses) a little over a year ago.

yes there are some contractors that even with a license are hacks, but not very many.

I met one guy doing work for a client of mine for an outdoor kitchen (I did not hire him), he wasn't licensed, was a hack and thought he knew what he was doing, and he was concerened about ADA in a residential home, I tried explaining to him it didn't apply and he never even read what the standards for ADA were, but he knew more than I did.

Mike Finley

The problem with Colorado is licensing is on the municaplity level. So it's like having 100 different 'states' within a state.

In Denver you have to have experience and test, in other cities it's all different, all the way from one end with the same requirements as Denver, to no requirements, just pay a fee.

1 state wide requirement would be the best way to go, but every building dept would have to give up their fees that they get so it probably won't ever happen.

KentWhitten

That is what I would like it to be here. I'm wishing that they would just have something

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

notillegal

Licensing is just another way to extract quarts of blood from my wallet.
I know who the clowns are and I know who the reputable guys are. So does the building inspector. His job is to make sure things are done right. The guys who don't draw permits, and skirt code requirements, will just keep on working without a license anyway. The best way to control idiots is with fierce competition, word spreads quickly about who the hacks are, and over time they will work themselves out of existence, after that anyone who hires them would never have hired any of us because doing it correctly costs more

bwalley

My licenses are all Certified, which means I took a state exam and met the state of Floridas requirements, si I can work anywhere in the state of Florida.

There are also contractor licenses that are Registered which means the testing and requirements were done at the county level, there are 67 counties in Florida, the license is good in that county only, but some other counties may recognize and offer a reciprocal license.

My Certified license number starts with a C, while a Registered license starts with an R, so I can tell by looking at at license number if it is state or a county license, also by the second letter, i can tell what kind of license it is.

CGC Certified General Contractor
CBC Certified Building Contractor
CAC Certified A/C Contractor
CMC Certified Mechanical Contractor
CFC Certified Plumbing Contractor
CCC Certified Roofing Contractor

If there is an R at the beginning instead of a C, they would be Registered contractors.

We are required by law to have our license number on all of our vehicles, all of our letterhead, contracts, proposals, business cards, advertisements, websites, yellow page ads, etc.

The 1st sign of an unlicensed contractor is the absence of the license number on their vehicles, in the ads or on their business cards, or when they put an occupational license number up.

bwalley

Licenses protect the public, they have no idea if a job is done right, unlicensed hacks can't pull permits so their wor can't and does not get inspected.

In Florida it is a 3rd degree felony to contract without a license and it is a crime to hire an unlicensed contractor.

hardscrabble

Be careful what you wish for. Here in los Angeles we are so over regulated that its impossible to build something without huge fees, permits and taxes. The common man is doomed to a life of debt and mortgage. I look forward to the day when I leave this state and head to fertile grounds where one can buy some acreage and build their house with the free materials there upon it. Be it dirt for adobe, logs or boulders or even used tires and tin cans like they do in Arizona [earthships]. Many states in rural areas have no requirements to pull a permit for any structures built. So even the poorest can build a house if they have the drive. Let freedom reign.

KentWhitten

Your argument is from the extreme. You are on one end and we are on the other.

Somewhere in the middle is all I ask.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

hardscrabble

Do you have to carry liability insurance? And let me see if I understand . You can write a contract without a license? And you have to pull permits and follow code?

notillegal

I wish it could be somewhere in the middle framerman. New Hampshire as I'm sure you are aware doesn't have licensing either, at least for those of us who work with wood. I think in theory it would be great to have a way to eliminate the clowns from the pool of G/C carpenter ranks, but enforcement will be a joke, and that leaves us honest guys to pay into a system that only half works. Then we will head down the slippery slope of over regulation and union clowns just like Mass.

notillegal

Yes I have insurance Hardscrable 2mil liability, and commercial insurance on my van. I can pull permits when needed and have the ability to write my own contracts, if the contract gets too crazy I have a lawyer

fireguy

Licensing of contractors is a small part of cleaning up the industry. Knowlagble inspectors who know their trade and are willing to enforece the codes are also needed. There are as many hack inspectors and plans reviewers as hack contractors.

I only know personally of one unlicensed contractor in Oregon who was investigated by the Contractors Board. I started keeping track of the unlicensed contractors who working in fire suppression. I kept track for 6 months, listing name, job locations, dates, property owners. I sent it to the CCB, a year later I got a phone call from CCB. they wanted me to investigate those hacks. I made a rude suggestion and hung up on them. I estimate 50% of the work in my field is not done to code requirements.

Now we are required to have CEUs before we can renew our licenses. Another rule that will be ignored.

hardscrabble

well thats good. The way I see it out here license or no license the contractor can be sued. The contractors board sets up stings and fines the unlicensed guys all the time. After the last big quake we had a flood of work and they were going around and checking every jobsite. My main gripe is the never ending compound cost of building out here. And permit or no permit the HO doesnt come after the building department they go after the builder. The inspector signs off and down the road if theres a problem your on the hook. So does licensing weed out the hacks? No, bad work and lawsuits weed out the hacks. Its natural selection in action.

Mike Finley

Oh if the world were only so simple.

What you aren't counting on is there is always another hack working his way up the ladder till he gets enough balls to go out on his own. He will do it after he shows up late for the 10th time and his boss fires him, and he bitches to his wife about how the boss knows nothing, all he does is get rich off of me and rip off customers with his ridiculous prices! I'm going to go out on my own and charge 1/2 of what he does and show him!

bwalley

The inspectors in my area have to be licensed, they can work for two years while working on getting licensed.

We have to have CEU's every renewal cycle (2 years) we cannot renew our license unless we have done our CEU's.