Thank you for the kind words. I offer a great kit. Click on my name/avatar and then the link to my site for more information.

 

Hey Guru, I had a couple more questions for when you have time. I am going to be re applying here pretty soon after my corp paperwork goes through using a RMO this time, until I'm confident with my experience.

1) My RMO let his license expire 2/28/11, does he have to reinstate his license before he qualifies mine?
2) Using Application for Original Contractor License (Exam Waived) do we have to fill out the work experience?

Thanks in Advance
Josh

 

Hi Josh...

1) No
2) No

 

Hello Mr Guru,

I open up a licensing center in Fresno , what I lack is tremendous licensing,application processing experience you have . I had originally partner up with an ex employee of a licensing
Firm to start up biz , but partnership didn't work out. I am still in business , I am a license contractor myself and I am a one stop center for my contractors: bonds, insurances, marketing. Please private message
R would like to speak to you.

 

Hey Guru I have a question for you...I was more or less forced to put my license on inactive...The time to renew (ie: pay the inactive fee) just came up..I don't have the cash right away to pay it...How long do I have before my license goes away?

A friend of my was a EC many years ago...His license expired while he was working for a company and never bothered to put it on inactive or renew it.It is now gone.As far as the CSLB is concerned his license never existed and he would need to reapply and re test...

I don't want that to happen in case the job I have now does not work out and I want to go back into biz for myself....

Thanks...Jack

 

You have 5 yrs from the time a license expires to when you'd be required to go thru the testing process again.

 

License Guru, you said a 4 year degree will qualify for 2 years of experience and an AA is worth none. I read on cslb.ca.gov that an AA is worth 1.5 years and "substantial coursework" in certian areas is worth 2.

http://www.cslb.ca.gov/applicants/ContractorsLicense/ExamApplication/ExperienceForExam.asp :

A maximum of two years upon submission of transcripts of any of the following:

• A four-year degree from an accredited college or university in the fields of accounting, business, economics, mathematics, physics, or areas related to the specific trade or craft for which application is being made;
• A professional degree in law; or
• Substantial college or university course work in accounting, architecture, business, construction technology, drafting, economics, engineering, mathematics, or physics.

I have 3.5 years of coursework with a lot of math coursework I hope to get 2 years experience from.

 

You are correct... but it says that the 2 yr degree may be worth 1.5 yrs credit if the A.A. degree is from an accredited school or college in building or construction management

 

What are my chances of 3.5 years of course work (no degree) getting me any ammount of experience?

 

You may get the 1.5 depending on the coursework. Submit transcripts and the cslb will make the determination.

Are you short of the 4 yr minimum experience requirement? And how old are you? If you're 23-24 or younger, you should wait and not apply.

 

Phil, I'm a General Contractor (B), and I'm wanting to add a specialty license. My question is, are we allowed to bring, or are we provided with, a code book, or do we have to memorize all those tables and formulas?

Thanks for all your help.

 

Unfortunately you can not bring anything (but your memory) into the testing center. They will provide you with a calculator, paper and pencil.

 

The test I took for my finish carpentry license was the only one of three California license examinations I've taken that was closed book.

I'm B, C-5 and C-6

Bill

 

Thanks.

So, are there actually questions like "How many #14 THHN can you fit in 1 1/4" EMT?", where you have to have the entire phriggin table memorized, or are those just on the practice tests? :laughing:

 

Yes there are indeed a number of questions like this. I also have multiple licenses and when I started preparing for the C-10 about 2 years ago I found that there was no simple way around it, you have to have a good handle on the NEC. Fortunately for me I used the study materials from The License Guru and with God's grace passed. I have literally decades of practical field experience but preparing for the test will demand that you know the current NEC codes including tables.

I must admit, in retrospect I have a much deeper appreciation and respect for the master electricians that I employ today.

 

I suppose there could be questions like that on the test. Perhaps others in the forum who've taken the exam can elaborate.

 

Thanks.

I think I was getting the CSLB test confused with the state Journeyman or "Masters" test. I think those are the ones where you are tested on your ability to find an answer in the codebook. for my "B" test I certainly was not allowed to bring anything.

 

Hey y'all, just dropping by to recommend License Guru's study material. After failing my trade exam the first time around, I'm glad to report that I passed it yesterday. The first time I had prepped with a 2006 copy of the Peerless study guide, and while I got a score that was close to passing, I didnt want to risk it and continue to study old material. I went ahead and purchased a copy of Guru's, and the info it provided was right on with what the exam tests you on. The material is also very affordable when you compare it with what some of the other guys sell it for.

I also want to thank LG for his help through this whole process, his info likely saved me alot of time and money.

This thread was also a great source of info that I'll likely countinue to read from time to time. The admins should sticky it!!

 

Licensing and misdemeanors

i want to take my california contractors license and my Home Improvement Salesperson license. I was looking at the qualifications and read that a misdemeanor can disqualify you from getting a license. I have a few misdemeanors from 2004. In 2004 my father had a multi-unit property that had a a few code enforcement issues. one day i was at the property with my father helping him do some work when a code enforcement officer showed up, and sited me for the violations. the code enforcement officer thought i was the owner of the property since my father and i have the same name. i didnt think to fight the fact that he gave me the ticket because i thought i could take care of the ticket by fixing the violations. so i fixed the violations. i had to pay a fee of 450 dollars which my father agreed to pay in payments. I thought the case would be dismissed but i apparently pleaded guilty at some point which i dont recall but they have it on record i guess. at that time i had a major accident at a job site and broke my arm and my leg, so needless to say i forgot about making the balance that was owed to the court. forward to 2011 and i find out that my father never made the payment which i had completely forgotten about. i had gotten like one ticket in 2008 and they never mentioned anything about a warrant or anything like that. so i never even gave it a second thought. when i found out i went to pay it, i think it was about 250 dollars that i owed. when i saw the judge he said all i had to do is pay the remainder and im pretty sure he said the probation would be over since my probation was paying a fine. how will this affect me when i apply for my license.

p.s i git arrested for a failure to appear on this same misdemeanor which the judge dismissed. other than that ive only had one ticket since then that was dismissed,

 

None of that sounds very pleasant. Sorry you had to go thru all of that. In a nut shell, the cslb looks at the severity of the crime and length of time since the conviction. Generally being on active probation is a killer. But I dont know what your probation status will be. 04 is far enough back that it normally wouldn't keep you from getting a license.

Bottom line... the only way to know for sure is to go thru the process. The criminal background unit will make the final determination.

 

well im not on probation anymore, when i payed the fine i came off of probation. that was early last year. violations were, 1. a broken window 2. trash in the rear yard 3. roof leaked in a couple areas 4. fascia need to be painted and portions replaced 5. 5'x3' landing needed to be resurfaced and 6. two broken steps. I ended up replacing the entire roof and all the fascia, i did take some time to do it because i broke my arm and didnt finish by the court date and had to ask for an extension. i guess thats beside the point. why are they so strict with misdemeanors that have nothing to do with what your applying for. i dont really understand that.

 

So were you arrested at any time? Fingerprints taken??

 

yes but that was for failure to appear on that same case. for the violations i was just given a ticket

 

License Guru

Took the leap and purchased your study materials. I have been studying them waiting for my corp paperwork to go through. Have to say I'm impressed, very easy to use and very informational, hopefully with the correct infromation...

Thanks

 

that was meant for License Guru by the way. title doesn't show up...

 

Thank you. Please keep me posted.

 

Exam Coming Up

Phil,

I just received my test date and am testing in a week. I know that you sell study material but do you have any suggestions on preparing for both the Law and "B" trade exams? I have a history of construction and have worked as an architect for the past 5 years. Is the information on the Law Exam provided by CSLB enough to be prepared for that portion of the exam?

Thanks,

Nick

 

No. The law book they put out does not cover a majority of the test.