I am applying to take the Gen B exam. I know I must also take the Law Exam. Will I be tested for Both exams the same day or different days if I apply for both at the same time?

 

Same day.


Mike.
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[emoji631] [emoji631]

 

A B contract must include at least two unrelated trades, neither of which can be framing. If your electrical contract includes drywall, patch/repair and painting, The B classification would work.

If the contract is specifically for electrical, then you'd need to have the C-10.

 

Needed to say thank you as I found your posts dating back to 2008 and have been glued to my phone for over 3 hours now! It’s awesome to see someone providing much needed help without asking for anything but great thoughts in return! With that being said I have exactly one year (all of 2018) with a lic contractor under the table in cash. Prior to that I have off and on self employed work over the previous 9 years. I definitely have the required CSLB experience but I’m so overwhelmed with where to start, I haven’t!? I’ve literally had the application with 10 extra proof of work experience forms and nothing on them... yet. I was in business for myself over 10 years ago for many years unlicensed but, either way that’s no help. Can I use my my real customers and co workers through the years as my experience? Please help or maybe point me in some direction in your past forums...

 

Hello,

You can provide the under the table work as employed experience. The cslb doesn't care that you were paid cash.

The prior nine years will be the hard part. The cslb is cracking down on the B classification and unless your experience was as an employee of a B contractor it's going to be a tough row to hoe.

You'll have to provide enough project list forms to prove your experience. They'll want copies of permits (whether your name is on them or not), copies of any contracts, receipts for materials purchased, etc.

Even with all of that, there is no guaranty that they'll give you any credit for your self employed experience.

http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/FormsAndApplications/ProjectList.pdf

 

Hello, License Guru

I am wanting to apply for a C-20 license here in California. I'm only 20 years old. Having said that I have an associate degree directly for HVAC and I'm actually working towards a bachelor's in business I also have the Universal EPA 608 since 2016. (I graduated high school in an early age and I was able to get my EPA pretty early right before I turned 17 actually).I have experience in the field, I worked helping my dad in HVAC most of my life and can prove maybe about 2 years of journeyman work with stubs etc. I have contractors as well as HVAC supplier owners that can vouch for my experience and knowledge. The biggest problem to me after going through almost all these pages is that they wouldn't accept me because of my lack to prove my experience and my age. I would like to know if I should submit my application or maybe there are some red flags I should fix or look into. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

 

Hello HVACkid,

You would be labeled a young journeyman and would have to provide as many documents as you can to prove your experience.

You are much further in the process than most if not all your age, and even some if not most that are much older.

It's hard to say if they would accept what you have now or if they would deny you based on the lack of journeyman level experience.

So it's a roll of the dice... apply now and get labeled as a YJ (which would affect you if you were denied and had to reapply down the road), or wait until you're older.

 

Thank you so much for the help and the link to the CSLB form. Would I use this same form for my 1 year worth of under the table work with a contractor? I would like to reach out to you once I have my docs all in a row to have you go over. Please email me a link to your fee page on your website and how much you’d charge. Just figure you’d like to keep this out of the contractor talk forum... Rich at 805pci@g mail.com. You’re awesome and thanks again for your service!

 

You'll need to complete the work certification form that is part of the application. This form gives them an overview of your overall experience. The project list form breaks down your experience per project.

You can find my app review service here.

 

Starting a roofing business (I'm not licensed myself)

Hello,

I would like to get started in the roofing business and was considering forming a LLC and then hiring a licensed roofer to work with me. However, it appears the LLC would also need a roofing contractor's license and the bonding requirements for a LLC are rather high compared to a sole proprietor?

Then I was thinking of having the roofing business in the name of my employee as a sole proprietor and I would be licensed as a "home improvement salesperson" HIS so I can take bids. The problem with this arrangement is when the checks are written they would be to my employee?

Any ideas on the best way to do this?

 

LLC is way expensive, and a new business probably wouldn't qualify for the LLC worker/surety bond. If you did, it would be $5000+ per year.

What if you obtained a corporate number and applied for a corporate contractors license. You could use the employee to be your qualifier, and you would be listed as an officer Pres/CEO?

That way you could bid, write contracts, supervise jobs, obtain experience so that you could replace your guy as the qualifier down the road.

Too much personal liability risk with a sole prop roofing license.

 

I'm new to this, what is a corporate number?// how is that different from a LLC

 

also, I posted this same question as a thread on this forum and before it was closed got the typical "start at the bottom" answers.

starting at the bottom isn't really a good place to be when you have the resources to hire a professional and start a real business

 

You would/could apply for a corporation with the Sect. of State. Then file subchapter S with the IRS. This would give you better personal liability protection than a sole owner license or standard C corporation. (All corps, when formed, are C corps)

After the Sect of State issues the corporation number, then you could apply for the contractors license.

Google would do a better job than I can of answering the difference between a corp and LLC.

 

I dont know much about corporations. Every business I've started has been an LLC and then I hire the pro's

So let me get this straight - incorporate, then have the corp apply for a roofing business license - but wouldn't the employee have to be an owner??

And what would the bonding requirements be for a corp vs sole proprietor?? California is just crazy with this 4 year rule b/c most states it's more like 4 months.

Working for someone else is not an option - I'm too old for that not to mention they'd probably have new employees do all the donkey work for the first few months/YEARS

I like the idea of forming a company, hire 1-2 PRO's, get rolling and learn the business.

 

Getting back to the sole proprietor - if I did find a licensed roofer willing to operate as a SP and then if I was licensed as "home improvement salesperson" I understand we would be losing MOST of the protections of an LLC however if your work were that shoddy an LLC wouldn't protect you anyway IMO

So, assuming I were to go that route all I would need is worker comp for myself and then my pro roofer to learn the trade from.

Almost any other state this wouldn't be an issue to just hire the specialist and get rolling/ learn the trade and then get my own license in a few MONTHS

 

C-5 Framing License Question

Hello!

Thank you in advanced for any help provided!
So here is my situation. Me and my father are looking to start a small framing company (and hopefully expand it in the future). My father would like the business to be under my name. He wants me to be the business owner and handle the business side of it. I am 22 years old and have no experience in the field as a journeyman or anything like that. So I obviously can not apply for a license. My father, on the other hand, has all the experience required. He has 15+ years experience as a journeyman that he gained at a framing company. Proving it is not an issue either as he has all his W2's or whatever they might ask for. So my question is, how do we go about applying with him as the licensed contractor, but me as the business owner? If even possible? Also, he would be applying with his TIN. I read on the application instructions that this isn't a issue. Any thoughts on that? Will it be a issue?

Thank you :thumbup:

 

Hello,

You could apply as a sole owner and have dad as the RME. Which means you'd have to carry workers comp.

Or apply for a partnership license where you would be the general partner and dad the qualifying partner.

Or you could create a corporation and apply for a corporate license where you could be the Pres/Sect/Tres and dad would be the RMO.

 

A corp, same with an LLC, the entity "owns" or holds the license. An individual would be the qualifier for that license.

Bonding for a corp is the same as for a sole owner or partnership license. Just the one 15k bond is required.

 

But wouldn't the licensed roofer I hire HAVE to be a owner of the corp? And if I list said roofer as an employee he would be disqualified from working for anyone else?

 

No one owns a corporation. It has officers and a qualifier of the classification.

If that qualifier is an RME (employee) then yes, he could not be a qualifier on any other active license.

 

I can't hire someone full time - not yet anyway. I was hoping to keep everyone as an independent contractor (I tell people this is sometime BETTER than a w-2 employee b/c you can write off YOUR expenses at tax time!)

If the bonding requirement is only 15k then why would an LLC be too expensive?

 

The LLC worker/surety $100,000 bond can cost $3000 - $5000 Per Year!

And that's after you provide the broker with all of your personal and business financials... even when it's time to renew the bond... same hoops, same price.

 

Thanks for the Help. I appreciate it.

I have another quick question. Would it be bad if I just submit 3 years of Work Experience? Since I have a Certificate from a college in refrigeration and an Associate in Heating and Air, wouldn't this count as credit for experience for the C-20 license? I know the EPA is basically mandatory so I don't count that. Also I have some self-employed work, how would that affect the experience part. Does it matter if the self-employed work is "under the table"? Any help is always appreciated. Thank you.

 

Any college or trade courses are valid and should be submitted. You'll also need to provide them with a CFC or Universal Type II card.

If you are paid under the table by a contractor, you can submit that as employed experience. The cslb says they won't go after the contractor for paying some under the table.

 

License guru

As of March 2019, how has the CSLB been about pulling B license apps for secondary review? Have they lightened up at all?

 

Nope. Unless your experience was obtained as an employee of a B contractor, your application will require permits (pulled by your or not, in your name or not) and as many CSLB project list forms as it takes to come up with at least four years of B experience.

If some of those projects don't include framing as part of the scope of work, then those projects will most likely be eliminated.

I just came from a meeting at the CSLB where they are discussing (again) the possibility of creating a classification that doesn't require framing experience to qualify for the exam.

 

What is the best way to apply if your experience was gained employed by a B licensed contractor but you were being paid cash under the table?

And any time frame as to when the new classification would possibly become an option?

 

Submit the experience as employed and enter the contractors biz name, license number, and address on the certification of work experience form. The cslb doesn't care how you were paid.

If that new classification is created, and I soooo hope it is, it probably wouldn't happen until next year.

 

If I want to get licensed to install rebar in swimming pools should I apply for a C-53 or C-50 license?