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#1,681 · (Edited)
Attached, are two actual Work Experience forms I submitted to the CSLB. I have 8 license classifications and not one form was ever rejected. I have my supporters write as few words as possible and try to write the things that make me look like I know my stuff.

The person who signs these forms is very important. I used a California state building engineer to support my A-General Engineering license.

If you can, use an engineer, residential or commercial real estate management company, owner of a factory, and there are many other titles that have clout.

I qualified for my first license and had no payroll nor tax records to back me up. That is because I worked for my father managing 6 apartment buildings, 135 units (total) plus 50 houses. Parents don't always pay their children at all. In my case, I was young, got free rent and I also had my own house painting business that generate mucho fungolas. I worked for my father for free and will not disclose the reasons.

i never submitted more than one Work Experience form.
 

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Discussion starter · #1,682 ·
pcplumber.....Today's application review processes are completely different than when you applied for and received the classifications you hold.

If someone is applying for one of the eight critical classifications, the certifier is no longer a huge factor in whether or not the applicants experience is valid or worthy.

The critical classification applicant has to provide documentation that proves their experience. I can guarantee you that if you had to go thru this process when you initially applied for your B, you would have been denied.

That's the world we live in today.
 
#1,683 ·
california licensing

Thx pcpplumber
Thx license guru
Well - the 55 odd pages went off to the application technician this morning. Permits, plans, correspondence back and forth between me and my engineer, and architect, my name appearing at all points of the full life cycle of acquiring land, closing, submitting the building permit, buying all the materials, the modular house being delivered to site. And three substantial owner builder projects on sheer slope hillside, with complex foundations, and an entire gutting of house and rebuild essentially. I m hoping but not expecting for a timely response from CSLB.
 
#1,684 ·
License Guru said:
pcplumber.....Today's application review processes are completely different than when you applied for and received the classifications you hold.

If someone is applying for one of the eight critical classifications, the certifier is no longer a huge factor in whether or not the applicants experience is valid or worthy.

The critical classification applicant has to provide documentation that proves their experience. I can guarantee you that if you had to go thru this process when you initially applied for your B, you would have been denied.

That's the world we live in today.
Click to expand...
You are probably right. Also, I think I have been very lucky because I was never rejected and most people I know were rejected more than one time. I never failed one test with the exception of the A-general engineering test. I thought I had about 15 more minutes, the clock stopped and I was short on answering 1 to 3 questions. I called the contractor's board, complained that the blueprints were so small and congested that it really took me 15 minutes to find number markers and I had to use a magnifying glass. The cslb immediately told me that that they would give me one extra hour on the next test. The first test was limited to 2 hours and my 2nd test took me 2 hours and 15 minutes.

I have had nothing buy good luck with the cslb and they have always been very friendly and helpful.
 
#1,685 ·
sole owner to corp question

Guru- I have recently been issued my General B license and right after my accountant incorporated me. I understand I have to reapply to license my corp and am working on the paperwork and the examination Waiver document as well. I am curious about what is the pros and cons of having it reissued to the corp as opposed to keeping it as a sole and having a new one issued to the corp. If you have to pay the $380 either way and fill and app, wouldn't it be better to cover your bases and end up having two licenses and you can place your work income into which entity suits you best?

Since I already have the bond on the sole and would need a new one for the corp, it seems like I would be feeding two business entities. I didn't expect my licensing to take a year and three months and I had originally applied as a sole owner. I found out you couldn't change the app to one for corporation until the first one was processed. And right when I finally got it, I got some really big jobs that would better suit me being incorporated.
 
Discussion starter · #1,686 ·
Welllllll.....

If you have two active licenses you will be renewing two bonds and two licenses. You have two sets of books and would be filing two different tax returns.

Unless you inactivated the sole owner license and only worked under the corp license.

Generally people turn the sole owner license into a corp license having only one license number. It's really a tax issue, I think.

Yes, you would have to pay the cslb another 480 and buy another bond, which basically means you're throwing away the license and bond money you spent on the sole owner license (if you convert the sole to the corp). But... if you keep the sole license and apply for an additional corp license, you're still paying the 480 again and getting another bond.

That's why I say it's a tax issue. Would you rather have the protection of an S corp or the liability of a sole owner?
 
#1,687 ·
License Guru said:
Welllllll.....

If you have two active licenses you will be renewing two bonds and two licenses. You have two sets of books and would be filing two different tax returns.

Unless you inactivated the sole owner license and only worked under the corp license.

Generally people turn the sole owner license into a corp license having only one license number. It's really a tax issue, I think.

Yes, you would have to pay the cslb another 480 and buy another bond, which basically means you're throwing away the license and bond money you spent on the sole owner license (if you convert the sole to the corp). But... if you keep the sole license and apply for an additional corp license, you're still paying the 480 again and getting another bond.

That's why I say it's a tax issue. Would you rather have the protection of an S corp or the liability of a sole owner?
Click to expand...
It's 480 bucks to renew a license now?
 
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#1,690 ·
I thought as much - thank you - I'm looking at the Exam Waiver App 7065 Section 3 and 4 for my corp titles box 7 do I check owner or RMO/Corporate Officer and fill in the blank with "President, Secretary, and Treasurer" since I am 100% owner of the corp?

And not sure if that means I need to fill out anything for Section 4 Personnel since in legalese I am my own personnel for the corp. What do you think?
 
#1,695 ·
General question regarding general contractor licensing

License Guru said:
Do you have questions regarding California Licensing?

I worked at the CSLB as an application technician for many years. I have a great deal of experience and would be happy to help.

Post your question and get a straight answer.
Click to expand...
It's been 3 months since I have applied for general contractor exam, the current status is 'routed to exp analyst for review'. How much longer am I expected to wait approximately? Thank you.
 
Discussion starter · #1,697 ·
That's a good question. How long is a piece of string.

The cslb is staff with incompetent people. This adds to the lengthy process they've created.

Have you received a letter requesting additional information? Have you sent them that additional information? Do you have a name/phone number of the tech that asked for that information? If you do, I would suggest you call the tech. If the tech won't help, ask for the techs supervisor.
 
#1,700 ·
Application is pending


09/18/2014 - APPLICATION RECEIVED
09/24/2014 - PRINTED ACKNLDGMNT LTTR TO APPLCNT
10/10/2014 - APPLICATION RETURNED FOR CORRECTION
10/10/2014 - CONFIRM LEGAL NAME (BOTH)
10/10/2014 - PROVIDE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
10/10/2014 - WORK EXPERIENCE PROBLEM
10/10/2014 - SPEC PROJ - EXPERIENCE VERIFICATION
11/18/2014 - ROUTED TO EXP ANALYST FOR REVIEW
 
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