Obtaining a California State Contractor License

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Automobiles )



Importance of Being a Licensed Contractor

The state of California has tough rules regarding home and business contracting projects. Homeowners need to consult contractors for building or renovating home property. Only a duly-licensed contractor can pull a permit for a construction or renovation project.

Just as the California real estate license will give you the legitimacy to sell real property, the contractor license is also a professional document which allows you to practice building and renovating activities in California.

California State Contractor License Board or CSLB

Established in 1929, the CSLB monitors the activities of licensed contractors to protect consumers from haphazard or unscrupulous contracting jobs, as well as eliminate activities of unlicensed or illegal contractors. The Board handles complaints in relation to jobs performed by the licensed contractors, to make sure that the homeowner gets exactly the value of the contracting job paid for.

The Board also grants California state contractor licenses and implement licensing and contracting rules and regulations fairly.

Obtaining a California State Contractor License

You must have had at least four years' experience at journey level, or as a foreman, supervisor, owner-builder, or contractor for small jobs not exceeding five hundred dollars. If your experience was shorter than four years, you can substitute formal school training for the lack of experience, provided you have at least one year experience.

Contracting courses are available at accredited contracting schools or at community colleges. You can also substitute an associate, bachelor's or professional degree as long as it is related to the contracting field you wish to obtain a license for. It is also to your best benefit to continue to take up training in one of the 41 major specialties or classifications of contractorship. Depending on the degree of specialty, you may be qualified for A, B or C type of license. Type C licenses cover only one classification.

You can obtain a California contractor license by applying for it at the California State License Board or CSLB. You will be subject to a criminal check via fingerprints and will be informed if you need to take any examination.

If all the requirements you have submitted are complete and you don't need any examination, your license may be approved shortly. If you need an exam, you will receive such notice and a specified date and place.

The first half of the exam covers business and contruction laws and management, while the second half covers one of the classification areas. All parts of the exam are multiple-choice type, and you will use a computer for your answers. You will be able to know the results before you leave the test site. If you fail any area, you will need to take an exam for that area only.

Once licensed, you will receive a wall certificate and a pocket card of your California state contractor license. You need to display the certificate at your office and carry your pocket card at all job sites.


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