Contractors License School | Contractor School California

Helping Contractors Since 1974

Who Needs a License

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(800) 562-0008

WHO NEEDS TO BE LICENSED AS A CONTRACTOR?

Anyone who does any building work for a fee over $500 dollars is required by law to be a licensed contractor. At a California contractors license school in Los Angeles CSLC will prepare you to get licensed. Specifically, all businesses or individuals who construct or alter any building, highway, road, parking facility, railroad, excavation, or other structure in Los Angeles must be licensed by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) if the total cost (labor and materials) of one or more contracts on the project is $500 or more. Contractors can be licensed as general engineering contractors, general builders, or in more specialized trades, such as framing, well drilling, landscaping, or masonry. Contractors, including subcontractors, specialty contractors, and persons engaged in the business of home improvement must be licensed before submitting bids. Licenses may be issued to individuals, partnerships, corporations, or joint ventures. The CSLB does issue licenses to Limited Liability Companies (LLC's).

IS ANYONE EXEMPT FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO BE LICENSED?

Yes, here are some exemptions:

Anyone who is performing minor work, which is defined as a project for which the combined value of labor, materials and all other costs on one or more contracts is less than $500. Work which is part of a larger or major project, whether undertaken by the same or different contractors, may not be divided into amounts less than $500 in an attempt to meet the $500 exemption. Unlicensed contractors must provide the purchaser with the written disclosure in B&P Code section 7048 stating that they are not licensed by the CSLB, or the $500 exemption does not apply and that a citation can be issued for work completed by an unlicensed contractor;

" An employee who is paid wages, who does not usually work in an independently established business, and who does not have direction or control over the performance of work or who does not determine the final results of the work or project.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I CONTRACT WITHOUT A LICENSE?

The Contractors State License Board has established statewide investigative fraud teams that focus on unlicensed contractors and the underground economy. These units conduct stings and sweeps to curtail illegal contracting activities in Los Angeles and throughout California .

Contracting without a license is a misdemeanor. Unlicensed contractors face potential sentences of up to one year in county jail and potential administrative fines from $200 to $15,000. The CSLB filed 1,355 nonlicensee citations and referred 1194 nonlicensees to the District Attorney during the 2002-2003 fiscal year. Stings and sweeps are publicized to ensure maximum consumer education.

WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED TO GET A LICENSE?

Not everyone can take the California contractors license exam. You must have four years of experience in your trade (See Classifications for the trade classifications available). This experience must be within the last ten years. If you don't have the four full years required, college or trade school can count up to three years, depending on what courses you have taken. Call one of our admissions counselors for further information on school credit.

There are two ways to account for work experience: working for a company, or through self employment. The state will accept self-employed experience, even if it was in California without a license.

You must be able to document your work experience by completing the certification of work experience section in the application, which requires the signature of a responsible person to verify your work experience. This certifier can be a current or old employer or supervisor, a fellow employee, a business associate or a contractor. Call our office in Los Angeles and we can answer all of your questions regarding work experience, exemptions, and how to complete the application. CSLC is a California contractors license school in Los Angeles that helps contractors all over America get their California contractors license. We are based in Burbank and offer Classes for Contractors License in San Fernando Valley.

Call For A Free Consultation: (800) 562-0008 mon-fri 9am-6pm pst

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