# What's a license for?



## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

I'm against liscensing, cept _maybe _electrical and plumbing. Testing sounds good on the surface then it gets bogged down in government BS quit often. Verifiable work experience? What about all the odds and ends a person learns here and there. And theres different learning capacities/abilities among people. I had a friend in 6th grade who already had skipped two grades, bet he graduated HS at 14. Why hold back people? I've done enough plumbing over the course of my life to easily qualify for residential stuff, dont have an ounce of verifiable experience at it.


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## basswood (Oct 31, 2008)

skymaster said:


> Basswood; shhhhhhhhhhhh put the disposable covers on yer boots, mud it up, throw em away real quik, NO evidence :laughing::laughing::w00t:


:laughing: It is an interesting rule. It would be like if you were allowed to build cabinets, but were required to sub out the finishing... actually you might like that.:jester: 

I'm off to the disposable bootie store.:shifty:


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

When it comes to work that can endanger people, I'm all for licencing. Plumber needs to show his licence to pull permit, same for electrical. This should apply for structural carpentry. Show your carpenters licence to pull a permit. Or the GC can pull the permit, but not do structural work. These safety requirements are everywhere. For example to do a structural weld you need to be a licenced welder and have to sign off on your welds.

This approach would effectively and quickly get rid of all the unqualified people who are undercutting real tradespeople, and it would protect the HO.

And HO should not be able to do this work, then flip the home to some poor unsuspecting purchaser who assumes the work has been done properly. When selling the home, show the building permits, and this would prove to the purchases a job legally done.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

katoman said:


> When it comes to work that can endanger people, I'm all for licencing. Plumber needs to show his licence to pull permit, same for electrical. This should apply for structural carpentry. Show your carpenters licence to pull a permit. Or the GC can pull the permit, but not do structural work. These safety requirements are everywhere. For example to do a structural weld you need to be a licenced welder and have to sign off on your welds.
> 
> This approach would effectively and quickly get rid of all the unqualified people who are undercutting real tradespeople, and it would protect the HO.
> 
> And HO should not be able to do this work, then flip the home to some poor unsuspecting purchaser who assumes the work has been done properly. When selling the home, show the building permits, and this would prove to the purchases a job legally done.


It's obvious you live 
north of the 49th parallel. :laughing:


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

Here in NW PA we have a major problem with amish. No offense to anyone that has amish relatives or may be amish but they do they hackiest work. Had to go into a house last week to fix a kitchen install on a 850 sq ft house that was the poorest excuse for finish work ive ever seen. The HO paid over 130k for this place and ive never seen drywall work so poor, it looked like a tape one coat no sand job. The window buildouts had half inch gaps in the corners, the casing was only jamb nailed and twisted all to hell. When we fixed the kitchen 3 inch space between window and cabinet on one side, 15 on the other, no spaces, most of the drawers wouldnt open because they were to close to wall and room was so far out of square. Pa is just getting into the liscensing thing but from what im hearing they dont even check insurance so its not getting off on a good foot.


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

B.K said:


> I think personally, you cut this thing right off at the head. You can't do anything structural to your house without a professional, licensed, insured contractor doing the work, even if you think you can do it yourself.


Now we'd really having government controlling every aspect of our lives even more. Can't even do what we want to our own homes?


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

jkfox624 said:


> Here in NW PA we have a major problem with amish. No offense to anyone that has amish relatives or may be amish but they do they hackiest work. Had to go into a house last week to fix a kitchen install on a 850 sq ft house that was the poorest excuse for finish work ive ever seen. The HO paid over 130k for this place and ive never seen drywall work so poor, it looked like a tape one coat no sand job. The window buildouts had half inch gaps in the corners, the casing was only jamb nailed and twisted all to hell. When we fixed the kitchen 3 inch space between window and cabinet on one side, 15 on the other, no spaces, most of the drawers wouldnt open because they were to close to wall and room was so far out of square. Pa is just getting into the liscensing thing but from what im hearing they dont even check insurance so its not getting off on a good foot.



Ohio has the same issues. State requires no licensing and very few cities do either. The Amish are also a problem here. Undercutting prices as most of them don't pay taxes,WC,Unemployment or any insurance. Its funny how some homeowners think "Amish Built" is a good thing when they buy their home. I say if you want nice furniture, get it made by Amish. If you want a nice home...........Not so much!


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

framerman said:


> Then what do we need ANY licenses for?
> 
> You cannot go out and call yourself a doctor just because you think surgery would be cool to do. People need to be told "the line is here, you are behind it" because they are not qualified to do something that may hurt either themselves or others.
> 
> ...


Sorry, I didn't read all teh other posts before I replied, apparently this has been discussed in this thread already. :laughing:


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## notillegal (Jun 14, 2006)

*License- Shcmicense*

I agree that plumbing and electrical should be licensed, because as stated before you can burn down, or blow up someones home or business. The problem I see is that it just places a burden on the responsible craftsman. More money out of pocket, classes to attend, continuing education requirements, and time lost. Lets face it the guys who are hacking it up looking to earn enough to buy booze or drugs will always find work. There is always some slumlord or cheap *** homeowner who will be willing to roll the dice, and they deserve what they get. Personally I dont want to work for people who want to skirt the system, because they will be the ones who will sue you for nothing and make your life hell. When it comes to the kind of customers we all want, word gets around and like one of the previous posters said the market will sort it out.


P.S. Besides their f**k ups provide job security for us


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## Meetre (Nov 2, 2007)

make the ho responsible for the work performed on there house. Some thing goes wrong 10 years after you had it done and sold the house, you are still on the hook for the damages. people tend to want it done right when they are responsible for the outcome.


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## Kanding (Dec 31, 2007)

This is an interesting discussion. As a (licensed) professional engineer, I understand the idea for professionals to have demonstrated some minimum standard of competence through licensure, to reduce the chances (hopefully) of a catastrophic failure .

However, as a homeowner, I would very much resent not having the legal right to work on my own house, be it structural, electrical, plumbing, or anything else I would chose to do. I never heard of a law preventing any joker from doing suspension, drivetrain, or brake work on his car (or someone else’s for that matter), which could possibly put his life and others on the road in danger if done poorly. I’m not yet sure where I stand on this issue…


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

Kanding said:


> This is an interesting discussion. As a (licensed) professional engineer, I understand the idea for professionals to have demonstrated some minimum standard of competence through licensure, to reduce the chances (hopefully) of a catastrophic failure .
> 
> However, as a homeowner, I would very much resent not having the legal right to work on my own house, be it structural, electrical, plumbing, or anything else I would chose to do. I never heard of a law preventing any joker from doing suspension, drivetrain, or brake work on his car (or someone else’s for that matter), which could possibly put his life and others on the road in danger if done poorly. I’m not yet sure where I stand on this issue…


Just watch an episode of Holmes on Homes and you will understand why we need to get rid of the hacks. Very few HO have the expertise to do a proper job. Most of their work is sh_t. I know, fixed lots of it. Like I've said before what gets me is they do this work then sell the home to some unsuspecting people. NOT RIGHT


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## CScalf (Dec 18, 2008)

just let Obama fix it, it's what he does...:whistling


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## Kanding (Dec 31, 2007)

katoman said:


> Like I've said before what gets me is they do this work then sell the home to some unsuspecting people. NOT RIGHT


I agree with you--this is what I find most troubling as well. I'm not sure how to weigh this important concern against a person's rights to do what they want to their personal property. 

I mentioned cars before. Do you think a similar law regarding car repair and mechanics is needed, or overly-restrictive? Or is this situation too different?


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

Kanding said:


> I agree with you--this is what I find most troubling as well. I'm not sure how to weigh this important concern against a person's rights to do what they want to their personal property.
> 
> I mentioned cars before. Do you think a similar law regarding car repair and mechanics is needed, or overly-restrictive? Or is this situation too different?


Solution is simple - HO gets a permit, all work, including mech. get inspected, passed, everyone is happy. And when they sell, they can show proof of a job well done.


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