# License requirements



## RCPainting (Jan 29, 2006)

We are considering relocating from Utah to Idaho. Looking at license info I was amazed to see that in Idaho you only have to register (30$) with state and have workmen comp and liability ins. In Utah you have to:
Pass a 50 question Legal Test in 2 hours with 85%
Pass a 50 question Trade Test in 2 hours with 85%
Show proof of Liability Ins
Show proof of employment by a licensed paint contractor for minimum of 2 years by W-2, no 1099
Pass a criminal background check
250$ fee
250$ to lein recovery fund
Then get city and county license
Register with Dept of Commerce for business name
Register with state for EIN

Just curious as to what "hoops" do you guys have to jump thru?


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

We are in a non liscense state, basically like Idaho... GA is the same, as is DE and ML.

Keeps the hacks in business.


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## GoodPainter (Apr 23, 2006)

Yeah got nutcase me a job w/ no license in PA

jk

only GC's Elec. and Plumb need one here

Robert


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

http://www.contractors-license.org/

Illinois, no license required for painters.
Nevada, license required, much like Utah. Surety bond determined by the board. They set limits on the monetary size of the jobs you can take. And from what I understand, you must have lots of money in reserve.

Almost makes me want to go back to IL.


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## Richard (May 21, 2006)

Connecticut is pretty easy- Trade name, proof of liab. insurance, and license application ($100-160 fee, depending on time of year). 

I just found out when I move to Pa in a year...I wont need any license~now it's time to compete with every Joe-friggin-shmoe around! Yippie!!!!


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## KellyPainting (May 30, 2006)

Massachussettes...no license required.


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## Exroadog (Feb 11, 2005)

Maine....no license. CA. you need a contractors license ($600), 
Brushslinger, I thought FL req. a license now. I know people in south FL that had to get them for doing decorative painting. Is it a county thing? (used to live in P'Cola)


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

Exroadog said:


> Maine....no license. CA. you need a contractors license ($600),
> Brushslinger, I thought FL req. a license now. I know people in south FL that had to get them for doing decorative painting. Is it a county thing? (used to live in P'Cola)



Naa, only GC or plumb/elec/hvac need license, may be something in a county but unless you are structural or requiring a permit, no liscense.. wish we had something here, would get about 90% of the idiots out of my hair.

Funny thing is, you are required to have pool certification if you operate a public pool here, but can do what I do for nothing.


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## RCPainting (Jan 29, 2006)

Brushslingers said:


> Naa, only GC or plumb/elec/hvac need license, may be something in a county but unless you are structural or requiring a permit, no liscense.. wish we had something here, would get about 90% of the idiots out of my hair.
> 
> Funny thing is, you are required to have pool certification if you operate a public pool here, but can do what I do for nothing.


So what are some of the issue with the idiots? Around here the strict license and monitoring/reporting systems keep out the "riif-raff". Wonder how it might be different where there is little regulations? Besides the obvious undercutting of prices.


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

Hmm, i'll answer but my son just called me a board troll, so after this one I'll move on for a bit.

Idiots have no clue what they are covering, nor HOW to cover it correctly, lead is huge here and still in full swing but people continue to just sand and paint it... then it falls off. Or go over it with normal oil, which ends up rotting the sills and etc. Besides getting cut at the knees with prices, it has become a college man's industry, in which he can borrow 50 bucks from daddy to buy a sole prop registration from the local tag office, and a 20 dollar purdy brush and go to work. Some of these.. no most of these guys don't even know what oil is, much less how to deal with it. The commercial guys laugh at em, the poor re-painters get pissed at em, the new construction GC's use em and let em go... but in the end it makes a large dent in the industry. Riff Raff is a good term, but in unlicensed states you'll get alot of it. Fly by nights, etc... soooooo common.

That doesn't even start to cover the poor cut lines, not priming raw wood first, crappy coverage, alligator marks in the rolling, overspray on everything, running brush marks the wrong way on a door.. etc etc etc. I can count on two hands how many 1 year painters here own a company, and it's not enough to count them all.


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## SgtBaldy (Jul 14, 2006)

Brushslingers said:


> Hmm, i'll answer but my son just called me a board troll, so after this one I'll move on for a bit.
> 
> Idiots have no clue what they are covering, nor HOW to cover it correctly, lead is huge here and still in full swing but people continue to just sand and paint it... then it falls off. Or go over it with normal oil, which ends up rotting the sills and etc. Besides getting cut at the knees with prices, it has become a college man's industry, in which he can borrow 50 bucks from daddy to buy a sole prop registration from the local tag office, and a 20 dollar purdy brush and go to work. Some of these.. no most of these guys don't even know what oil is, much less how to deal with it. The commercial guys laugh at em, the poor re-painters get pissed at em, the new construction GC's use em and let em go... but in the end it makes a large dent in the industry. Riff Raff is a good term, but in unlicensed states you'll get alot of it. Fly by nights, etc... soooooo common.
> 
> That doesn't even start to cover the poor cut lines, not priming raw wood first, crappy coverage, alligator marks in the rolling, overspray on everything, running brush marks the wrong way on a door.. etc etc etc. I can count on two hands how many 1 year painters here own a company, and it's not enough to count them all.


Same thing going on here in central FL. People are so used to seeing crappy work that they don't know what good work looks like or want to pay for it for that matter. Damn home fixup shows don't help either by making painting seem like anyone can do it.

Had a lady the other day almost send me off the job because i didn't want to use tape to cut in the walls against a popcorn ceiling.:wallbash:


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## jwbond (Jan 5, 2005)

Joewho said:


> Illinois, no license required for painters.
> Nevada, license required, much like Utah. Surety bond determined by the board. They set limits on the monetary size of the jobs you can take. And from what I understand, you must have lots of money in reserve.
> 
> Almost makes me want to go back to IL.


A lot of money in reserve is a requirement for some bonding companies, but not all. If you are hitting a sticking point on this you may want to go to a bond only agency, as the typical P/C insurance agent usually brokers bonds out to bond specific agencies since they don't know how to properly place the business.

Some states require that you have a certain amount of cash available as well, so you will want to ensure you meet ALL requirements prior to getting bonded, as most bonding companies do not offer refunds on cancelled bondsw within the first year.


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

RCPainting said:


> Pass a 50 question Legal Test in 2 hours with 85%
> Pass a 50 question Trade Test in 2 hours with 85%
> Show proof of Liability Ins
> Show proof of employment by a licensed paint contractor for minimum of 2 years by W-2, no 1099
> ...


In my Florida county and surronding counties ditto on all of the above requirements. A pain, but once you got it ya got it. Still not enough enforcement. I do get tempted to call and nark people out for working without a liecense though. For some reason I never do?


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## Mike Heritage (Sep 4, 2007)

AZ you have to pass a busness management test & trade test. be bonded , pay a fee to the registry of contractors for contracting license ( you have to renewevery two years) pay into a slush fund. get license from the city's you work in. along with a state license . The you get to compete with all the illegals without licesnses.


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