Grrr. Laws that contradict reality suck ass. Seriously.
Okay, in the state of Georgia (at least in this county/the city of Dublin) there law says anybody doing electrical, plumbing, or construction work has to have a license. Used to it was just for the City but now I think it's anywhere. I understand the idea, you want someone qualified working on your house. I GET IT, I really do, you wouldn't want your pilot of your plane to not have a license, so you wouldn't want the person putting in your water heater to not have one...
BUT the reality is it isn't like the DMV to get a drivers license. You don't just go do a written/practical exam to prove you can do it and get a license at some office. For one, you do it at home online so you can cheat your ass off, there IS no practical exam, so basically anybody who can pass an open book test can pass the test.
AND you can't JUST do that. That makes it seem easy to get a license, no that was to point out that you don't have to be qualified for shit to pass the test.
To GET the license you have to have *copy/pasted from the contractors STATE LICENSING BOARD FOR RESIDENTIAL AND GENERAL CONTRACTORS
GENERAL CONTRACTOR DIVISION license application from*:
REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE Must be a minimum of 21 years old. Must be of good character and otherwise qualified as to competency, ability, integrity, and financial responsibility. Must comply with one of the following:
(a) Four year degree from an accredited college or university in engineering, architecture, construction management, building construction or related field acceptable to the Division and one year of work experience as or in the employment of a general contractor or other proven experience deemed substantially similar by the Division; or
(b) Combination of college level academic accredited courses and proven practical experience working as or in the employment of a general contractor or other proven experience deemed substantially similar by the Division equaling at least four years in the aggregate; or
(c) Total of at least four years of proven active experience working in a construction industry related field, at least two of which shall have been as or in the employment of a general contractor, or other proven experience deemed acceptable by the Division and at least one of which shall have been in or relating to administration, marketing, accounting, estimating, drafting, engineering, supervision, or project management, or functions deemed substantially similar by the Division.
-Must submit to the Board, in a sealed envelope, an official transcript, diploma, or certification from accredited college, university, or technical school attended if you are applying based on education ((a) or (b) above). Must submit, in support of (a), (b), or (c) above, at least one letter of recommendation from a registered or licensed Architect or Engineer or other as approved by the Board that shall follow the guidelines provided in Forms C-1 through C-3 attached.
-Must complete the Consent Form (Form B) granting permission to the Board for a background check, including criminal history, and submit it with your application to the Board office. Must furnish a list of all persons, entities, and businesses with which the applicant will be affiliated. Please include principal officers, titles, and contact information.
-Must submit with your application a Certificate of Insurance in the name of the business organization showing proof of general liability insurance in a minimum amount of $500,000 per occurrence. The business organization must also show proof of workers compensation insurance, if the business organization is currently required by Georgia law to carry such.
-Must have an individual minimum net worth of $25,000
TODAY my father got busted by an inspector (finally, they've threatened him for the last 5 years or so) because he's not licensed and he pretty much fixes/builds whatever he's paid to. He's been doing it for 27 years. HE is the one that goes back BEHIND licensed contractors who fuck people's houses up and does it at discounted prices because he has respect for them being screwed over before him. The guy has never had anything he's done constituted as 'wrong' and if he DOES make a mistake, he fixes it without charging the customer even for the original work because he messed it up, not them.
He's been issued a cease and desist because someone WITH a license got pissed that he's getting work they can't get. My dad knows his shit, he's been doing it since he was a teenager, and NOW he's going to be fined $1600 because he CAN'T get a license! If it was just the test that's one thing but here's the problems:
1- He has no schooling and he can't prove he worked for someone who is DEAD and otherwise has no documentation from the 1980s on file.
2- Unless they count basic 'this is how much material will cost you, this is how much I'm charging for labor *writes out receipt*' for this part "...at least one of which shall have been in or relating to administration, marketing, accounting, estimating, drafting, engineering, supervision, or project management, or functions deemed substantially similar by the Division." then he's got NOTHING in that division.
3- AND THIS- at least one letter of recommendation from a registered or licensed Architect or Engineer doesn't KNOW anybody who is an architect or engineer.
4- ... seriously? Must submit with your application a Certificate of Insurance in the name of the business organization showing proof of general liability insurance in a minimum amount of $500,000 per occurrence. The business organization must also show proof of workers compensation insurance, if the business organization is currently required by Georgia law to carry such.Must have an individual minimum net worth of $25,000 <- = HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously?! If you combined the worth of EVERYTHING WE OWN in the whole family it wouldn't come to that. We're talking posessions, money in the banks combined between us, AND all however many vehicles we've got, it wouldn't come to anywhere NEAR that much money.
So... my dad's job, that he's done for 27 years, that he does about 10 hours a day 7 days a week EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR, the ONLY income my family has, and he is going to start getting fined for EVERY job he does until they finally decide they've had enough and THEN he could be convicted of a FELONY!
A. FELONY!
All because he's poor... where the fuck is the justice in that?! THAT is why all the big name contractors seem to have so much money... they had to HAVE money to start their business and THEN they hire shitty un-licensed workers that do shitty work (that my dad has to go behind and fix) but THEY don't get in trouble cause they're contracted by someone with a license and an inheritance.
Fuck that shit. Seriously.
BUT the reality is it isn't like the DMV to get a drivers license. You don't just go do a written/practical exam to prove you can do it and get a license at some office. For one, you do it at home online so you can cheat your ass off, there IS no practical exam, so basically anybody who can pass an open book test can pass the test.
AND you can't JUST do that. That makes it seem easy to get a license, no that was to point out that you don't have to be qualified for shit to pass the test.
To GET the license you have to have *copy/pasted from the contractors STATE LICENSING BOARD FOR RESIDENTIAL AND GENERAL CONTRACTORS
GENERAL CONTRACTOR DIVISION license application from*:
REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE Must be a minimum of 21 years old. Must be of good character and otherwise qualified as to competency, ability, integrity, and financial responsibility. Must comply with one of the following:
(a) Four year degree from an accredited college or university in engineering, architecture, construction management, building construction or related field acceptable to the Division and one year of work experience as or in the employment of a general contractor or other proven experience deemed substantially similar by the Division; or
(b) Combination of college level academic accredited courses and proven practical experience working as or in the employment of a general contractor or other proven experience deemed substantially similar by the Division equaling at least four years in the aggregate; or
(c) Total of at least four years of proven active experience working in a construction industry related field, at least two of which shall have been as or in the employment of a general contractor, or other proven experience deemed acceptable by the Division and at least one of which shall have been in or relating to administration, marketing, accounting, estimating, drafting, engineering, supervision, or project management, or functions deemed substantially similar by the Division.
-Must submit to the Board, in a sealed envelope, an official transcript, diploma, or certification from accredited college, university, or technical school attended if you are applying based on education ((a) or (b) above). Must submit, in support of (a), (b), or (c) above, at least one letter of recommendation from a registered or licensed Architect or Engineer or other as approved by the Board that shall follow the guidelines provided in Forms C-1 through C-3 attached.
-Must complete the Consent Form (Form B) granting permission to the Board for a background check, including criminal history, and submit it with your application to the Board office. Must furnish a list of all persons, entities, and businesses with which the applicant will be affiliated. Please include principal officers, titles, and contact information.
-Must submit with your application a Certificate of Insurance in the name of the business organization showing proof of general liability insurance in a minimum amount of $500,000 per occurrence. The business organization must also show proof of workers compensation insurance, if the business organization is currently required by Georgia law to carry such.
-Must have an individual minimum net worth of $25,000
TODAY my father got busted by an inspector (finally, they've threatened him for the last 5 years or so) because he's not licensed and he pretty much fixes/builds whatever he's paid to. He's been doing it for 27 years. HE is the one that goes back BEHIND licensed contractors who fuck people's houses up and does it at discounted prices because he has respect for them being screwed over before him. The guy has never had anything he's done constituted as 'wrong' and if he DOES make a mistake, he fixes it without charging the customer even for the original work because he messed it up, not them.
He's been issued a cease and desist because someone WITH a license got pissed that he's getting work they can't get. My dad knows his shit, he's been doing it since he was a teenager, and NOW he's going to be fined $1600 because he CAN'T get a license! If it was just the test that's one thing but here's the problems:
1- He has no schooling and he can't prove he worked for someone who is DEAD and otherwise has no documentation from the 1980s on file.
2- Unless they count basic 'this is how much material will cost you, this is how much I'm charging for labor *writes out receipt*' for this part "...at least one of which shall have been in or relating to administration, marketing, accounting, estimating, drafting, engineering, supervision, or project management, or functions deemed substantially similar by the Division." then he's got NOTHING in that division.
3- AND THIS- at least one letter of recommendation from a registered or licensed Architect or Engineer doesn't KNOW anybody who is an architect or engineer.
4- ... seriously? Must submit with your application a Certificate of Insurance in the name of the business organization showing proof of general liability insurance in a minimum amount of $500,000 per occurrence. The business organization must also show proof of workers compensation insurance, if the business organization is currently required by Georgia law to carry such.Must have an individual minimum net worth of $25,000 <- = HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously?! If you combined the worth of EVERYTHING WE OWN in the whole family it wouldn't come to that. We're talking posessions, money in the banks combined between us, AND all however many vehicles we've got, it wouldn't come to anywhere NEAR that much money.
So... my dad's job, that he's done for 27 years, that he does about 10 hours a day 7 days a week EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR, the ONLY income my family has, and he is going to start getting fined for EVERY job he does until they finally decide they've had enough and THEN he could be convicted of a FELONY!
A. FELONY!
All because he's poor... where the fuck is the justice in that?! THAT is why all the big name contractors seem to have so much money... they had to HAVE money to start their business and THEN they hire shitty un-licensed workers that do shitty work (that my dad has to go behind and fix) but THEY don't get in trouble cause they're contracted by someone with a license and an inheritance.
Fuck that shit. Seriously.