License Required for Contractors (Penn: real estate, insurance, how much) - Northeastern Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania (PA) -Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pocono area - City-Data Forum

BLUEDIAMOND64 · 07-24-2009, 01:14 PM

I am hearing a lot of talk about PA changing their laws on licensure of buliders. If that is so, does it apply to electricians, carpenters, etc. Any hear of this regulation that supposed to take place?

KarenRice · 07-24-2009, 06:59 PM

It applies to contractors who make more than $500 a year in home improvements.

All jobs now have to have a contract, and all correspondence must include the contractor's license number for it to be valid and enforceable.

Personally though, I'm dubious over the practicality of this actually helping anyone - all it does is create a bit of a nuisance for contractors (Having to have their license number on everything as well as paying the license every year.)

It is a new source if revenue for the state - an untapped resource!

If it helps protect homeowners from fraud, great - but I think the ones who are going to comply with this are the ones who wouldn't rip people off anyway...know what I mean? Kind of like the old "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns..."

How much money is the state going to invest to check up on wayward contractors? Is this going to end up costing the taxpayers MORE money if they have to set up a new "division" with a "commissioner" and all that, like the real estate commission has?

BLUEDIAMOND64 · 07-25-2009, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenRice

It applies to contractors who make more than $500 a year in home improvements.

All jobs now have to have a contract, and all correspondence must include the contractor's license number for it to be valid and enforceable.

Personally though, I'm dubious over the practicality of this actually helping anyone - all it does is create a bit of a nuisance for contractors (Having to have their license number on everything as well as paying the license every year.)

It is a new source if revenue for the state - an untapped resource!

If it helps protect homeowners from fraud, great - but I think the ones who are going to comply with this are the ones who wouldn't rip people off anyway...know what I mean? Kind of like the old "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns..."

How much money is the state going to invest to check up on wayward contractors? Is this going to end up costing the taxpayers MORE money if they have to set up a new "division" with a "commissioner" and all that, like the real estate commission has?

What are they trying to regulate and how do they determine the qualifications for a license? Is there a test?

KarenRice · 07-25-2009, 01:28 PM

It's really more of a registration rather than a license - there is no test or qualification. What are they trying to regulate? More of the populace's lives, that's what. LOL

It's supposed to be to cut down on rip off artists and shysters - but really, like I said - the ones who actually comply with the law were probably not going to rip people off anyway. The scam artists will still scam people - they'll make up registration numbers,or figure some other way around it. They'll take advantage of the people who don't know any better...

mathjak107 · 07-25-2009, 01:42 PM

here in nyc the term licensed contractor fits right in their with pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp and happily married...it means nothing... dosnt even mean the guy will be in business if you have a warranty or defective workmanship issue

poconoproud · 07-25-2009, 07:43 PM

Consumers: Protecting Consumers - Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General that should be the link for FAQ's on the attorney general website.

We're home builders, and home builders are exempt for new construction...however, in these times when a lot of folks are not building yet...home improvements are something all of us builders have embraced to weather the storm. You will find that a lot of area builders on the attorney general's website have registered to do home improvements. We had to register on their site, and we must not advertise home improvements without the number. It's one more thing the consumer has on their side to check on any home improvement contracor they might hire. On the website, you can check if a contractor you've considered has registered with the state.

Riverside4ever · 07-25-2009, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenRice

It applies to contractors who make more than $500 a year in home improvements.

All jobs now have to have a contract, and all correspondence must include the contractor's license number for it to be valid and enforceable.

Personally though, I'm dubious over the practicality of this actually helping anyone - all it does is create a bit of a nuisance for contractors (Having to have their license number on everything as well as paying the license every year.)

It is a new source if revenue for the state - an untapped resource!

If it helps protect homeowners from fraud, great - but I think the ones who are going to comply with this are the ones who wouldn't rip people off anyway...know what I mean? Kind of like the old "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns..."

How much money is the state going to invest to check up on wayward contractors? Is this going to end up costing the taxpayers MORE money if they have to set up a new "division" with a "commissioner" and all that, like the real estate commission has?

I think its $5000 a year in work , Not $500

poconoproud · 07-25-2009, 08:02 PM

correct, $5,000

poconoproud · 07-25-2009, 08:04 PM

but a contractor may make that with just one job...so it's likely any contractor you'd hire should have one.

sci · 07-25-2009, 09:12 PM

I am a licensed home improvement contractor on Long Island NY. Have been for over 20 years. Just renewed my Nassau County license--$400. $200 for the license and $200 for the restitution fund --a fund for homeowners to tap when they get screwed by unlicensed contractors. What a joke. Not only do I lose jobs to unliscensed contractors but I have to pay to clean up there mess, all because the homeowner wants the cheapest price.
The requirements to obtain the license were a joke, proof of insurance, and a simple test mostly on what you could do and what you could not do[cannot do plumbing or electric- seperate licenses- but could do masonary, carpentry,landscaping and everything inbetween]. Nothing related to actual skills. Enforcement here is very limited to stings aim at specific people that seem to have multiple complaints against them. If they really wanted to enforce licenses and permits they should follow people from the big orange and blue stores.
Not against licenses but should be some type of skills based testing. Isn't that the idea of a license, showing some minimal skill for the job?
As I hope to move in the future to the NEPA region I hope that the powers to be don't see this as another cash cow that can be tapped. Once they start they seem to loose sight of the original good intention and treat it as another stream for revenue and it always seems to go up in price.